George Karl calls out Nuggets' 'shaky' attempt to bolster championship window around Nikola Jokic with Steph Curry as example
Hall of Fame coach George Karl cautioned his former team, the Denver Nuggets, about their attempts to surround Nikola Jokic with a championship-caliber roster. Karl pointed out what the Golden State Warriors did for Steph Curry, who four NBA championships from 2015 to 2022.
In a post on X, the former NBA Coach of the Year explained that the Nuggets should capitalize on having a player like "The Joker." He labeled Denver's efforts to build a team around the Serbian star the past two offseasons as "shaky."
"When a team has the fortune of landing a generational player, like Curry or Jokic, it should do all it can to capitalize on that player’s greatness - and win as many championships as possible. The Warriors did with Curry. Will the Nuggets with Jokic? It's shaky right now," Karl tweeted.
Nikola Jokic is entering his prime, with one NBA championship and three MVPs to his name already. The Denver Nuggets won the title last year before falling short of back-to-back triumphs after running out of gas in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The departure of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green via free agency was a huge blow to the Nuggets' depth. Christian Braun and Peyton Watson did a wonderful job fitting into their new roles but Denver ended up empty-handed.
It's the same story again this offseason for the Nuggets after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Orlando Magic in free agency. They didn't make any big signings but added former MVP Russell Westbrook, who might fill the shoes of Bruce Brown from last year.
Westbrook is a great playmaker and could work as a starter or a sixth man. He needs to limit his shots to be more effective, though it's still a risk for the Nuggets. Braun and Watson will also have to step up and provide more while Denver will have to hope that Dario Saric, Zeke Nnaji, and Vlatko Cancar help with the depth problem.
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets enter season with rumblings about problems between coach and franchise
There might be some problems between coach Michael Malone and the Denver Nuggets front office heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.
ESPN's Zach Lowe reported on "The Lowe Post" podcast earlier this month that Malone might not be happy with the Nuggets' failure to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
"There are rumblings. Rumblings! That the coaching staff and front office, or at least the head coach and the front office, aren't exactly seeing eye to eye in Denver. To a degree even unusual for the NBA." [H/T RealGM]
Despite the departure of KCP, the Nuggets still have a star-studded starting lineup that includes Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon. Christain Braun will likely join them with Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, and Dario Saric as the main role players off the bench.