Nikola Jokić is playing at an MVP level, but his campaign for the award could be in jeopardy depending on his health.
“Since the Clippers game on Feb. 19, he’s really been hampered by a right wrist, shooting-hand injury,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported Monday (2:08 mark). “… Certainly not quite himself. But if he misses a couple more games, he’s not going to be available for awards. They’ve got other injuries like Aaron Gordon, who they hope to have back this weekend.
“… I think he’s also putting pressure on himself to be in a Nuggets uniform, keep them afloat, especially after missing as many games as he did. I think he’s going to fight through this injury and keep playing.”
League rules state that players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for individual awards and All-NBA teams, which means they can miss 17 games throughout the campaign.
Jokić has already missed 16 of Denver’s 58 contests, leaving him with just a one-game cushion as he reportedly plays through a wrist injury if he wants to capture the fourth MVP of his career.
He isn’t the only MVP contender who is on the verge of not being eligible based on the 65-game rule, as Tom Haberstroh illustrated with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama:
To Jokić’s credit, he is still playing at an incredible level.
He posted a triple-double of 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks in Sunday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors just two days after finishing with 32 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals in Friday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
About the only concern at this point from a production standpoint is turnovers, as he has averaged 4.33 a night in three games since the All-Star break.
Perhaps the wrist injury is contributing to the turnover issues, although the Nuggets are surely thrilled with his other individual production.
The MVP race is far from the only thing to consider with Jokić’s health.
Denver is in a tight race for Western Conference playoff positioning and currently sits in third at 36-22. However, it is just a half-game ahead of the Houston Rockets, one game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers, one game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves and three games ahead of the Phoenix Suns.
One losing streak could be the difference between home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and a spot in the play-in tournament with all these teams grouped together behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
And the Nuggets could be staring at one of those losing streaks if Jokić misses any more time.
He would also be staring at the end of his MVP chances in such a development.