Nikola Jokic thinks it'll be unfair to teammates if he tries to score more

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic says that he thinks it will be unfair for his teammates if he tries to score more than he already does.

“The Joker” is no chucker and that’s not going to change any time soon.

Following the loss against the lowly Sacramento Kings on Sunday, January 7, Denver Nuggets young star Nikola Jokic was quoted, via The Denver Post:

“I'm not gonna try so hard to score, just because I think it's not fair to my teammates.”

These are words you don’t typically hear from a team’s star player, but Jokic – who turned heads thanks to his playmaking ability – is sticking to what he does best.

“If I see two (defenders) coming to me, I'm going to pass the ball. And if I see the open guy standing right there, I'm gonna pass him the ball. I'm not going to force anything,” said the Serbian big man.

Considering how he’s shot so far in 2018, Jokic might really be better off dishing the rock than throwing it towards the rim. In the last three games, The Joker has shot just 10-for-29 or around 35 percent from the field. Not encouraging specially from someone who usually plays in and around the paint.

It doesn’t help that Jokic once again finds himself in an odd spot playing alongside another big man clogging up the space inside he needs to operate. He struggled mightily when put in a similar position back when Jusuf Nurkic was still in Mile-High City.

The change has helped the team though. Ever since Mason Plumlee was inserted into the starting lineup nudging Jokic to the power forward spot, the Nuggets have gone 5-3 with the team’s defensive efficiency 101.3 points allowed per 100 possessions over in those eight games.

Nuggets head coach Mike Malone isn’t too worried about Jokic.

“He's a very important part of what we're trying to do. We believe in him. We're gonna stay with him in his struggles. And I have no doubt he's gonna find a way to fight through this.”