Nuggets' Malone says he wouldn't trade Nikola Jokic for anybody
You could say that Nuggets coach Michael Malone is excited about Nikola Jokic.
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1 min read
Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone raved about rookie big man Nikola Jokic on Monday, saying that every time he thinks the 20-year-old has maxed out in his rookie season, Jokic finds new ways to impress him. Malone had reason to be excited: Jokic had career highs of 27 points and 14 rebounds in a 112-93 win over the Toronto Raptors, adding four assists and a block while shooting 12-for-18 and playing solid defense against Jonas Valanciunas.
"I mean you can talk about some of these very young bigs who are very talented, the kid in New York, Minnesota, Philly, I don’t know any of their names," Malone told reporters, via BSN Denver's Harrison Wind. "I know this kid’s name, though. I know Nikola Jokic and I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the world. He’s a special young man, he’s a special young talent and he’s only going to get better as he continues to get stronger, learn the NBA, finishing around the basket, defensively. But he’s a heck of a young talent, I give a lot of credit to [general manager] Tim Connelly and the front office for finding him and making him a part of the organization."
Jokic has been steadily improving all season, especially on the defensive end, and he's been earning more minutes and touches lately. Toronto's interior defense was a bit of a mess on Monday, and he took full advantage. With his size, skills and shooting touch, it's already clear Jokic was an absolute steal when Denver drafted him No. 41 overall in 2014.
The Nuggets are also looking smart for hiring Malone. He'll be as critical as anybody behind closed doors, but he understands that part of his job is building his young players' confidence. It sounds a little ridiculous to imply that he wouldn't move Jokic for Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis or Jahlil Okafor, but there's nothing wrong with publicly praising a player who has earned it. While this is a young team with a 19-30 record, it is obviously going in the right direction.
