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Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is a three-time NBA MVP.
A loss against the Golden State Warriors sparked plenty of conversations about the Denver Nuggets on Monday, February 23. They have plenty to work on—and apparently—a key injury to worry about as Nikola Jokic is reportedly nursing a setback.
According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, Jokic is battling a wrist/hand injury. That has been the case since the Nuggets’ February 19 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
As a result of Jokic’s setback, he’s not playing up to his personal standard.
The Latest On Nikola Jokic’s Setback
“Certainly not quite himself, but if he misses a couple more games, he’s not going to be available for awards,” Spears said this week. “They’ve got other injuries like Aaron Gordon, who they hope to have back this weekend.”
Jokic is getting tested more than ever when it comes to setbacks this season. After appearing in the first 32 games of the season for the Nuggets, Jokic suffered a knee injury, which had the Nuggets relieved when they received the official diagnosis. It looked worse than they initially thought. Still, Jokic missed a notable amount of time.
Since returning to the court on January 30 to face the Clippers, Jokic hasn’t missed any action. He’s attempting to stay as healthy as possible down the stretch, but he certainly seems to be making a tough push, considering the circumstances.
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,” Spears added. “I think he’s going to fight through this injury and keep playing.”
The Nuggets Are In A Strong Spot
GettyNikola Jokic is dealing with another setback as the Denver Nuggets returned from the All-Star break.
Despite missing Jokic for a month, the Nuggets stayed strong and maintained their status as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
They are just 4-6 over the past 10 games, but Denver remained third in the Western Conference with a 36-22 record. The two teams in front of them are the San Antonio Spurs (41-16) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-14).
Denver has a long climb to the top if they want a top-two seed, but they can certainly live comfortably with where they are. All things considered, the Nuggets are having a successful run in 2025-2026.
The main priority for Denver is to get to the playoffs healthy. For Jokic, that’s proving to be a challenge, but clearly he would be willing to play through this ailment in the postseason, just as he’s been doing during the regular season.
What About The MVP Award?
Jokic’s MVP status is still on the line. With another strong campaign to begin this season, Jokic is in another battle as a potential finalist for the MVP race. Last season, he was second in voting, after winning the award three times since the 2020-2021 NBA season.
There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for Jokic. With the NBA’s 65-game minimum rule in place, Jokic can only miss one more game from now until the end of the regular season. More than that would disqualify him from MVP contention.
In 42 games this year, Jokic has averaged 28.8 points per game, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc. The veteran center is producing 28.8 points, 10.5 assists, and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Clearly, Jokic has performed like an elite-level, MVP-worthy center once again, but the rules are stacked against him. A recent setback isn’t doing him any favors, but the Nuggets seem comfortable with allowing Jokic to play through the ailment as long as he’s able to do so without risking further complications.
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