The Denver Nuggets have built their identity around Nikola Jokic for almost a decade now. His consistent brilliance has been the pillar holding everything in place for these Nuggets. Over the next four weeks though, the rest of this franchise will be tested.
Denver will be without Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP and front-runner in this year’s race, after he suffered a knee injury in a loss to the Miami Heat. The timing could hardly be worse. Heading into that game, the Nuggets were 22–9 and firmly entrenched in third place in the Western Conference, trailing only the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the emerging San Antonio Spurs.
A team that once looked poised for another deep run is suddenly in survival mode with the midway point of the regular season fast approaching.
Their first test without Jokic brought mixed results. Denver eked out a 106–103 win versus the Toronto Raptors, but the victory came at a cost. Back-up center Jonas Valanciunas went down too, suffering a calf strain that will force him to miss the next four weeks too. This has left the Nuggets dangerously thin in the frontcourt. What initially felt like a manageable situation with the veteran Valanciunas filling in escalated into a potential disaster.
Denver’s fragility was exposed in their most recent game, a 113–108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With both Jokic and Valanciunas sidelined, rookie Daron Holmes II was thrust into the starting lineup. Holmes struggled to find his footing offensively, scoring just three points on one-of-six shooting, though he did manage four rebounds and six assists. The drop-off was quite steep and Holmes will have to mature sooner rather than later if these Nuggets are to remain in the hunt.
What complicates matters further is that Denver was already missing three of its five starters. Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson were all sidelined before Jokic went down, though Braun and Gordon, both out since mid-November, are expected to return before the end of their road trip. Jokic was able to keep the Nuggets competitive despite their absence, with performances such as his 56-point triple double on Christmas Day, but now that he too is out, this team will be skating on thin ice for the foreseeable future.
This reality places an outsized burden on Jamal Murray, now the lone remaining healthy starter. Murray has answered the call so far. He posted 21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block in a win, then followed it up with 34 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and a block against Cleveland. The numbers are strong and this situation might actually help him in his push to make the All-Star game for the first time in his career.
There have been encouraging signs elsewhere too. Four-year veteran Peyton Watson has stepped forward, scoring 24 points with eight rebounds and two steals in their Toronto game, then adding 21 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in their Miami loss. He has been crucial in keeping the team afloat this season and will be needed even more in the coming weeks.
The coming month may ultimately define Denver’s season. A prolonged slide could drop them into an unforgiving playoff path, potentially setting up an early showdown with the Thunder—the reigning champions and the team that ended Denver’s run last year.
When healthy, the Nuggets remain one of the league’s most complete teams. But health is no small caveat. Without Jokic, and with the roster stretched thin, Denver is being asked to survive on resilience alone. Whether that proves enough remains to be seen.
