Coach Karl’s Corner: Current Nuggets are “inconsistent and incomplete”

Right now, the Denver Nuggets are barely staying afloat in the Western Conference playoff race. They have some very good players but still lack the cohesion of a true team.

Nikola Jokic is carrying this team as much as he can. Most of the problems stem from the lack of definitive roles. Adding several new players on a team with high expectations after a Western Conference Finals appearance isn’t going to be a seamless transition.

The two words I would use to describe the current Nuggets team are incomplete and inconsistent.

These past few games, Facundo Campazzo has shown himself to be effective (to an extent). With injuries piling up, he should be having fun and playing loose, getting valuable minutes in the rotation. I like the experiment, and his effect illustrates the need for this team to acquire a true point guard. I see Jamal Murray as more of a natural two, and I also don’t see Campazzo as the long-term solution to elevate this team to the next level.

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MPJ

Michael Porter Jr. has had quite the rollercoaster start to the season. With the absence of defined roles, I think MPJ is suffering the most. I think he is a four, and his best opportunities on this team will be with him playing the four.

His inconsistency can be attributed to a lot of things: his role, injuries and competition at not only the four but three position. But I will say that inconsistency is part of the development process. I think he has a bright future; he is a very good player but is just going through the process of finding consistency in the league.

I’m not sure how he’ll get his mojo back. With fans it’s easier to boost confidence, but I hope his support system will help get him through this slump.

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Zeke and R.J.

Zeke Nnaji and R.J. Hampton are two good young players. They definitely look like NBA players, but I’m not convinced that they are NBA players on a playoff team.

I like R.J.’s courage out there on the floor. What stands out to me is it looks like he cares about the defensive side of the ball. For younger players, they are enamored with making a career by scoring. But at the end of the day the number of wins you contribute is more valuable than stats.

What will be interesting is when they figure out the nature of the business. They are starting to figure out how to get on the court. But when they start to figure out how to play 20-plus minutes then figure out how to gain the coaches’ trust and be a mainstay in the rotation, we will truly find out if they belong in this league.