The Toronto Raptors are back home hosting the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets tonight, but the once almighty opponent doesn’t look quite so hot to begin the year.
Jokic picked up his third MVP trophy for his performance in the 2023-24 regular season, becoming only the ninth player in NBA history to win the award three or more times. As impressive and dominant as Jokic is, the team around him has struggled since winning the 2023 NBA Championship.
Young players like Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson were brought in to fill the role player gaps that the Nuggets lost after winning their franchise’s first championship, which hasn’t worked out as planned.