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The Washington Wizards, who had been on a 16-game losing streak and held the worst record in the NBA, faced off against the Denver Nuggets. Despite Nikola Jokic's incredible performance of scoring 56 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, the Nuggets still fell short. Denver trailed behind for the majority of the game but ultimately couldn't overcome the Wizards' lead.

That's just the latest for Denver, which has lost 4-of-6 and is now 11-10 on the season. If the playoffs started today, the 2023 NBA Champions would have to win two games just to get out of the play-in and into the field of eight — all of that despite Jokic playing at an MVP level. After losing to the Wizards, Jokic was asked what this team needs to get back on track.

(He was laughing as he started to say that.) Then added, “What’s the name of it? Being benched? Being on the bench, I think that’s really good motivation too.”

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) December 8, 2024

Nobody is docking pay on guaranteed contracts (that was a joke), and benching a player suggests you have someone better behind them who can step up, and the Nuggets' depth is already the issue (they have seven NBA-level rotation players).

Michael Malone is throwing a lot of stuff against the wall to see what sticks, but this is the reality of the roster Calvin Booth has put together (and the restraints he faces in roster building set by ownership). Denver has a little room under the second apron but has limits on moves it can make — can't take more money back in a trade, can't sign a player on the buyout market who was making more than the mid-level exception — so most of the improvement is going to have to come from inside the locker room. There are flashes of play from guys like Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. that remind you of the championship run, but it's wildly inconsistent. This is just who the Nuggets are right now.

And even Jokic is searching for answers.