Nikola Jokic’s early season slump is exposing the Nuggets’ flaws

The hosts say Denver's rebounding, three-point and depth problems were always there. An elite Jokic offense used to cover them up.

BY DENVER SPORTS

Nov 4, 2026, 9:49 AM

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Watch: 3 early red flags the Denver Nuggets can't ignore | Shapiro and Piro | 30 mins

The Denver Nuggets’ problems are not new. Poor rebounding, a bench that can’t score and a habit of giving up threes were all there last season. An offense that ranked among the best in NBA history covered them up. Six games into this season, however, that cover is slipping.

On a recent episode of “Shapiro and Piro,” Jake Shapiro and Aniello Piro used a 118-110 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers to lay out three red flags. Denver blew a 14-point lead, was beaten on the glass and sits at 3-3. The hosts’ argument is that the flaws matter more because Nikola Jokic is no longer making up for them.

The number behind the worry

Shapiro’s central stat is Denver’s offensive rating with Jokic on the floor. It has been at or above 130 for most of the decade. This season it is 114, 12th in the league.

The host says the Nuggets need Jokic to be one of the three best players in the world and the offense to be historically good. Without that, the margin disappears.

“That’s the only way to win because we know the defense is that bad,” Shapiro said.

Two theories, one worry

Shapiro points to Jokic’s shooting from 10 to 16 feet, which has fallen to 37% from 60% last year. He floats several explanations: A bothered elbow or wrist, Jokic’s weight and the decline he says tends to start for centers around age 31. He also likes Piro’s burnout idea.

“I think there’s about seven or eight different factors, both external and internal,” Shapiro said, making Jokic look like the 15th-best player in the league.

Piro hears something different in the body language. He says he can’t pinpoint the cause, but he ties the problem to leadership. Jokic isn’t a vocal leader, and Piro thinks that matters when everyone else looks a step slow.

“The team goes as Jokic goes,” Pirro said.

The margins are gone

The same logic applies to Aaron Gordon, who is averaging just 11.5 points through six games. That would be a career low. Both hosts allow that Gordon may be protecting himself in October, and Shapiro notes the depth behind him is thin if he gets hurt.

They split on how far to take it. Piro says the backend of Gordon’s contract extension might age badly, and sooner than expected. Shapiro isn’t willing to go there yet.

The three-point gap is the third flag. Denver ranks 27th in attempts, shooting about 30 a night while allowing about 40. Piro says Jamal Murray is the only shooter he fully trusts. Shapiro’s verdict is blunt.

“It’s a recipe for disaster,” Shapiro said.

Murray is the exception

Murray is the one thing both hosts like. Shapiro calls him the team’s heartbeat and says no one could get more out of him. But that also feeds the problem: He is effectively the entire team’s three-point diet.

Piro closes with a warning that Denver could slide toward the play-in or worse. Shapiro adds that at 10th, the Nuggets might not have much to chase. Players may figure they can skate into the play-in, and Shapiro says Denver is “giving the signs that they may be comfortable with it.”

Both hosts repeat that it is early, and Piro says not to freak out. The question is whether Jokic’s drop is a slow start or a real change.

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.