Raptors Coach Weighs In on Nuggets' Late-Season Struggles

The Denver Nuggets haven't quite been up to standard following the All-Star break.

During that month-long stretch following the mid-season break that the Nuggets have endured, it's came with a rough sub-.500 record that's continued to sink them further and further into the Western Conference standings.

However, even when factoring in those recent ups and downs for this Denver roster, it's clear that from those on the outside, this team is still one to take seriously headed into the final weeks of the regular season and playoffs ahead, as they're one that can be among the most potent in the NBA when they're hot offensively.

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic made his feelings clear on the Nuggets before facing off against them in Denver on Friday, noting that even when factoring in their recent rough patch, they're still well capable of being a championship-level team.

"Every team is going through ups and downs this part of the season, and with them they have a lot of guys that are coming back from injuries. That's not one game or two games, it takes time for all of them to start being aware of where they are at any point of time," Rajakovic said pre-game.

"Whether they are running on all cylinders, they have so much talent with a lot of depth and obviously with two All-Stars, a league MVP, they are a really good team and a championship caliber team... We are going to do our job and make it hard on them and that's how we like to approach every game. Make it hard for every opponent and just be ready for anything they can throw at us."

Darko Rajakovic Still Sees Nuggets as Dangerous Threat

Due to the consistent injury woes that the Nuggets have suffered through the first three-quarters of their season, their lineup while fully healthy hasn't had truly enough time to gel and mesh together as a cohesive unit on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis, and that's clearly shown through their past month of games.

The good news is that the Nuggets do have a three-time MVP, an All-Star guard playing some of the best basketball of his career, and when healthy, a supporting cast that proved capable of sustaining one of the best, most effective offenses early in the season, but have yet to find that same juice as of late.

Mar 18, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

With health now finally getting back on the Nuggets' side, and a few weeks of time still left ahead in the regular season before the playoffs get rolling, there's still ample opportunity for Denver to capitalize with a few late-season wins, thus piecing together some much better, positive momentum from what they've been used to.

However, it relies on the Nuggets taking care of business through a final stretch of games that'll be much easier said than done, including two games against the West's second-seeded San Antonio Spurs, as well as the reigning champion OKC Thunder in their second-to-last matchup of the year.

Time will tell if Denver can bounce back, but for those watching from afar throughout the league, they won't be selling the Nuggets short one bit from now until whenever their season comes to an end.

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