On Tuesday morning’s Get Up, ESPN NBA reporter Tim Bontemps attempted to make a point but chose a poor example, focusing on the superstar duo Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray during the discussion of Monday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. Instead of emphasizing Jokic’s role in putting the Nuggets within reach of a top seed in the Western Conference or illustrating their ability to win even with Jokic sidelined due to an elbow injury and Murray dealing with a sprained right ankle, he highlighted Jokic’s absence, labeling it a “horrible look for the league.”
“This is why the NBA put in the Player Participation Policy,” Bontemps stated. “Your stars are supposed to play. Nikola Jokic plays all the time… he’s been banged up with a bunch of stuff. You could look ahead at the schedule if you’re the Nuggets. They play the Washington Wizards, the worst team in the league, at home on Saturday. Sit these guys in that game, have them ready to go for today’s game and Wednesday’s game against the Lakers.” Immediately, Denver fans pointed out the flaws in his argument.
“It’s a horrible look for the league.”
— @TimBontemps on the Nuggets not playing Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray vs. the Warriors pic.twitter.com/WQ3ElVeQce
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 18, 2025
Firstly, Murray twisted his ankle during Saturday’s game and has only missed eight games this season. In contrast, Jokic has missed just seven games and is recognized as one of the NBA’s most durable stars, bolstering his case as an MVP candidate during this decade. Moreover, the NBA policy Bontemps referenced explicitly applies to players recently named to All-Star and All-NBA teams, a category Murray does not meet.
Critics, including local radio host Vic Lombardi, have challenged Bontemps’ credibility, particularly concerning the MVP “Straw Poll” project he oversees at ESPN.com. “I’m sick of these national guys thinking they know,” Lombardi remarked. “You don’t know jack. You’re assuming. You know what you did in my book? You lost all credibility.”
This is clearly the take of a national pundit who’s never watched the Nuggets.
The guy who runs the official NBA MVP straw poll doesn’t watch Nuggets basketball?? Really??
“You know what you did in my book? You lost all credibility.” – @VicLombardi #MileHighBasketball https://t.co/hKC9QvmSUZ pic.twitter.com/NU8VoL0nZR
— 92.5 FM – Denver’s Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) March 18, 2025
Nuggets analyst and YouTuber “Swipa Cam” utilized the moment to criticize ESPN’s tendency to focus on off-court drama and overarching narratives rather than appreciating game dynamics and player performances. He listed key topics that could have been discussed, such as the Nuggets’ streak against the Warriors, Aaron Gordon’s significance to the team, and Steph Curry’s struggles against certain matchups.
Personally if I worked for ESPN today I’d talk about:
1. Nuggets extending their winning streak vs the Warriors and why.
2. Aaron Gordon’s importance to the team and what their record could be if he hadn’t missed 29 games already.
3. Why does Steph Curry struggle so much vs… https://t.co/TQwUw7DKvA— Swipa (@SwipaCam) March 18, 2025
Even Jack Coyne, an NBA researcher for Stats LLC in Denver, joined the conversation, highlighting Jokic’s impressive availability for nationally televised games. Coyne noted that since Jokic’s debut, he has featured in 93.8% of Denver’s national TV games, ranking third among All-Stars with substantial national appearances.
Since Nikola Jokic debuted in 2015-16, he’s played in 45 of 48 (93.8%) games on ABC/TNT/ESPN.
That’s 3rd highest among the 46 All-Stars with 40+ Nat’l TV games over that span – trailing only Jayson Tatum (95.9%) and Russell Westbrook (94.3%). https://t.co/4Fb2fXa8g4
— Jake Coyne (@TheStatSquatch) March 18, 2025
While Bontemps raises a valid concern regarding star availability in the NBA, using the Nuggets as a prime example is misguided. Injuries occur, and the Nuggets have earned the benefit of the doubt regarding the legitimacy of their players’ injuries, rather than attributing them to factors like load management or rest.
