For half a decade, the Denver Nuggets have been defined by a single, beautiful truth: the sublime, unmatched offensive mastery of Nikola Jokic. They were the symphony orchestra of the NBA, a flowing system of motion, unselfish passing, and sheer mathematical brilliance, ensuring they sat comfortably inside the league’s top six offensive ratings every single season. Their identity was set in stone: an offensive masterclass few could hope to outscore.

Yet, as November 2025 dawns, the narrative has fundamentally, and violently, changed. This is not the same Denver Nuggets team.

The shockwaves are echoing across the league because the statistics are undeniable: the Nuggets, historically famous for their scoring prowess, are currently running one of the NBA’s top three defenses. They are suffocating teams, not just winning. Opponents are not simply missing shots; they are gasping for air against a physicality and schematic complexity that was utterly absent in years past. In a league defined by offensive fireworks, the reigning champions have quietly—and controversially—redefined themselves into a complete, disciplined, and terrifying force on both ends of the floor.

The Crisis Point: When Offense Was Not Enough

The Nuggets’ reliance on offense always carried a clear, persistent weakness: their defense was, at best, average and, at times, concerning. While their offensive rating consistently ranked among the elite, their defensive rating in the last five seasons bounced uneasily between 11th and a worrying 21st. Even during their championship year, they were 13th, a ranking their peerless offense was just capable of masking.

The full weight of this defensive regression came crashing down last season. The 2023-2024 campaign saw their defensive rating plummet to 21st—their worst mark in five years—allowing 1.4 more points per 100 possessions than the league average.

This regression was not just a statistic; it was a wound that proved fatal in the playoffs. Facing the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team built on long, fast, and far more disciplined defense, Denver’s offensive machine stalled. The Thunder forced a seven-game grind, ultimately closing the series not through superior talent, but by sheer, unyielding defensive toughness. It was a humiliating moment of clarity: the Nuggets were an elite offensive team that could be defeated simply by being tougher than them.

The organization’s response was a move that stunned the basketball world: they parted ways with Michael Malone, the winningest coach in franchise history and the architect of their title run. The message was unmistakable, brutal, and crystal clear: Defense had to improve, no matter the cost.

David Adelman’s Cultural Coup

Replacing Malone was David Adelman, a longtime assistant and, ironically, the team’s former offensive architect. Suddenly tasked with redefining the team’s core identity, Adelman and the front office enacted a complete philosophical overhaul heading into the 2025-2026 season.

The shift was centered on one word: accountability.

Adelman didn’t hedge his words during the offseason, declaring a cultural mandate that ran counter to the team’s reputation. “It’s just do you want to do it,” he stated. “I would love to see our defense get better. If our offense takes a little step back, we’ll be fine… there’s no excuse not to play extremely hard, put your hands on people, don’t worry about foul trouble like we’ve had to in the past.”

This was a declaration of war against soft defense. It was a public commitment to prioritizing aggression, physicality, and a schematic flexibility designed to disrupt rather than react. To drive this transformation, Adelman brought in a critical voice: Jared Dudley, a 14-year NBA veteran and a defensive-minded champion from the 2020 Lakers team, to oversee the defense. Dudley’s experience and ability to teach defensive intensity from a player’s perspective instantly resonated, marking a definitive break from the entrenched system Malone had relied upon since 2018-2019.

The Deconstruction of the Jokic Defensive Myth

The biggest change had to happen at the heart of the system: Nikola Jokic.

For years, Denver’s base defense revolved around Jokic playing “up to touch” at the level of the ball screen, stepping out to the perimeter to meet the opposing center’s pick. This positioning was initially brilliant; it used Jokic’s quick hands to force turnovers and allowed him to dictate the pace defensively, masking his early career struggles as a rim protector.

But the league adjusted. After seven seasons of that same rigid coverage, opponents began to anticipate Denver’s rotations. Ball handlers knew exactly where the help was coming from, and the Nuggets started giving up cleaner looks than ever before. The very system that once gave Jokic and Denver an edge had become their greatest vulnerability.

Adelman and Dudley recognized the need to protect their superstar while maximizing his intelligence. The new defensive structure is entirely different, prioritizing flexibility and tailoring coverages around Jokic’s unparalleled basketball IQ and the specific matchup.

Jokic is no longer forced to chase guards around the perimeter on every possession. Instead, he conserves energy and operates as the team’s true anchor, “controlling space with his mind rather than his feet.” In this setup, his role is to read passing lanes, manipulate offensive spacing, and force slower decisions, allowing him to focus on what he does best: strategic defense. With a more supportive, aggressive perimeter group around him, the system has become exponentially more effective and physically sustainable.

The Rise of the Perimeter Predators

The success of the new Jokic-anchored defense hinges on the performance and accountability of Denver’s guards and wings, who have fully embraced the mandate for physicality. The Nuggets needed players who could adopt an “almost fouling” level of aggression, borrowing a page from the defensive style of teams like the OKC Thunder—a team that ironically knocked them out of the playoffs.

The personnel changes and player development have delivered:

Peyton Watson: The definition of defensive versatility. Watson led the league in blocked three-pointers during the 2024-2025 season, an incredible feat. His rim protection is equally elite; over the past two seasons, opponents have shot just 52% within six feet of the rim when he is the closest defender, the sixth-best mark in the entire NBA. He is a key, adaptable piece in the new system.

Christian Brown: Stepping into a starting role, Brown brings the relentless, scrappy edge and athleticism the Nuggets have lacked. His willingness to pressure the ball and fight through screens makes him absolutely vital to the perimeter defense.

Cam Johnson: A major offseason acquisition, Johnson’s value has been immediate on defense. He fits into multiple schemes, switches comfortably across positions, and possesses a high-level understanding of rotations and weak side responsibilities. Synergy Sports data shows Johnson has been elite in pick-and-roll defense, a crucial area of need for Denver.

Aaron Gordon: The team’s established defensive stalwart, Gordon has dedicated his focus to this new identity. As he declared during the preseason, “I’mma just turn up on defense. We have so much talent on the offensive side I’m not even really worried about it.”

This combination—anchored by Jokic’s intelligence and supported by the physical, active hands of Watson, Brown, Johnson, and Gordon—is exactly what Adelman set out to build. It has transformed the Nuggets from a team near the bottom in opponent turnover rate to a far more disruptive unit that constantly keeps opposing offenses uncomfortable.

A New Balance of Power

The results speak for themselves. Through the first 11 games of the 2025-2026 season, the Denver Nuggets are 9-2 and riding a dominant six-game winning streak. Their defense, which finished 21st last year, now boasts the third-best defensive rating in the NBA. Crucially, they have paired this with the second-best offensive rating in the league.

This is the key to Denver’s newfound dominance: they are the only team in the entire NBA with a Top 5 offense and a Top 5 defense.

For the first time in years, the Nuggets are not simply an offensive juggernaut; they are balanced, disciplined, and playing with an intensity that matches their championship pedigree. The process of rebuilding a top-tier defensive culture takes time, but if this trajectory holds, Adelman and Dudley have finally found the equilibrium Denver has been chasing for half a decade.

The Nuggets are no longer a “score more than you” team. All signs point to them being a squad that can shut you down and bury you. Their coaches believe this is the only way to win, and the players—from stars to role players—have fully bought in. Denver has always been dangerous with offense alone. Now, you can’t outscore them, and you definitely can’t stop them. That balanced, dual-threat identity is the recipe for bringing another banner back to the Mile High City.