Keeler: Nuggets-Thunder Series Was a Mirage — Jokic Needs a GM Ready to Make Real Changes
The most valuable item on the Denver Nuggets bench during the NBA playoffs wasn’t a player — it was the first aid kit. Until that changes, Nikola Jokic’s postseason calendar will keep ending earlier than it should.
Another Memorial Day in Sombor. Another June without a championship parade. Another season ticking away from what could be the most remarkable career in franchise history.
So, to whoever takes the reins as Denver’s next general manager — perhaps interim GM Ben Tenzer — here are three urgent requests:
- Be proud of the resilience and tenacity Denver showed in pushing the Thunder to the brink.
- Don’t mistake that effort for something it’s not.
- And most importantly: break the cycle. Don’t expect new results by running back the same formula.
Please, whatever you do, don’t bring this same group back unchanged. Don’t look at how the Thunder fared against the Timberwolves or Pacers and convince yourself Denver is just a tweak away. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that a little rest, a new coach, and some tactical adjustments are all that stand between this team and another Finals appearance.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently said, “We took a great Oklahoma City team to seven games. It could’ve gone either way.” He’s not wrong. Denver was competitive. But also — not dominant. Not “this was secretly the real NBA Finals” competitive.
Yes, it was admirable. But near misses don’t earn trophies.
With their “Core Six” — the starting five plus Russell Westbrook — Denver pushed OKC as far as they could. But they did so relying on duct tape and determination. Michael Porter Jr. played through a damaged shoulder. Aaron Gordon had one working hamstring. Westbrook had a compromised hand.
They battled. They played with grit. Coach Michael Malone’s spirit lingered, even in his absence. It was gritty, gutsy basketball — except for Game 2, and that brutal Game 7.
But ask yourself honestly: what if they had beaten OKC and faced Minnesota next?
We all know how that would’ve gone. Anthony Edwards knows. Chris Finch knows. Westbrook knows. Jokic certainly knows. Deep down, Josh Kroenke knows, too.
“We’re close,” Kroenke admitted, “but we can’t be naive. We can’t overestimate or underestimate how close we are.” He recalled how an Aaron Gordon tip-dunk in the first round might have shifted the entire postseason. Moments like that show how fragile playoff success really is.
Still, the president expressed belief: “We think we can go toe-to-toe with the best teams. Now it’s about figuring out how to beat them.”
But to start, the most important thing on the bench can’t be a medical wrap.
The Nuggets poured out every last ounce of energy. But by May, the tank was empty. A six-man rotation can’t survive two full playoff rounds without something breaking — and not just metaphorically.
Kroenke added that the effort shown by Denver’s players proved the job, whether coaching or front office, is a special one. But hope is not a strategy. Blind optimism only leads to stagnation.
Until the Nuggets make real changes and invest in meaningful bench depth, Jokic’s championship hopes will keep slipping away — and someone else will steal the spotlight year after year.
A first aid kit won’t win you a title.
