this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2023
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This is not meant to be an anti nuggets post. More about how ridiculous Jokic is. If Jokic was out for the year due to injury how many wins would the Nuggets get? I feel like Jokic is worth like an additional 20 wins.

Let's take the other 3 teams of Vegas top 4 title contenders

Boston: Take out Tatum and they are for sure making the playoffs

Milwaukee: Now that they have Dame I think they would for sure make the playoffs if Giannis was out for the year.

Phoenix: Whether it's KD or Booker, if only one of them is out they should definitely still make the playoffs.

Good thing for Denver is Jokic is built like a horse

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[–] penguin_torpedo@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

They would be if you just replace Jok with a serviceable center. Gordon at the 5 is fine for stretches but you can't go the whole season like that, and they don't have any genuine backup 5 rn.

I say bring back Plumdog and they're a playoffs team.

[–] rps215@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Without a replacement level player replacing him? 0 chance. They’ve got nice complimentary pieces but murray getting a year by himself with the rest of the core tops out as like a 10 or 11 seed. They’d have to also entirely reconstruct their offensive scheme

[–] Anal_Iverson@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They should be. Murray, KCP, MPJ and Gordon is enough talent to at least make the play-in

[–] Ok_Respond7928@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I don’t think so. Yes on paper that is a good amount of talent. But when you look at the non Jokic minutes even from last year they suck. No matter what combination they throw out it is still not good.

Maybe that has to do with the style of offensive changing so massively but I also think it speaks to the ability of Jokic to just get everything to connect and fire at full power. I think what is super underrated about Jokic is how great of a teammate he is. When your playing with Jokic you don’t have to worry about shot attempts or touch’s you know if you have a good look your going get the ball, if your hot your going to get the ball. While Murray could do that just no where near the same level.

[–] jtruth9@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In the west?? Not a chance. Small chance maybe in the east.

[–] Brovenkar@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Idk depending on who you get to replace him I still don't see them making it out the playin.

[–] InkBlotSam@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (3 children)

The Nuggets had the highest +/- in the NBA with Jokic on the court last year.

The Nuggets were dead last in the NBA in +/- without Jokic on the court last year.

Do what you will with that information.

[–] irelli@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Thats probably true for a decent number of guys though.

You're comparing starter only minutes or bench only minutes to combined starter/bench minutes

[–] ogqozo@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Thats probably true for a decent number of guys though.

How can "the highest in NBA" be true for a decent number of guys in NBA.

[–] irelli@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

By highest in the NBA, most people mean "better than the best offense in the NBA"

Otherwise he 100% is not the best in the NBA. Like boban played 31 games and had a better net rating.

Moreover the nuggets play a lot more starter concentrated minutes than other teams. That leads to their starters having a better net rating, and their bench players have a worse net rating.

The warriors used to do the same thing. Every curry minute was really curry + Draymond on, and the offense stats were curry + Draymond off. Unsurprisingly, that will exaggerate your raw on off numbers

[–] InkBlotSam@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

There's only one player in the NBA who is first and it's Jokic.

And if you are into advanced stats, in addition to leading the league in BPM, Jokic also leads the NBA in WS (win shares) which measures a players direct contribution to wins.

The Nuggets also have a larger differential in net rating when Jokic is on vs. off the court than any other team's differential with/without any other player in the league.

There's actually not a lot of stats, advanced or not, that can point to any other player in the NBA being more valuable to their team than Jokic is to the Nuggets.

So the question becomes, how shitty are the Nuggets without Jokic? Well, they certainly had a dogshit record without him, and were (anecdotally) comically bad whenever he was on the bench, but it also turns out they have the worst net rating of any team in the NBA when those teams have any one of their starters off the court.

But if you'd like to submit a team that falls off more without any one particular player on the court, I'm all ears.

[–] nelsjo9@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Yes I think that sums it up nicely haha

[–] Los_Ingobernablez@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

The Nuggets are probably better than what the stat suggested without Jokic because their team is structured around Jokic. It would be different without him but still not much better. Probably a play in team at best.

[–] StormSaniWater@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

No chance whatsoever

[–] steve1186@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Considering that last season’s Nuggets were 5-8 without Jokic and 48-21 with Jokic, I’m gonna say they would NOT be a playoff team

[–] JokAllYouWant2023@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

If you just delete jokic than no, but to be realistic, you’d have to consider his salary now being available and if you put a starting caliber center in replacement for jokic as well as all of that salary being used for said center or more pieces then they are making the playoffs but probably 1-2 round exit

[–] SnooGuavas650@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not in the west this year. Maybe a few years ago.

[–] Doncicfuturegoat@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

If you replace Jokic with an average center with Nuggets are not a play-off team.

If youyou replace Giannis with an average forward, last year Bucks are still a play-off team, same for this year.

Phoenix is tricky to answer when referring to last year but there are playoffs team with or without Booker, KD.

[–] nelsjo9@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Guess I should have clarified. I am referring to this upcoming year. I agree with you though

[–] ComeAtMeYo@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Milwaukee: Now that they have Dame I think they would for sure make the playoffs if Giannis was out for the year.

Dame has a pretty spot track record of making the playoffs in recent years, just saying. Lopez and Middleton are there too but have had some injury concerns the last couple seasons.

[–] nelsjo9@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I agree with you but the east is not strong this year. If they were in the West, absolutely not

[–] Drag0nborn1234@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

We didn't make the playoffs last year, I am confident we beat a Jokicless Nuggets team.

[–] hansislegend@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago
[–] dr_ally@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I don't think they would be. If the Nuggets is a spider, Jokic is the body the holds the legs together.

[–] Random0cassions@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago
[–] cyrusthemarginal@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Almost like Jokic is valuable.. a Most Valuable Player even.

[–] ProblematicAndCrazy@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

They would be one of the worst teams in the league

Which speaks to just how otherworldly Nikola Jokic is

[–] BoulderAndBrunch@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

If you took out Tatum Boston would not make the playoffs

[–] junahn@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

If Jamal activates his playoff mode for 70+ games, yes

[–] MikiZvornik@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago
[–] KarlTuckerson@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Markieff Morris, is that you gaging the public opinion? Just let it go dude, let it go…

[–] RVAIsTheGreatest@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Probably not but I wouldn't judge that based on their +/- with and without Jokic, who because of his greatness has an outsized impact on those numbers than your average player. They'd also learn to adjust and develop plays/etc. as a non-Jokic team and get the most out of what they do have.

Just not enough top end offensive talent without Jokic to be a playoff team in the West, IMO. Gordon would have to take a scorer role and he wasn't amazing in Orlando in that role. KCP and MPJ likely become less efficient. I do think Jamal would continue to be very good.

[–] Adorable-Physics-782@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago
[–] KangorKodos@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I think they would be a 35-40 win team. Probably not enough to make the play in

[–] Green-Umpire2297@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Nope. God they are lucky to have landed him.

[–] Hernois17@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

If jokic is Hurt theres No replacement whatsoever? Playin yes Playoff No.

They'd likely Play Gordon at the 5 and Slide Watson or braun Into the starting 5. I think they would be better than the +/- suggests still West is hard and this would be a brutal loss

[–] nolimit_788@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I bet they would not even a play in team