Jokic doesn't see these two squads as the same at all since two years ago, and he noted their differences.
Nikola Jokic has heard the narrative surrounding the Denver Nuggets' first-round playoff series. Many on the outside think that this is the same two teams facing each other in the playoffs from two years ago, but he doesn't buy it even a little bit.
After Game 1 on Saturday, Jokic was asked how this Denver team has grown since the Timberwolves eliminated them in seven games back in 2024. His answer was direct.
"I think some people say it's the same teams, but I don't think it's the same team," Jokic said. "People are more experienced, it's different players, one player can change the whole situation, the whole rotation, the whole momentum of the team." He's right. And the receipts back him up.
Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) take the opening tip during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn ImagesThis Is a Different Nuggets Team
The 2024 version of Denver that blew a 20-point Game 7 lead at home had Michael Porter Jr. in the rotation and almost no depth behind the starting five.
This roster looks nothing like that. Cameron Johnson of course came over from Brooklyn in a deal that sent Porter Jr. out of town, and he's shooting 43% from three and giving Denver a legitimate scoring option at the wing they didn't have two years ago.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was added in the offseason and has been one of the more reliable sixth men in the league all season. Bruce Brown is back on a roster he knows well from the championship run. Spencer Jones has developed from a two-way player into a genuine contributor.
That's four players on this roster who weren't here when Minnesota sent them home in 2024. Jokic's point about one player changing the whole rotation and momentum isn't abstract. It's the literal reality of what happened to this team in the offseason.
The Depth Showed Up in Game 1
Denver trailed by 12 in the first quarter Saturday with Aaron Gordon on the bench in early foul trouble. In 2024, that kind of start would have been a problem.
Saturday, the Nuggets outscored Minnesota 39-29 in the second quarter with Gordon sitting, steadied by Jamal Murray getting to the free-throw line and the bench holding things together. That's the version of this team Jokic is talking about.
A group that's learned how to win without all its pieces in place because it's had to all season long. Gordon, Jokic, Johnson and Christian Braun all missed significant time with injuries this year. Murray was often the only constant in the starting lineup. They figured it out and closed the regular season on a 12-game winning streak.
Jokic also noted that every time these two teams play, it's going to be interesting. He's not wrong about that either. But the Nuggets are walking into this series with more ammunition than they had the last time, and they showed it in Game 1.