One of the more shocking results from the first couple of weeks of the postseason has come from the Denver Nuggets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. Falling 3-1 in quickfire fashion, the No. 3 seed that seemed like a Finals contender is now fighting for its life.
However, with Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both getting injured in Game 4, Denver’s Game 5 victory hasn’t hit the same. One analyst went so far as to essentially call the win meaningless for Nikola Jokić.
Why Nikola Jokić Needs More Than the First Round to Salvage His Reputation
The first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs has been as unpredictable as advertised. From the 60-win, No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons falling down 3-1 to the Orlando Magic, to multiple competitive series across the board, it has been tightly contested every step of the way.
However, the Nuggets’ collapse was one of the most shocking stories, especially given the expectations coming into the postseason. It immediately dealt a massive blow to the Serbian superstar’s credibility.
With his defense getting directly called out and his offense not playing out at nearly his usual MVP-caliber level, the spotlight was firmly on him. Denver fired back in Game 5, routing the Timberwolves en route to a 125-113 victory.
Jokić was individually excellent, too, recording 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists while shooting 60% from the field. But for Nick Wright of “First Things First” on FS1, the game didn’t do much to sway his opinion on the three-time MVP.
“There was nothing he could prove, and he proved nothing. They avoided disaster. Last night, they avoided disaster. To me, there’s three branches this Nuggets season can go. And branch 1 is that they lose their series, and it’s an abject failure.”
For Wright, it has become an even bigger referendum on the former NBA champion because of Minnesota’s injuries. Edwards and DiVincenzo were the Timberwolves’ starting backcourt for most of the season, so a potential Nuggets comeback has an asterisk to it.
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But after a career built on efficiency, Jokić was shooting under 40% through the first four games of the series.
Simply put, it has been a matchup to forget for one of the greatest offensive engines of all time. And this series alone, after the injuries, cannot atone for his postseason struggles. Instead, Jokić needs to go a step further to re-establish himself at the top of the NBA pyramid.
