Like any great “face of the league” type NBA superstar, Nikola Jokić knows when his team is good enough to win it all.
The Denver Nuggets of last year clearly weren’t good enough for that goal. Jokić knew it from the start. It was easy to see his unhappiness with that reality for anyone who paid close attention. There’s nothing the three-time league MVP seemingly hates more from a basketball perspective than feeling like his squad can’t go all the way. Jokić is also smart enough to get bored by things becoming static and mundane. Given how easy basketball seems to him sometimes, he craves challenge and embraces new concepts.
That’s what makes Jokić’s demeanor at the start of Nuggets training camp this year so noticeable.
At Denver’s Media Day on Monday, Jokić was brimming with joy during his availability. He more or less answered every line of questioning with a smile and or a built-in joke somewhere. For a man with an internet reputation for detesting all the ancillary NBA trimmings and obligations that have nothing to do with the actual basketball, Jokić seemed weirdly overjoyed at the opportunity to talk about this year’s Nuggets.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Serbian big man beaming like this. That speaks volumes about how the best player in the world feels about what Denver can accomplish this coming season:
As for concrete reasons why Jokić seems so happy, we can point to the Nuggets’ offseason changes this summer.
For one, Denver finally restocked itself with quality veteran depth in the form of backup center Jonas Valančiūnas, sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr., and 2023 sixth man Bruce Brown. This, on top of the exciting addition of do-it-all forward Cam Johnson, who should provide much more versatility and on-court intuitiveness compared to ex-Nugget Michael Porter Jr. On paper, the Nuggets have a roster with a lot of high-end talent in their starting lineup and a second unit that can perhaps finally pull its weight.
In other words, the Nuggets look like they have the horses to win the 2026 title, and Jokić knows it. He’s happy to be surrounded by a team worthy of his gifts again.
For the other, Denver has a new coaching staff led by David Adelman, author of the Nuggets’ surprising playoff run last spring. This means that, for the first time in a decade, Jokić not only has new schematic concepts to learn and digest, but he’s also actively learning about four new, capable teammates with worthwhile experience. He has to approach every day on his toes again, which is something he clearly enjoys.
Notably, there is a final cherry on top to this jovial version of Jokić. Amid speculation over Jokić’s current Nuggets contract and his future after declining an extension over the summer (mainly because he can earn an additional $80 million if he signs with Denver next year instead), he made sure to clear the air right away so as not to let that be a distraction that hangs over the season.
Jokić wants to finish his career with the Nuggets. No, sorry. I got that wrong. His “plan is to be Nuggets forever.”
Nikola Jokić is ecstatic about the Nuggets in a manner we haven’t seen from him in a while. That’s excellent news for the Nuggets’ title hopes and a terrible development for anyone standing in their way this season.