Denver had the best offense in the NBA this season, but defense is what ended their playoff run early.
The Denver Nuggets earned the third seed in the Western Conference this past season, finishing with the NBA's best offensive rating at 122.6.
Then the Minnesota Timberwolves knocked them out in six games during the first round, and the team's biggest flaw became too obvious to overlook.
Denver failed to crack 100 points three times in that series while Minnesota outrebounded them by nearly nine boards per game.
For a team that entered the postseason riding 12 straight wins, those numbers are the story of a roster with a serious gap.
The Defense Has to Get Better
Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists across 65 regular season games, and Jamal Murray put up 25.4 points and 7.1 assists per game in 75 appearances while shooting 43.5 percent from three.
Scoring was clearly not the issue.
The defense was, as Denver posted a defensive rating of 117.4 that ranked 21st in the league and sat well below where any real contender needs to be.
Peyton Watson, one of Denver's best perimeter defenders, is now a restricted free agent, and Aaron Gordon's playoff injuries stripped the team of defensive flexibility when it mattered most.
If they want to get past the first round next year, they need players who can guard and compete physically without needing the ball on offense.
Who Fits at No. 26
Denver holds the 26th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and should focus on finding a two-way player who can step in right away.
Two prospects stand out.
Joshua Jefferson out of Iowa State is a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals this past season as a Consensus All-American.
He can guard multiple positions and create for others, and his combination of size and toughness would fit well in Denver's system as a bench piece who raises the floor on that end.
Dailyn Swain from Texas is another wing who checks a lot of the same boxes.
The 6-foot-8 junior averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 54.2 percent from the field, and his active hands and ability to defend across positions make him a strong two-way fit for a team that badly needs one.
Time Is Running Out
The Nuggets still have one of the most talented cores in basketball, but Jokic is 31 and Murray is 29, and the championship window that opened in 2023 will not stay open forever.
The gap between their elite offense and below-average defense keeps being the thing that ends their season too early.
The 26th pick might not seem like a difference-maker, but landing a defender who can contribute right away could be exactly what separates another early exit from a real playoff run.
