Denver Nuggets three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will miss approximately four to six weeks after hyperextending his left knee against the Miami Heat on Monday night, league sources told ClutchPoints on Tuesday morning.
The good news surrounding Jokic is that he did not suffer any significant ligament damage in his knee, avoiding the catastrophic scenario of the MVP candidate missing the remainder of the season. Jokic will miss a minimum of four weeks before the team evaluates his progress and assesses his status in the rehab process.
Jokic now joins Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson on the sideline in Denver, as all four starters have suffered injuries resulting in them missing weeks of action. Jamal Murray is left as the lone, healthy starter for the Nuggets.
In 32 games this season, Jokic has averaged 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor and 43.5 percent from 3-point range. He is currently at the top of ClutchPoints' MVP rankings.
This injury occurred on Monday night in Miami at the end of the second quarter. While defending in the paint with seconds remaining in the first half, Nuggets forward Spencer Jones stepped backwards onto Jokic's left foot as the center was moving to defend Heat center Kel'el Ware.
As his left knee buckled under him and hyperextended back, Jokic immediately went to the ground, clutching his knee in a lot of pain. He was helped to the locker room with a major limp and was quickly ruled out by the Nuggets at halftime.
“All I know is that Jokic has a left knee injury, and he needs to go through the process of what it is,” Nuggets head coach David Adelman said in his postgame comments. “This is part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching. Especially somebody as special as he is.
“We’ll find out more tomorrow and move on as a team. I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that. It’s unfortunate, and we’re hoping for the best.”
Now that Jokic will be sidelined for at least a month with his left knee injury, his MVP campaign this season has likely ended. Players must play in a minimum of 65 games during the regular season to remain eligible for end-of-season honors, and if Jokic is to be re-evaluated on Jan. 27, he will miss 16 total games.
This is an unfortunate end to Jokic's MVP bid this year, especially considering that he has been one of the most durable players in the NBA.
In the midst of his 11th season, Jokic has never missed more than 13 games. This left knee hyperextension will force him to miss the most time in his career due to a single injury.
Without Jokic on the court, the Nuggets will rely on Jonas Valanciunas, Zeke Nnaji, and DaRon Holmes II as their options in the frontcourt. Denver could also opt to go smaller, with Gordon playing the center position once he returns from his hamstring injury.
However, there is no replacing Jokic on the court, as his impact is greater than that of any player in the NBA. Without Jokic on the court, Denver has posted a negative net rating this season.
At 22-10 overall, Adelman and the Nuggets will need to get really creative to sustain success without their MVP candidate at center.
