Up until last season, Nikola Jokic had been fairly healthy throughout his 11-year career. But he missed 16 games due to a knee injury midway through the season, derailing his chances of playing in "every game." But that's his "wish," and he's earned that opportunity by competing at an MVP level, game in and game out. As long as Jokic isn't hurt, the Denver Nuggets should give him the chance.
Sure, the risk of injury in a non-meaningful game at the end of the season could also derail the Nuggets' hopes in the playoffs, but that same risk of injury is present in every game, including the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers that Jokic just played in this summer for his native Serbia. It's a constant variable.
But in a recent interview with the Jao Mile Podcast, the three-time MVP Jokic revealed why his "wish" is to "play every game" if possible. And given the numbers he puts up night after night, it makes total sense,
"My wish is to play every game....Maybe you should rest a little sometimes, but somehow I think when you're in a rhythm, the game comes naturally," Jokic said.
Jokic continued to talk about how he was "nervous" about his 16-game absence. He was nervous because he was missing out on the rhythm that keeps him at peak performance.
Jokic deserves to make the call on rest
Jokic has one of the strongest training regimens out there. He also revealed during the interview that he hardly takes a day off from training. "If I say 300 days, I am 295 in the gym." He knows his body. He knows his craft. And one of the reasons Jokic has stayed in MVP form for the past six years is because of all that work.
Nuggets assistant Ognjen "Oji" Stojakovic recently revealed that, despite Jokic having perfected the floater and shooting runners, he still practices the shot every practice. Jokic didn't get to where he is by relying solely on talent. He put the work in with that talent, and now he's the best basketball player in the world.
Jokic has played 80 games twice before, and in the shortened 72-game season of 2020-21, Jokic played all 72. That was also his first MVP season.
If playing all 82 games is what makes Jokic happy and keeps him at the top of his game because it keeps him in rhythm, then the Nuggets owe it to Jokic to let him make the call on rest. Of course, if Jokic is hurt, that's a different story. But given his durability, the chances are much better that Jokic gets to play "every game."
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