Last season, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was having one of the best individual years we have ever seen in the NBA before he was sidelined for a month with a knee injury. Not only was he averaging a near 30-point triple-double through the first 32 games, but he was also shooting 60.5% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc.

In the 33 games after he returned from injury, his efficiency dipped significantly, as he shot just 53.3% from the field and 31.9% from deep. We had hoped his poor three-point shooting was a fluke and more a product of his lingering injury, but this season is proving otherwise.

Through six games this season, Jokic is shooting 47.2% from the field and 22.6% from deep, marking new career lows. There is an obvious concern with Jokic's performance so far, especially his unusually low efficiency. After the Nuggets' loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night, Jokic addressed his poor three-point shooting.

"To be honest, I don't know why, but when I'm shooting and I'm practicing, I'm kind of making it, but I'm not making it in the game," Jokic said. "But I think the struggle, it's a privilege. It pushes you to get better. Push you to think, 'What's the problem?' So It's definitely a privilege."

Jokic has an interesting mindset with his early-season struggle, saying that he can use the slow start to fuel himself to improve. However, until he improves, there will continue to be plenty of external concern, regardless of what he says about it being a "privilege."

Nuggets need Jokic to find his rhythm

After having the NBA's best offense last season, not many fans expected the Nuggets to take much of a step back this year. But they have been very underwhelming. They have just the 16th-ranked offense and 23rd-ranked defense, which is obviously not a recipe for success, leading to their 3-3 record through six games.

Not to mention, the Nuggets have yet to earn a "good" win. They beat the Pelicans twice and the Suns once, meaning their wins have come against teams with a combined 4-8 record, while they are 0-3 against teams with a winning record.

In Monday's loss to Portland, Jokic finished with 26 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists on 10-22 shooting from the field and 2-7 from deep. It was not an awful game from Jokic by any means, but the Nuggets expect him to be far more consistent. For a superstar of his caliber who does not make much of an impact defensively, they need him to find his footing on offense.

Adelman is not worried

While some fans might be concerned about Jokic's performance so far this season, Nuggets head coach David Adelman is not worried.

"Some of the shots I think we're so accustomed to seeing he never misses ... they're coming," Adelman said. "This is a six-game sample size of one of the most efficient offensive basketball players that's ever lived. I'll die on that sword."

We can obviously expect Jokic to find his rhythm again. As Adelman said, this is a small sample size, but the Nuggets need his shots to start falling sooner rather than later.