Denver Nuggets: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season

3. How good will the offense be?

It’s clear that the Nuggets are all in on offense. Not only has the team struggled mightily on the defensive end in recent seasons (including the league’s 26th-ranked defense last season), the offseason addition of Isaiah Thomas only further propels their offense, while limiting their defensive potential.

Therefore, it is extremely important for the team’s offense to be extremely good, which it has been in recent seasons since Jokic was unleashed as the team’s starting center and featured player. Last season, Denver posted the sixth-ranked offense, and there is very clearly a path to the top three with the insertion of Barton in the starting lineup and Thomas running second units.

Just going through Denver’s roster, you will see that nearly all of their players are offensive-minded, including four of their five projected starters. If Thomas can play at a higher level than he did last season, he will be a significant boost to the team’s offense, especially when Jokic isn’t on the floor.

Denver’s offense was 9.7 points per 100 possessions better with Jokic on the floor, as the offense couldn’t sustain itself when the Serbian big man wasn’t on the floor initiating it. However, with Thomas coming off the bench and (hopefully) playing alongside several starters in staggered lineups, the team’s offense should be elite for all 48 minutes, which it will have to be in order to make up for its defense.