Nikola Jokic, the cornerstone of the Denver Nuggets and a three-time MVP, continues to dominate offensively this season. However, sports journalist Chris Mannix has raised concerns about Jokic’s conditioning, suggesting it might be impacting his defensive performance.
Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Mannix shared observations from an assistant coach who faced Jokic recently. He highlighted that the Serbian center’s heavy minutes under head coach Michael Malone, coupled with a significant offensive workload, may be taking a toll on the defensive side of his game.
“If you’re carrying that heavy and offensive burden, it’s going to cost you something on the other end no matter who you are,” Mannix said, via HoopsHype. He further added, “The other thing I keep hearing—and I haven’t been around him personally enough to see it—is that people keep saying he’s heavy, right? Like, he’s not in the kind of shape you’ve seen him in during years past.”
Jokic has been logging an average of 37.2 minutes per game this season, contributing an impressive 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per contest. Despite his stellar offensive numbers, Mannix argued that Jokic’s conditioning has caused a regression in his defensive effectiveness.
“All those things have caused him to go from being a guy that people saw trending towards like an average-to-good defender to now where he’s kind of taken a step back into that below-average defensive range,” Mannix explained.
Denver currently holds a 14-10 record, placing them fifth in the Western Conference standings. The Nuggets reportedly exploring trades to boost their roster before trade deadline with a number of players emerging in rumors as potential targets.
