Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic won't play in the team's preseason opener on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jokic will get ramped up in the last three games, according to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
Nikola Jokic will not play tomorrow night against the Blazers. He is just resting.
Malone said he will ramp up in the last 3 preseason games.
— T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) October 7, 2019
Nikola Jokic had a long summer with Team Serbia, so Malone and the Nuggets want to monitor Jokic’s health during training camp and preseason action.
The Nuggets are looking to build off last season. Denver made it to the second round of the playoffs. For the team to go farther in the postseason this year, Jokic will have to take his game to another level.
Last season, Jokic put up 20.1 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 51.1 percent from the field, 30.7 percent from beyond the arc and 82.1 percent from the free-throw line. The 24-year-old recorded 56 double-doubles and 12 triple-doubles.
How good of a passer is Jokic? Well, the Nuggets center averaged 7.3 assists per game last season. That was good for ninth in the entire NBA. The Nuggets star averaged more assists than D’Angelo Russell, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Mike Conley, Ricky Rubio and Kemba Walker, players who all play the point guard position.
The Nuggets have a really bright future with Jokic leading the way. Denver’s core is headlined by Jokic, Jamal Murray, Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Monte Morris, Jerami Grant and Michael Porter Jr., who will make his NBA debut this season after missing his rookie year recovering from back surgery.
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