Jokic set to watch the NBA playoffs from his couch

By Quentin VanHoozer

The Denver Nuggets were just eliminated from playoff contention after their 112–106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

The Nuggets will head into the off-season with many questions looming around what will be the next move for the organization.

One of the underlying factors for the Nuggets’ struggles this past season was the imbalance in their roster.

The Nuggets are an organization that loves to collect shooting guards. To end the season, Denver had four shooting guards listed on the final roster while having just two point guards, and two small forwards. This lack of variety can be contributed to the Nuggets struggle to win games.

In order to succeed in the Western Conference, teams need to have a good bench. This allows the starters to get more rest so they can give their full effort late in games.

No team can win without reserve players doing their jobs.

Denver needs to address its shortage of role players coming off the bench. The Nuggets have worked on their starting lineup, making a splash in free agency, by getting Paul Millsap, a power forward whose game complements the young center Nikola Jokic. However, off-season after off-season the organization fails to address the issue of not having any true point guards and small forwards to fill out their bench.

Jokic carried the team throughout the year. In the last six games of the season, he played 39.4 minutes per game according to NBA.com, which was the most in the league. He was forced to play those minutes as the offense struggled to score immediately after he was subbed out.

In order to be better next season, Denver will need to properly balance its roster rather than depend on its starters. Jokic is young, but he cannot take all of the workload.

Many big names will hit the market. If the Nuggets want to make the playoffs next season, the front office will need to reach a little deeper into their wallets to help fill out their bench needs.