NBA fans often look for MVP moments to separate the top contenders for the award as the season nears its end. Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone thinks this mindset would sell center Nikola Jokic short.
"Nikola has got around 56 moments where he's shown he's the MVP," Malone said, per Mark Medina of USA Today.
Jokic has had his big games, scoring at least 40 points five times, including a career-high 50 earlier this season. He had 47 points in a recent win over the Memphis Grizzlies with 31 of those points coming in the second half and overtime.
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The center has also come through with clutch highlights throughout the year.
It's the consistency and overall production that set Jokic apart, however, as he's setting career highs with 26.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range. He easily leads the NBA with 13.3 win shares, per Basketball Reference, 3.6 ahead of Rudy Gobert in second place.
Instead of coming through with a few big moments, Malone believes Jokic proves himself on a nightly basis.
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