NBA Power Rankings Week 7: The revenge of the Los Angeles Lakers

Last Week: Beat Utah Jazz 128-117, 2/1 vs. Detroit Pistons (POSTPONED), Lost to Los Angeles Lakers 114-93, Lost Sacramento Kings 119-114

This Week: 2/8 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 2/10 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 2/12 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

More so than any week thus far this year, the Denver Nuggets have felt like Nikola Jokic vs. the world. He almost single-handedly ended the Utah Jazz 11-game winning-streak with mind-blowing numbers: 47 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Jokic outscored the rest of the Nuggets starters combined in this game.

Their second game of the week was supposed to be against the Detroit Pistons but that was postponed giving the Nuggets ample rest heading into a marquee showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. That had to make the 21 point drubbing by the team that ended their season last year hurt all the more. Jokic looked almost human with 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Jamal Murray was the leading scorer for the Nuggets but the team was outscored by 17 points with him on the court.

Against the Sacramento Kings, a matchup that has been disastrous for the Nuggets this season, Jokic somehow outdid his effort against the Jazz. The MVP candidate exploded for 50 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Unfortunately, Murray was out and Michael Porter Jr. struggled, leading to another loss to the Kings. The Nuggets are missing consistency around their star and the solution is currently unclear.