Roundtable: What's your lasting memory from December 15, 2016?

Merry Jokmas! On December 15, 2016, Nikola Jokic was finally inserted into the Nuggets’ starting lineup. The rest is history. DNVR Nuggets looks back on Dec. 15 2016 and asks themselves what they would ask for Jokmas this year.

What’s your last memory of Dec. 15 2016?

Adam: I remember Jokic playing really well in the games leading up to the big date. I was probably the most vocal leader of the Jokic-should-start brigade back in those days but my arguments were becoming increasingly easier to make during the east coast road trip that led up to December 15, 2016. As he has done since he arrived in Denver 7 years ago, Jokic was getting better game by game and it felt like it was only a matter of time before we’d finally see him named the starter.  When it finally happened, it felt like a watershed moment.

Harrison: One forgotten fact about Dec. 15, 2016 is that Jokic only played 19 minutes in the Nuggets’ 132-120 win over the Trail Blazers. Jokic was very good that night — 13 points (5-6 FG’s), 4 rebounds, 5 assists, +15 — but he barely played in the third due to foul trouble and didn’t even close the game. Kenneth Faried subbed in for him with eight minutes remaining in the fourth. Still, it was a culmination of what had transpired over the first two months of the season. Jokic was already the Nuggets’ best player and Denver needed to center everything around him. That was also very apparent that night. But my lasting memory from Dec. 15 is one single play: this one-handed slinger to Faried.

Brendan: I don’t have one. Shortly after the change, I started watching the Nuggets as a League Pass Guilty Pleasure. By the end of that season, I took the Nuggets gig at Hoops Habit and swore fealty. As an aside: I do not miss Los Angeles.

Is the last five years the best 5-year run of Nuggets basketball?

Adam: Yes! And I say that with all respect for the history of the Denver Nuggets. There were 5-year stretches that saw more regular season success but there has never been a consistent and linear arc that has been as fun and rewarding as the rise of Nikola Jokic. It has been a step by step ascension that has spanned the full spectrum of the sports experience.

Harrison: In terms of raw wins, no. George Karl’s Nuggets won 50+ games in four-straight seasons from 2008-2011. The Alex English teams of the 80’s were special too. But if you think about everything that’s gone into the Jokic era — drafting him in the second round, building this roster without skipping steps, Jokic getting First Team All-NBA, an All-Star bid, and then MVP, the 3-1 comebacks, and Denver never losing in the first round under his watch — this is the most satisfying, rewarding, memorable, enjoyable and best years of Nuggets basketball. Jokic is the best player who’s ever worn a Nuggets jersey and he’s just entering what should be his prime. The next five years might be even better.

Brendan: I’m no historian, but I can still make the case. This stretch comprises the rise of the best player in team history, including an MVP award and a Western Conference Finals run. It includes some of the only Nuggets teams ever to inspire belief in a title. These are the golden years so far.

What would you ask for Jokmas this year?

Adam: A winning streak. At first, I was going to say “joy” since the Nuggets are most fun when they are having fun. Sports are supposed to be fun and when your team is smiling, it makes it a lot easier to smile along with them. But a true, long winning streak is the one thing we haven’t gotten in the Jokic era. It would be nice to see the team string together 10+ games, especially if a majority of those wins come at home.

Harrison: A second-straight MVP, just so Brian Windhorst has to talk about it. But for real, my wish is to get Jamal Murray back at some point before the regular season ends. If he returns before the start of the postseason, a Murray playoff moment is on the table. How awesome would that be? The last time we saw Murray in the playoffs was in the bubble. No one’s expecting him to be that same guy, but the vibe potential is off the charts. He lives for those moments.

Brendan: The four-seed out West. Jokić should be firmly in any MVP conversations should that play out, and Denver would reinforce their position as one of the most consistent regular-season teams in the league. As for the playoffs, avoiding one of the three genuine threats in the first round while Jamal Murray works the rust off would be enough to make my holiday. I won’t get too greedy.

Who’s your forgotten hero of the Jokic era so far?

Adam: I’ll say Mike Miller. Miller is a player of some clout in NBA circles and a guy who has seen greatness up close. He was on the team during that 2016-17 season and was one of the first players to see Jokic’s rise coming.

Harrison: He’s not forgotten quite yet, but eventually it might be Gary Harris. He was the first player on Denver’s roster who learned how to play with Nikola Jokic. Way back in 2016-17, Harris and Jokic had great chemistry. The DHO’s, the off-ball movement, the Hail Mary outlet passes, the two had an innate connection. Harris was such a good two-way player back then that there was a real debate (by some in the Denver media) to start the 2017-18 season whether he was actually the Nuggets’ star and Jokic was the Robin to his Batman. This was a very real thing that happened. He was that good. Harris was fundamental to Jokic’s rise and an absolute stalwart throughout the early Jokic years.

Brendan: Jameer Nelson. Jokić with a true point guard is a nightmare. Long live the entry pass.