Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic Reveals Reason Behind New Nickname ‘Cookie Monster’

The Denver Nuggets are slowly picking up momentum after a slow start. Tonight, they beat the Golden State Warriors, led by another triple-double from Nikola Jokic. The Serbian has not only been a force on the offense but has also stepped up with his defense recently.

During the post-game press conference, Jokic spoke about how the importance of defense for them as a team. He said, “Defense is gonna win us games.”

Part of his defensive skill set is his ability to get steals through intercepting and poking the ball away from the opponent. So far, he is averaging 1.9 steals per game, which is a career-best for him. When asked to comment on this, he said, “Mike Miller always said I’m a Cookie Monster. And I’m gonna steal that from him.”

Miller is a former Nuggets player who is currently working as a coach with them. He laughed at this response from Jokic and said, “He’s the best.”

Can Nikola Jokic help the Nuggets to get back to the top?

The Nuggets have surprisingly started slow, and their record is just 6-6 currently. To put things into perspective, the struggling Warriors are also 6-6. The Nuggets have played tough opponents like the Nets and the Clippers, but that isn’t an excuse for a team that is challenging for the title.

Jokic has been doing his bit so far. He is averaging 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-high 10.2 assists per game. While Jokic has had a phenomenal start individually, his costar Jamal Murray hasn’t been at the same level he was in the bubble.

During the 2020 playoffs in the Orlando bubble, Murray tore apart defenses with his offensive performances and averaged 24.4 points and 6.3 assists there. But this season, he is currently averaging only points 19.5 points per game, and his shooting splits have also gone down. The Nuggets need his contribution too to return to the top three of the Western Conference.

Last season, they reached the Conference Finals for the second season in a row. The Nuggets will not be targeting anything less this season and will be expecting to do better hopefully.

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