Nuggets may be asking Nikola Jokic to cover up same old problem

The Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic, which means they still have a chance. Sometimes it really is that simple.

But Denver’s offseason raises another question: How much are the Nuggets still asking Jokic to fix simply by being Nikola Jokic?

Denver re-signed Tyus Jones, and added Lonnie Walker IV and Marvin Bagley III while keeping the championship-level foundation of Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon together.

Those aren’t meaningless moves. Jones, in particular, should still help. Denver has spent years searching for someone capable of reliably organizing the offense when Jokic sits. Jones doesn’t need the ball constantly, rarely turns it over and should give the second unit something resembling structure.

Walker provides another scorer. Bagley gives Denver athleticism and size up front. But none fundamentally changes the equation. Namely, the Nuggets remain extraordinarily dependent on Jokic.

That’s manageable when he’s on the floor. Few players in NBA history have made ordinary lineups look extraordinary as routinely as Jokic.

The trouble starts during those other minutes. Denver’s bench has been an issue for multiple seasons, and the departure of Jonas Valanciunas removes one of the more obvious solutions behind Jokic. Bagley can help there, but asking him to anchor non-Jokic units is different from having a proven veteran center.

Then there’s Peyton Watson, whose restricted free agency remains unresolved and could further alter Denver’s depth.

None of this means the Nuggets aren’t contenders. With Jokic, Murray and Gordon, of course they are. But Denver’s championship formula increasingly seems to include an uncomfortable requirement:

Jokic needs to make almost everything work. He’s usually capable of doing exactly that.

The Nuggets might prefer not having to find out how long he can keep doing it.