The Denver Nuggets are getting closer to getting their star back.
Center Nikola Jokić is on track to be reevaluated in a week after he hyperextended his left knee last month. On the official injury reports ahead of Denver’s games, the team has been ruling Jokić out with a bone bruise.
The Nuggets, though, can be cautious and deliberate with Jokić’s return; the team has remained competitive in the Western Conference without him and is 9-5 in that span.
Denver faces a tough test Tuesday, Jan. 27, however, as it hosts the Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 team in the East.
During his absence, Jokić has been active with the Nuggets on the sideline, being animated and vocal with his teammates, giving them a different perspective. Known as one of the more savvy basketball minds among players, Jokić’s input is undoubtedly a welcome sight for the Nuggets coaching staff.
During pre-game warmups, Jokić has ramped up his on-court activity recently, appearing on the floor and going through light dribbling and shooting. During these sessions, he has worn a black pad over the injured knee.
Jokić suffered the injury in a 147-123 loss Dec. 29 against the Miami Heat. The play came with just six seconds left in the first half. As Jokić was in the paint, shuffling his feet on defense, Nuggets forward Spencer Jones was pushed backward and Jones stepped on Jokić’s left foot. Jokić had been planting on the foot, causing his left knee to buckle and hyperextend backwards.
He lay on the court in apparent discomfort and grabbed at his knee. Trainers and medical staff tended to him, before he eventually got up and went into the locker room with a significant limp.
The day after, an MRI and medical testing came back clean and the team said Jokić would be reevaluated in a month.
The interesting thing to note with Jokić’s absence is that he’s likely to become ineligible for individual postseason awards. Jokić will miss his 16th game Tuesday night against Detroit; if he misses just two more games beyond that, he will not meet the 65-game threshold required for players to qualify for awards like Most Valuable Player and All-NBA selections.
Jokić, who is averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game, had been a regular staple near the top of USA TODAY Sports’ NBA MVP power rankings prior to the injury.