Ben Golliver Nov 5, 2026, 07:00 AM ET For most of the past decade, the Denver Nuggets' NBA title hopes have hinged on assembling talent around Nikola Jokic. Since their championship, the capped-out Nuggets have slowly bled talent and failed to reach the conference finals in three seasons. Jokic remains the NBA's most consistent star, finishing first or second in MVP voting for six straight seasons.
However, the Nuggets face an alarming question to begin 2026-27: Who are they if Jokic isn't playing at an MVP level? So far, Denver has been mediocre, searching for its first statement win over top-quality competition. Jokic, 31, entered the season poised to extend his exceptional play. He averaged a triple-double last season and captained the NBA's most efficient offense.
In September, Jokic claimed the top spot on NBA Rank, ESPN's annual projection of the league's top 100 players, and assured reporters he plans to sign a contract extension next summer. Despite preseason optimism, Jokic has struggled through the first two weeks. Through seven games, he's shooting 50.4% from the field, his worst mark since 2017-18, and a career-low 21.9% from deep.
His 26.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) is his lowest since his rookie season, and his 23.4 points per game represents his lowest output since 2019-20. His average shot distance is 12 feet, tied for the longest of his career, because just 16% of shots have come from the basket area while 25% have come from beyond the arc. Jokic is still the only player averaging 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, but his efficiency and forcefulness are lagging.
Jokic ranks sixth leaguewide in PER and 15th in win shares, down from first and second last season. A dominant Jokic led the Nuggets to a blowout win over the Raptors, but he hasn't maintained that impact nightly. By extension, the Nuggets' offense hasn't looked like the juggernaut we've come to expect.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing