To many observing Nikola Jokic through recent years, they've found out he's a point guard trapped in a center’s body. The Denver Nuggets center is 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, too tall and too heavy to fit the point guard description — yet watch the big man deliver a one-handed lob over the defense or swiftly find the cutter darting through the baseline for a layup and it's not hard to find the floor general trapped inside that body.

“I’m telling that to everybody,” said Jokic, according to The Associated Press. “But nobody believes in that except me.”

Others have given similar praise, take for instance New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale, who found himself in awe of his abilities.

“A 7-2 Magic Johnson,” Fizdale said, over-inflating Jokic’s height while comparing him to the Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer. “He’s as good of a passer as any guard in the league. He can shoot 3s. But his ball handling is something I admire.”

Jokic won't blow past defenders with his speed or cross them up with his handle. He certainly won't soar over them with enviable athleticism. Yet he has enough of each skill to make him effective, unmatched at his size and position.

“He’s kind of pudgy,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. “He doesn’t jump out of the gym. He doesn’t run that fast, but he might be one of the smartest players in the league. And he’s got skills and he knows how to use them and he enjoys the hell out of himself out there. He’s been very important for them, obviously.”

Nikola Jokic is averaging a career-high 7.6 assists per game, a category he has elevated after every season, going from a capable passer in his first season to a willing one the next to a downright maestro from the center spot.