Jokic’s scoring is taking a dip
OAKLAND, CALIF.» Nikola Jokic made two free throws with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter Saturday night in Sacramento, his first points during a Nuggets opening half marred by turnovers in an eventual 106-98 loss to the short-handed Kings.
It was another slow start for Denver’s young star since the calendar flipped to 2018. Jokic is averaging only 3.3 first-half points and 10 total points over the Nuggets’ past three games. Is this a scoring slump as Denver (21-18) approaches the midway point of the NBA’s regularseason grind? Or is it a sacrificial byproduct of Denver’s newlook starting lineup, with Jokic pairing with center Mason Plumlee in the post?
Either way, Jokic said he won’t change his approach as Denver prepares for its third meeting with defending champion Golden State at Oracle Arena on Monday night.
“I’m not going to try so hard to score, just because I think it’s not fair to my teammates,” Jokic said. “If I see two (defenders) coming to me, I’m going to pass the ball. And if I see the open guy standing right there, I’m going to pass him the ball. I’m not going to force anything.”
Jokic is averaging 7.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds over the past three games, illustrating the wellrounded impact the Serbian still has on the Nuggets. He’s also contributing on the defensive end, coach Michael Malone’s primary reason for the switch to the big starting lineup anchored inside by Plumlee. Denver is 5-3 since unveiling that group and ranks third in the NBA in defensive efficiency at 101.3 points allowed per 100 possessions over that span, even after slightly expanding the rotation in the past week.
Yet the change shifts Jokic to power forward on offense, a position where he struggled last season while playing alongside Jusuf Nurkic. Recently, Jokic has noticed smaller defenders “kind of want to dance around me, so I cannot have an easy catch.” He has sometimes drifted out to the perimeter, where he’s 2-of-9 from 3-point distance over the past three games. But Malone said Jokic sometimes avoids the tougher defensive matchup while playing with Plumlee.
Jokic took only three shots in the first half against the Kings and finished 3-of-10 for eight points in Denver’s loss. That came one night after he started 1-of-8 against Utah while matched up with the bigger Derrick Favors, but scored six of his eight points during Denver’s decisive third quarter of a 99-91 victory. He went 1-for-2 in the first half against Phoenix, then scored 10 of his 14 points after the break as the Nuggets pulled away for a 134111 victory last week.
There are other reasons for Jokic’s recent scoring dip. Guard Gary Harris exploded for 36 points against the Suns, the latest example of his blossoming offensive repertoire. Jamal Murray is developing into a consistent threat, following a terrific December by averaging 19 points over his past three games. Trey Lyles has been a revelation off the bench, and a nice complement to Jokic as a versatile, skilled big man.
The stretch that perhaps most compares to Jokic’s current lull was at the beginning of the season, when he went 3-for-13 from the field in the Nuggets’ first two games and didn’t score in their home opener against the Kings. But he also racked up 21 rebounds and 14 assists during that stretch.
Jokic’s response back then? “We’re getting wins,” he said. It’s a similar situation in early January, with Denver entering Sunday in sixth place in the Western Conference.
Jokic trusts that “we’re going to figure it out.” His coach agrees.
“Obviously, we’re going to continue to try to play through (Jokic),” Malone said. “He’s a very important part of what we’re trying to do. We believe in him. We’re going to stay with him in his struggles. And I have no doubt he’s going to find a way to fight through this.”