Denver Nuggets President Makes Big 3x MVP Nikola Jokic Statement on Controversial Current Roster
Whenever a team loses early in the playoffs, questions begin about what might come next. The defending champion Denver Nuggets are no exception, as their second round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves has some wondering what they plan on doing this offseason.
While the Nuggets have one of the more complete rosters in basketball, they do have some needs to address this summer. With the incredibly restrictive new CBA, roster building has never been more difficult, but the Nuggets do not plan on letting that stop them from improving this offseason.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke was asked about the second luxury tax apron and the roster building limitations it brings, saying, “When Nikola Jokic is on your roster, you’re going for it. We have the best player in the world. We have a responsibility to him to try and go for it.”
While this is easier said than done, it seems Denver will spare no expense when it comes to building the best possible roster around Jokic. The Western Conference has not been this consistently wide open in quite some time, which puts even more pressure on teams like Denver to maximize this window of opportunity.
With a player like Jokic, Denver will always be in the mix, and that seems to be their plan.
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Nuggets GM Makes Controversial Statement on Roster After Loss to Timberwolves
After being eliminated in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Denver Nuggets have some questions to answer this summer. While this roster certainly does not need an overhaul, having just followed an NBA championship with a very solid regular season, it is reasonable for Denver to feel that upgrades are needed in order to get back to that championship level.
What most people feel the Nuggets need to upgrade is their bench, and particularly the backup center position. While Nikola Jokic will always take the large majority of available center minutes, he cannot play 48 minutes every game, and could certainly use a more productive backup.
This is something many would classify as a glaring hole in Denver’s roster this season, but Nuggets General Manager Calvin Booth believes the team does not have any glaring goals on their roster, and shared that with the media on Thursday.
This is a controversial statement, because while Denver does have one of the more complete rosters in basketball, their lack of a consistent backup for Jokic certainly hurt them in the playoffs. This showed itself in the heavy minutes Denver was forced to play Jokic, which certainly could have impacted his performance late in games.
It will be interesting to see what Denver does with their roster this summer, because the Western Conference is only getting better each year.
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