Much to the delight of Denver Nuggets, their trump card, Nikola Jokic, returned against the Milwaukee Bucks. And it instantly galvanized the team. The Joker came back from a five-game absence by dropping a 39-point triple-double, his 30th of the season. The Bucks fell short on firepower as both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard missed the game. And with Jokic operating the offense, the Nuggets function like a bullet train on offense.

However, there are still repairs to be made. Notably, while they do rank as the third-best offense, their defense is all the way to 25th in the league. They are still the only team within the top six to have not been in the top half defensively. After the loss to the Bulls, Jamal Murray attributed these struggles to a lack of communication in defense.

And Jokic couldn’t agree more. Not only from getting the defense organized, but the three-time MVP feels just “noise” alone can have an impact on opponents. “Yes, of course, I mean communication is a big thing. I think there is communication, there is listening. You know one guy can tell you what to do and you don’t listen. So, yes I think the things that communicate and make noise make sense. I think it can….. confuse players, opponents,” he advised the Nuggets.

In terms of having control tonight, the Nuggets did hold things down. Except for a split moment in the third quarter, they never trailed against the shorthanded Bucks. But that’s where the concerns lie. Even without Milwaukee’s two premiere scorers, Denver required Nikola Jokic to match Brook Lopez. They still only won by ten.

In the playoffs where matchups can get physical, at times even the best offenses can falter. That’s the reason it’s said that defense wins championships. When teams don’t present easy scoring opportunities, it becomes a game of getting stops. And so far, the Nuggets have only allowed fewer than 100 points four times this season.

Defense lies at the core of winning for Michael Malone

The defense has been an area the Nuggets have struggled to master all season long. The departure of stalwarts like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green after the 2023 title, followed by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s exit in 2024, stripped the Nuggets of versatile defenders. In 2025, replacements like Julian Strawther have yet to replicate that tenacity, leaving Murray and rookie DaRon Holmes II exposed against quicker guards.

Michael Malone has attempted to instill the importance of doing within his troops. But so far, they haven’t reaped great results. Still, tonight the Denver Nuggets did fix up in some areas. Last game, the Bulls scored 31 points off fast breaks giving them a 10-point advantage. Tonight, they only allowed the Bucks to score 5 points in transition.

But it’s not enough. With just eight games remaining before they start the playoffs, Malone is still concerned about the Nuggets’ defensive integrity. “I know as we approach these games coming up and in the postseason we just can’t rely upon that offense,” said the Nuggets head coach.

Malone’s postgame comments against the Bucks weren’t his first plea this season. After a narrow loss to the Lakers in early March 2025, he reportedly held a closed-door meeting, urging players to ‘buy into the dirty work.’ Sources suggest his latest warning carried an ultimatum: elevate defensively or risk an early playoff exit.

When they won the championship, the Nuggets posted the sixth-best defense during the entire postseason. However, they don’t have the same personnel present now. Hence, reaching back to that level has been difficult. But with a splendid offense, even a decent defense could provide them with a massive advantage in a closely contested battle.

If not often, the Nuggets need to have the ability to have a sound defensive structure in case the renowned offense doesn’t deliver. So the need to consistently play as they did tonight is what Michael Malone wanted to highlight. Because without such pressure and teamwork on defense, teams could eat them up.