Nikola Jokic is once again having an MVP-like season. He is in the midst of his best year with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 29.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game. However, even the three-time MVP can’t escape the critics, as his recent injury concerns has sparked criticisms due to the star big man missing key games.
This is something head coach Michael Malone has been infuriated by.
After Jokic missed Monday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors due to injury, a game in which Denver ultimately seized a hard-fought 114-105 victory in, the Nuggets remained in California for another key Western Conference battle with Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The reason this game held a lot more importance than their game against the Warriors is because Denver entered Wednesday night tied with the Houston Rockets for the 2-seed in the conference. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, they fell 120-108 to the Lakers in yet another game Jokic missed as he continues to work through shoulder, elbow, and ankle injuries.
Many have pointed to Jokic missing key games as a sign of him opting not to play in significant matchups, and Tim Bontemps of ESPN recently stated it was a “horrible look for the league” that the Nuggets were without Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Christian Braun on Monday night against Golden State. This was a nationally televised game on ESPN.
Before Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles, Malone took exception to Bontemps and others appearing to take shots at Jokic for taking extra time to rest and ultimately missing key games down the stretch run of the season.
“You listen to your body. It’s not just Nikola — it’s our training staff. I have to, as a head coach, trust our players, as well as trust the training staff. I think someone said the other night after the Golden State game that what the Denver Nuggets did is a disgrace to the league. I think that’s just a bunch of bulls**t,” Malone firmly said in his pregame press conference on Wednesday. “I mean, in the last 10 years, Nikola Jokic has played the second-most games in the NBA. Ten years. And the guys in that top 10, none of them are superstars.
“So, if Nikola isn’t playing, it’s not because he’s sitting. It’s not because he needs rest. It’s because he’s hurt and he’s trying to play through things that most wouldn’t.”
Despite winning back-to-back games only once over their last 14 contests, the Nuggets remain right at the top of the Western Conference playoff picture with a 44-26 record. This loss to the Lakers temporary pushed them back to the 4-seed with 12 games remaining, but the Nuggets are still just one game back of the Houston Rockets for the second-best record in the West behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Malone and the team’s training staff understand the importance of having Jokic healthy and rested for what they hope is a long playoff run, which is why they have been cautious with his injuries to this point.
“We’re at a point right now where we have to do what’s best for not just Nikola but for all our guys as we move forward and try to close out this season,” Malone explained. “We don’t rest guys. If guys miss games, it’s because they’re unable to go out there and perform at the level we need them to perform at.
“I think that’s really important that everyone knows that.”
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