"JJ Redick has exposed something" - Ex-NBA champ makes bold claim about Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets

Nikola Jokic is determined to return to the NBA’s mountaintop, which the Denver Nuggets scaled just two seasons ago. One analyst, however, claims the team has a glaring weakness — one that has been exposed by a rival with a grudge against the Nuggets.

Shortly before Denver faced the Boston Celtics on Sunday, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins questioned why the Nuggets were even considered title contenders this season. He then claimed JJ Redick has discovered a winning formula against Jokic.

"JJ Redick has exposed something when the Lakers played them," Perkins said. "I believe that teams are going to double-team Jokic (and) take away cutters. The Denver Nuggets are going to have to knock down 3s at a high level."

Perkins, who won an NBA title with the 2008 Celtics, expressed doubt that the Nuggets could shoot proficiently from beyond the arc. Notably, he made this claim despite the fact that Denver ranks third in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (38.1%) this season.

In the Lakers' 123-100 win over the Nuggets on Feb. 22, Denver shot 39% from deep. However, LA managed to limit the Nuggets’ overall shooting percentage to 40.0%, significantly lower than their league-leading 50.8% field goal percentage.

Meanwhile, the Lakers, who were eliminated by the Nuggets in back-to-back postseasons when they were still under coach Darvin Ham, had an explosive scoring night, with four of their five starters each scoring at least 21 points.

Nikola Jokic reflects after Lakers snap Nuggets' nine-game winning streak: "Maybe we tricked ourselves"

The Lakers’ victory over the Nuggets was significant, as it ended Denver’s nine-game winning streak. Following the loss, Nikola Jokic reflected on what the streak actually meant to the team:

"Maybe we tricked ourselves," Jokic said after the loss to the Lakers.

Jokic also said the Nuggets' winning streak had come against teams that were either struggling or dealing with injuries at the time.