The Denver Nuggets have quietly delivered a message to the rest of the NBA over the past few weeks: they are no longer a team that completely falls apart when Nikola Jokic is not on the floor.
That reality alone should make them even more intimidating once the former MVP returns from injury.
Despite missing their three-time MVP, the Nuggets have gone 6-3 without Jokic and have climbed to third place in the Western Conference, sitting just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. Given Denver’s recent history, that record is one of the most important developments of the season.
A heavy dependency on Jokic
Over the last four years, the Nuggets were heavily dependent on Jokic‘s presence. During that stretch, they were 20 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court than without him, the largest on-off differential in the league among players who logged at least 1,000 minutes.
In those same four seasons, Denver went just 13-23 in games Jokic did not play, reinforcing the idea that the team’s identity and success were inseparable from its superstar center. This season has flipped that narrative. Denver has managed to stay above water and even gain ground in the standings during Jokic‘s absence, doing so with a stretch of competent offense and improved cohesion.
That shift suggests structural growth rather than a short-term anomaly, especially with the Nuggets set to face a favorable schedule over the next two weeks, including seven of their next nine games against teams with losing records.
Nikola is still one of the most dominant players
Jokic remains one of the league leaders in on-off impact, and his value has not diminished. When he shares the floor with Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson, Denver‘s offense has been dominant, scoring an elite 133.2 points per 100 possessions across 511 minutes.
What’s more encouraging for Denver is that the offense has stayed efficient even without him. In 310 minutes with Murray and Watson on the court but no Jokic, the Nuggets have still scored 120.1 points per 100 possessions, a strong figure even if defensive issues have led to them being outscored slightly in those lineups.
That offensive stability matters. It shows that Denver has found ways to function, score, and win games without relying exclusively on Jokic to organize everything. For opposing teams, that should be a troubling sign. The Nuggets are no longer just surviving his absence; they are proving they can remain competitive and dangerous without their centerpiece. When Jokic does return, Denver will not only regain one of the most impactful players in the league but will do so with a team that has built confidence, depth, and flexibility in his absence.
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