Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic is working hard to get in better shape

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is working hard to get better this summer, and is focusing on improving his strength and conditioning.

Nikola Jokic had an amazing season for the Denver Nuggets in 2016-17. He led the Nuggets to become the first-ranked offense in the league after he became the full-time starter on December 15, averaging 19.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game with ridiculous 58.7 percent shooting from then on and ranking sixth among all players in overall Real Plus/Minus. He was brilliant and transformed the team. But he has some improvements to make.

Primarily, Jokic needs to work on his conditioning. He only played 29.7 minutes a night as a starter and it’s safe to say that he doesn’t exactly have the NBA’s most chiseled physique.

He’s working to change that, though.

Per Aniello Piro of Mile High Sports, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has spent some time in Jokic’s home country of Serbia, and has said just how hard the young center is working:

"“I was over in Serbia about a week or so ago, spending time with [Jokic] and his family, working with him every day,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said from Las Vegas Monday. “We challenged him: Come back in great shape, come back stronger, and come back ready to lead this team. We play through him, he’s a guy that has got better and better every season and hopefully next season, he, Gary [Harris], and hopefully, all of our young players can continue to get better.”"

Hopefully for the Nuggets, Jokic succeeds with the challenge the team has set him. Physically, there’s plenty of room for him to improve. He clearly doesn’t have much bounce and his athleticism is always going to limited; he’s never going to be a big leaper or as light as a cat on his feet. That said, Jokic can still improve his leg and core strength, add some muscle to his frame, and improve his stamina to stay at his best for more minutes at a time.

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Rocky-style training can only help Jokic heading into 2017-18:

"“He’s working his butt off,” Malone said. “When you go to Serbia, there is no fancy health clubs and spas. This is like a ‘Rocky’ movie. He’s in great shape, he’s working hard. His head’s in the right place. He knows it’s a very important summer for him. He’s working hard and he’s going to come back a better player than he was last season.”"

Jokic being even better next season is an exciting thought. If his three-point shot gets above 32.4 percent like it was last season, great. If his defensive positioning keeps improving, great. If he gets in the best shape of his life and moves better than ever on the court, even better.

Next: 3 break-out predictions for the Nuggets next season

The Nuggets are set for a push towards the playoffs after adding Paul Millsap, and Nikola Jokic making his own individual push for All-Star and All-NBA status will be exciting to watch, too.