Nikola Jokic’s passive start explains the Nuggets’ rebounding and offense problems

After a home collapse against Portland, the hosts argue that Denver's rebounding and offensive slide are tied to its best player playing without his usual force.

BY DENVER SPORTS

Nov 4, 2026, 11:53 AM

Follow on Google News

Watch: When should Nuggets fans start worrying? | 12 mins

The best basketball player in the world is currently not the best player on his own team. And the Denver Nuggets are paying for it.

That was the Zach Bye’s verdict on a recent episode of “The Drive” after Denver blew a 14-point home lead to a Portland team that is now 5-1. The loss alone didn’t bother him. What it revealed about Nikola Jokic and the team did.

The possession problem

Portland grabbed 21 offensive rebounds and took 15 more shots than Denver. Bye reached for a football comparison to explain why that matters so much.

“It’s like not being able to stop the run in football. Almost nothing else matters.”

By his math, that is 15 extra downs, and the hosts agreed no one fails to score with those. David Adelman used a word the host said he hadn’t used all season.

“It’s just embarrassing, especially at home,” the Nuggets head coach said after the game.

Bye took that as a sign of rising frustration.

Jokic is the hinge

Rebounding is a team job, the Bye conceded, but Jokic “spearheads that conversation.” In the games he cited, Jokic hasn’t reached 10 rebounds. He had nine against Portland, and seven against both Golden State and Oklahoma City. Bye called that strange for one of the era’s best defensive rebounders.

The efficiency numbers back up the eye test. Jokic shot 57% last season, 58% the two seasons before that and 63% in the championship year. He’s at 47% so far this season. He’s also taking more than five three-pointers per night, a career high, while shooting a career-low percentage. He took seven last night and made two.

In Bye’s view, Jokic is coasting on the perimeter instead of banging in the post or attacking with the floater. He ties the lazy defensive glass to the lack of physicality on offense.

An elite offense gone average

Denver’s offensive rating was 126 last year and 125, 122 and 124 in the seasons before, all first in the NBA. It’s 112 this year with Jokic on the floor, which is league average, and that’s against some of the league’s worst defenses.

That’s a double-digit drop for what Bye considers the greatest offensive engine ever.

The case for patience

Phillip Lindsay mostly agreed, but leaned toward optimism. He expects Jokic to get more physical and “find what’s going on.” He floated that Jokic might be resting his body or trying to get teammates involved. He also noted Jamal Murray is playing really good basketball.

Both agreed on where the fix starts.

“It has to go through Jokic,” Lindsay said. “The ball has to go through Jokic and Jokic has to play better.”

It’s only six games, something Bye said so repeatedly. The question is whether Jokic’s passivity is a choice he reverses or a new baseline. For now the host’s advice is to watch.

“Sky’s not falling,” he said. “Unless you think it is.”

Disclosure: This article was transcribed from our original audio content and edited for readability with the assistance of generative AI. The article has been reviewed by our editorial team prior to publication. Please watch or listen to the clip above for the full segment.