Nikola Jokic continued where he left off last season. Serbian plays in MVP mode and practically carries the whole Denver team on his shoulders.
The strong center does not have much support from his teammates, for now, especially those from the bench, which is a great concern to Nuggets coach Mike Malone.
The American coach is quite worried about the condition of one of the best basketball players in the world. Not so much physically as mentally. Malone has the impression that Jokic is facing a lot of pressure and expectations now that he is officially the league’s MVP.
- I am worried about Jokic. We only played seven games and I’m already worried about him. He seems to carry the whole world on his back and shoulders. I feel him, he is the MVP and a lot is expected of him every night.
Every word of the Denver coach radiates concern and fear about how to save Jokic from the pressure of the media, fans and players.
- I am worried, it seems to me that he thinks that every night must be perfect. Not just to win, but to have a chance to win. We must not have such pressure. No one has to be perfect every night.
What is most fascinating to Malone in all this is that Jokic does not regret it at all. The Denver coach would raise the statue for Jokic in the middle of Times Square.
- He’s not complaining about anything. That’s Jokic. He is not Atlas to keep everything on his back. For me, he is bigger than the Atlas. One day he will have a statue in Times Square.
And indeed, the impression is that such stories do not reach Jokic at all, who, according to the statistics of leading sites such as ESPN, is currently the most useful basketball player in the NBA league!
He leads in several categories such as the best defensive rating in the league, as well as the +/- factor while on the floor.
Speaking of numbers, let’s mention that Jokic is averaging 23.9 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game this season.
Impressive…
