DALLAS — The NBA’s most valuable player sought to make himself more valuable this preseason. “We had a conversation when he came to me in training camp,” Michael Malone said. “And he asked me, he goes, ‘Coach, do you think I should shoot more 3s?'” Denver had already attempted the fewest 3-pointers in the league the previous season. And that was before losing 3-and-D guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Nikola Jokic believed he could help compensate for roster turnover. Take Our Poll Malone’s answer was “a resounding yes,” he recalled while the Nuggets were in Dallas to face the Mavericks. “You should shoot more 3s.” Not only is Jokic averaging four or more attempts for the first time in his career (4.6 per game entering Tuesday night’s rematch in Dallas); his 47.1% clip remains the best in the NBA as the halfway point of the season approaches. No player who has taken more than 50 has a higher percentage. “If you look at his career, it’s been really interesting,” Malone said. “He’s had years where he’s shot 38 (percent) from three. He’s had years where he’s shot 32 from three. And more importantly than anything, I love the fact that he’s committed to shooting that shot. He’s had games where he might miss five in a row, but he’s not allowing that to detract from shooting another wide-open three.” The Nuggets remain last in 3-point volume as a team, but they’re averaging a league-leading 58.8 points in the paint, up more than five from last season. There are a number of factors, including the transition jolt Christian Braun provides to the starting lineup and the driving, cutting presence of Russell Westbrook. But Malone also sees the team’s holistic scoring success as a residual effect of Jokic’s perimeter threat. “It opens up the offense. It forces teams to treat him as a shooter,” he said. “And for a big guy, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever been around in terms of attacking close-outs, getting downhill and then creating a drive-and-kick three, throwing up a lob to an Aaron Gordon or a Peyton Watson, or shooting a floater, where he’s just as proficient.” Jokic has continued to be listed on Denver’s injury reports (illness) before both games in Dallas, despite returning from a two-game absence last Friday. Malone has said Jokic didn’t test positive for anything, but the star center said his head, nose, chest and throat felt unwell last week, and that he “almost died” during the first half of his first game back against Brooklyn. “My body felt weak,” he said. “So it was really weird.” Does Murray need rest for left knee? After the Nuggets finished their shootaround on Tuesday morning, Jamal Murray spoke more about his sore left knee, responding to one question about how much it’s affecting him with, “If you watch the game, I’m sure you’d be able to tell. At least the last game.” Murray didn’t play the second half last Friday, and Malone almost shut him down at halftime again on Sunday after Murray’s poor start. Instead, Murray stayed in the game and helped catalyze a comeback win. Related Articles Denver Nuggets | Michael Malone almost shut down Jamal Murray at halftime in Dallas. Then Murray catalyzed a comeback win: “He’s not 100% healthy.” Denver Nuggets | Aaron Gordon stars off bench in return from injury, Nuggets storm back from down 19 at Mavericks Denver Nuggets | Aaron Gordon returns from calf strain injury on minutes restriction against Mavericks Denver Nuggets | Jordi Fernandez returns to Denver as first-time NBA head coach: “Every year that I was here helped prepare me” Denver Nuggets | Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook match triple-doubles as Nuggets hold off short-handed Nets “I don’t want to sit out. So it’s tough,” he said. “I want to be there for my team. I want to give them what I can. Hopefully, the adrenaline kicks in, takes over the pain, and stuff like that. … Obviously the Nets game was tough, and then last game I was like, I just kind of willed myself to be better. And hopefully today I’ll just feel better and have a better showing.” The Nuggets don’t have two consecutive days off at any point between now and the All-Star break, with three back-to-backs during this stretch as well. Murray was asked if he feels like he’ll need built-in rest days during the dense portion of the schedule. “I think everybody does,” he said. “It’s just the grind of the season. Everybody feels different things during different times. So I just don’t want to pay attention to it too much. Just gotta keep playing. If I’m good enough to be out there, I don’t want to complain about it or think about it too much. So just trying to go about my business.” Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.