THE DAMNING VERDICT
Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard just dropped a truth bomb on the Denver Nuggets that should echo through the halls of their front office.
Following Nikola Jokic’s historic, jaw dropping 56 point, 16 rebound, 15 assist Christmas Day masterpiece, Broussard delivered a verdict that was equal parts praise and indictment.
“I think we are seeing the best player ever without multiple rings,” Broussard stated. But his following words were a direct challenge to the franchise: “If you’re Denver and you don’t win more than one ring with this guy, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
This isn’t just hot take theater. It’s a cold, hard look at a potentially historic failure in the making. The Denver Nuggets possess a once in a generation talent, a player so dominant he just posted the first 55-15-15 stat line in NBA history.
Yet, the haunting question remains: Will it be enough? Or are the Nuggets fumbling a legacy?
THE JOKIC PARADOX: UNMATCHED GREATNESS, UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Broussard’s argument cuts to the core of Jokic’s unique place in history. He contends Jokic is already better than legendary one ring champions like Dirk Nowitzki, Oscar Robertson, and Moses Malone. The next step is the NBA’s sacred Mount Rushmore.
But history has a specific blueprint for big men who reside there.
Look at the evidence:
- Bill Russell had Bob Cousy.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had Magic Johnson.
- Shaquille O’Neal had Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.
- Hakeem Olajuwon won his second title with Clyde Drexler.
Nikola Jokic has never played with a legendary perimeter star. His championship run was fueled by his own otherworldly brilliance and a perfectly constructed, gritty supporting cast. But as Broussard points out, that lack of a certified, perennial All Star wingman is the biggest obstacle between Jokic and the undisputed top 10.
The pressure isn’t on Jokic. It’s squarely on the front office that built the roster around him. And that pressure is now white hot.
A FRANCHISE AT A CROSSROADS: CULTURE RESET OR LAST CHANCE?
The Nuggets are acutely aware the clock is ticking. The 2025 offseason wasn’t just about adding players; it was a full scale “culture reset” triggered by ownership.
Why the drastic change? Deep seated dysfunction. For years, a “cold war” simmered between the front office, led by former GM Calvin Booth, and the coaching staff under former head coach Michael Malone. The core disagreement? A brutal tug of war between win now veterans and developmental young players.
This tension came to a head in a shocking late season purge. Team president Josh Kroenke fired both Booth and Malone with just three games left in the regular season. The message was clear: the friction jeopardizing Jokic’s prime would not be tolerated.
The Beast Was Awoken. When informed of the decision, Jokic gave a prophetic response: “Maybe [Kroenke] woke up the beast.” The franchise’s new leaders, executives Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace, now bear the “obligation” of maximizing the Jokic era.
Their mandate is singular: make Jokic want to stay “Nuggets forever”.
THE OFFSEASON GAMBLE: VETERAN DEPTH VS. YOUTHFUL “JUICE”
The new front office made its philosophy crystal clear. Out went the previous strategy of relying on unproven youth. In came proven, savvy veterans who “see the game at the pace… Jokic sees it”.
Here’s their bold bet:
- Traded young scorer Michael Porter Jr. for the more versatile Cam Johnson.
- Brought back championship heart and soul player Bruce Brown.
- Added scoring punch with Tim Hardaway Jr. and a reliable backup center in Jonas Valančiūnas.
The goal wasn’t just to get better. It was to make basketball fun again for their superstar. As Wallace noted, they wanted to see “the joy kind of come back on his face”.
But is it enough to topple the giants of the West? Head coach David Adelman admits they can’t just rely on past success. “You just can’t stand on stuff that you did before,” he warns.
THE ULTIMATE STAKES: A LEGACY ON THE LINE
This isn’t just about one season. The entire trajectory of a franchise and a player’s historical standing is in the balance.
Jokic, famously loyal, has stated his plan is to “be a Nugget forever”. But the business of basketball whispers a different reality. His current contract has a potential exit in the summer of 2027.
Every general manager in the league would line up for the chance to steal him if he ever reconsiders.
The Nuggets’ front office feels the weight. “There’s an obligation to it,” admits Jon Wallace. They have a generational talent, in his prime, who sees the game like a chess grandmaster. The moves they’ve made are a direct response to the criticism from voices like Broussard and Charles Barkley, who said the Nuggets were “putting Joker’s best years to waste”.
So, the final question is brutal in its simplicity: Did the Nuggets do enough?
They have the third best record in the West. They have a refreshed, veteran roster. They have a motivated Jokic playing at an all time historic level.
But as Chris Broussard so forcefully declared, anything less than another championship will be viewed as an organizational failure. The world is watching to see if Denver’s gamble pays off or if the NBA’s most brilliant player will be remembered for the rings he could have won, but didn’t.
The clock on Jokic’s prime is ticking. Has Denver finally learned to tell time?
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