Ex-NBA Champion Blasts Nuggets for Wasting Nikola Jokic's Prime

Former NBA champion and ESPN star Kendrick Perkins blasted the Denver Nuggets in an NSFW rant

Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) on the bench in the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

After firing both head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth, it's clear that the Denver Nuggets have failed Nikola Jokic.

The team won a championship two years ago but has somehow gotten worse and worse each season. Since 2023, Jokic has been needed more and more on the court, and the team gets destroyed in the non-Jokic minutes.

The perfect example was when Jokic put up a historic 60-point triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves and somehow still lost.

The team's inability to maximize Jokic's greatness hasn't just frustrated Nuggets fans, but even former players, including former Pelicans big man Kendrick Perkins.

"We're watching Jokic put up f**kin 60, 10, and 10. 40, 13, and 12, and f**king taking L's," Perkins said on the Road Trippin' podcast. "When you look at the last four games and with the points that they've been giving up, offense is one thing, but they're scoring because Jokic is that damn special."

Perkins went on to add that Michael Malone deserves some blame because he couldn't increase the effort of his players, despite Jokic demanding it.

"He's going to score buckets, he's going to make guys around him better," Perkins said. "When you have to call out your team time and time again for their lack of effort and defensive effort, that is on the coach."

With the way things look, it's hard to see how the Denver Nuggets can make a deep playoff run this season. If they flame out early, some serious conversations need to be had, especially with Jokic being the best basketball player in the world.

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