There was a lengthy stretch not long ago when it seemed as if the big-scoring outputs and perpetual flirting with triple-doubles would never end for Nikola Jokic.
The 6-foot-10 second-year center for the Nuggets was one of only three players in the NBA to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game from Jan. 1 through the all-star break, a group that also included DeMarcus Cousins and MVP contender Russell Westbrook.
But for many young players like Jokic, who just turned 22, nothing gold can stay without addressing the inevitable exposure of pyrite that comes as teams adjust their defense to slow him.