Was letting Craig leave a mistake?
Q: Can you remind me why Denver let Torrey Craig go? And with Denver’s defensive woes, do you think management wants a do-over on this decision? — Joe G, Sacramento
Singer: The Nuggets had to move quickly during the free agency scramble of 2020. After Jerami Grant left, unexpectedly thwarting their offseason plan, the Nuggets had to adjust on the fly. They immediately signed JaMychal Green, then moved onto Paul Millsap to insulate the four position.
Then came a choice. They either needed to pursue a big man to help replace Mason Plumlee, or continue through the restricted free agency process with Craig. There were other roster machinations that came into play as well, like converting Bol Bol to a standard contract and signing Facundo Campazzo. Without enough roster spots, they decided on Isaiah Hartenstein and his upside.
The other component to the decision that wasn’t known publicly was their growing affinity for PJ Dozier. Heading into training camp, though Dozier had moments in the playoffs, there was zero sense Dozier might make the leap to regular rotation player and become a de-facto Craig replacement. It was probably far easier for them to let Craig leave knowing they had a strong, lanky combo guard with a defensive track record already in the organization.
Q: Coach Michael Malone challenged Jokic to reach a assist:turnover ratio of 3-to-1. That’s fine and dandy, but that’s not the heart of the issue for Joker. I think Malone’s challenge to Jokic should be: “Get out of your own way.” The only guy that can beat Jokic is Jokic, and his emotions have caused him to beat himself repeatedly this year and over his career. Sitting on the bench due to foul trouble is not OK. Intentionally fouling an opposing player so that he can go complain to the ref is unacceptable. … Sometimes he’s too passive, other times he focuses all his attention on complaining. He hasn’t figured out the emotional aspect of the game yet. Jokic’s head was in the wrong place (Jan. 5) against Minnesota and he still scored 35 points. Imagine if he could figure out how to channel his emotions and focus? I think this is the last challenge to his development — having a consistently focused and productive attitude. Am I alone here?
— Sam in Seattle Singer: If we’re nitpicking — and let’s not kid ourselves, we’re nitpicking — you might be onto something. Jokic is putting together an MVP caliber campaign. Despite his momentary mental lapses, he’s doing something no center in the NBA has ever done.
I agree with you that his lazy fouls 90plus feet from the basket are detrimental and often come back to bite him. But compared to where he used to be, when Jokic had the potential to blow his lid at a referee and risk getting ejected, his demeanor today is night and day. What’s more, the fouls have been addressed. Malone has told him he needs to play smarter and the Nuggets can’t afford to have him in senseless foul trouble.
Regarding your belief that Jokic needs to be more consistently engaged, I’ve watched him numerous times this season spring off the bench to greet teammates coming back into the huddle. I’ve seen him be more outwardly vocal than he’s ever been. I have zero concerns about his overall attitude. The frustration fouls come from not getting what he feels is a respectful whistle. The longer he plays at an MVP level, the more respect he’s going to garner.