The MVP discussion has always been a major point of contention for NBA pundits and fans. Some of the most heated discussions center around the merits of certain candidates, and whether some of their weaknesses can prove to be too detrimental to a team's hopes of winning a championship. One example of this is the common sentiment that Nikola Jokic, the two-time reigning MVP and the foundation of the Denver Nuggets, struggles on the defensive end.

However, Jokic has proven that some of his athletic limitations do not necessarily make him a poor defender. In fact, his fast hands and ability to read the game at a high level helps him on that end of the floor. Nevertheless, head coach Michael Malone felt like it was necessary once more to defend his star player.

Michael Malone even showed a bit of self-awareness after saying that he felt like he was Nikola Jokic's defense lawyer with all the pro-Jokic arguments he has made in recent days.

“Sometimes I feel like Johnnie Cochran, like I’m (Jokic’s) defense attorney. I’m just gonna let Nikola’s play speak for itself, let his greatness speak for itself,” Malone said following the Nuggets' 118-113 win over the Toronto Raptors at home, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

For the uninitiated, Johnnie Cochran is the famous defense lawyer that represented O.J. Simpson in his criminal murder trial from 1994 to 1995. Cochran helped Simpson receive an acquittal from the criminal court, using his famous phrase: “If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.” (A civil court later found Simpson guilty of the murders.)

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It's not difficult to see why Michael Malone would feel all sorts of frustration about having to defend Nikola Jokic again and again. And with all the vitriol fans and pundits have been hurling towards Jokic in recent weeks, it's not too surprising that Malone feels hard done by the treatment the Nuggets star player is receiving.

In particular, pundits such as Kendrick Perkins made a sinister accusation that Jokic is just drawing tons of consideration for a third-straight MVP due to the fact that he is a white European. At that point, Malone may have no choice but to continue acting as the Nuggets star's de facto legal counsel.