The Denver Nuggets find themselves on the verge of winning their first NBA Championship, but point guard Jamal Murray still isn't satisfied with how franchise cornerstone and the current spearhead in their push for glory Nikola Jokic is perceived by those on the outside.

Though already established as one of the most dominant offensive big men in league history, the Serbia native has developed a reputation as being a sub-par talent on the less glamorous side of the ball.

Murray has seemingly grown tired of this talking point, especially with the Nuggets just one win away from winning the 2023 title, and noted that it's time for people to change their opinions on Nikola Jokic's game.

“As a group, we know what we can do on defense,” Jamal Murray says. “We’re just trying to change the narrative that he doesn’t play defense.”

Head coach Michael Malone would also delve into such a narrative, highlighting the fact that while the big man won't blow anyone away from the “eye test,” this is not to suggest he's a poor defender.

“I think you have to get past the eye test with Nikola. Nikola does it differently,” Malone said of Nikola Jokic. “Is he going to go above the rim and block a shot or pin something to the backboard? He is not going to do that, and stop expecting him to do that. But if you really know what you’re looking at, which a lot of people don’t, you take a real sense of, ‘OK, this guy is a good defensive player, and he is doing it with an IQ and an awareness that a lot of people just don’t have.’”