Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Braun, Jokic, Holmes, More
NBA on Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth gave encouraging injury updates on three Nuggets starters during Friday’s contest at Cleveland, tweets Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports.
According to Blackburn, Hubbarth said Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) are still experiencing some soreness, but both players could return at some point during the team’s road trip, which ends next Wednesday in Boston. Hubbarth also said the Nuggets have been “pleasantly surprised” by the progress Nikola Jokic has made in his recovery from a left knee injury, Blackburn adds.
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are very shorthanded at the moment:
- The Nuggets are only carrying 14 players on their standard roster and could theoretically sign a player to a 10-day contract starting Monday. When asked about that possibility prior to Friday’s game, head coach David Adelman said the team would weigh its options but expressed some skepticism about it happening. “Right now, we are who we are,” he said (Twitter link via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post). Durando hears the Nuggets are unlikely to add a player to a 10-day deal, which isn’t surprising — they’re currently about $400K over the luxury tax line and will likely look to move below that threshold ahead of the trade deadline to avoid the repeater tax.
- With four starters and their backup center out, Adelman said the Nuggets would be learning on the fly Friday, tweets Durando. “This will sound crazy, but we’re playing an NBA game in an hour and a half, and that’s our scrimmage to see, like, where we’re at and how we’re gonna play. I can’t put in 19 new offensive things and change our whole defensive scheme,” Adelman said.
- Second-year big man DaRon Holmes II admitted he was gassed after playing 22 minutes in Wednesday’s win at Toronto, the first meaningful action he’s received to this point in his young career, Durando writes for The Denver Post. “He gives up the offensive rebounds. I didn’t see him put his head down. He just kept playing,” Adelman said. “And that’s the key in the NBA. You’re gonna have moments when you get embarrassed or somebody physically owns you, whatever it is. You’ve just gotta go to the next play. Be ready to make the next shot, make the appropriate decision with the ball, take care of it. And he did that.” Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick who missed last season with a torn Achilles tendon, received his first career start Friday.
Spurs’ Johnson, Celtics’ Mazzulla Named Coaches Of The Month
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is December’s Coach of the Month in the Western Conference, while Joe Mazzulla of the Celtics is the Eastern Conference recipient of the award, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
Johnson guided the Spurs to an 11-3 record in December, not including the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season standings. San Antonio’s big month, which included three separate victories over the defending champion Thunder, occurred despite Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle each missing multiple games due to injuries.
In addition to posting the NBA’s best record for the month, the Spurs also had the fifth-best offensive rating (118.9) and sixth-ranked defensive rating (112.0), which helped earn Johnson Coach of the Month recognition over fellow nominees David Adelman (Nuggets), Mark Daigneault (Thunder), and Chris Finch (Timberwolves), per the league (Twitter link).
As for Mazzulla’s Celtics, they ranked eighth in the East entering December, but finished the month as the No. 3 seed in the conference after going 9-3.
Even without perennial All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum, Boston had the NBA’s best offensive rating (124.3) and second-best net rating (+11.0) in December en route to wins over the Knicks, Lakers, and Raptors (twice), among others.
J.B. Bickerstaff of the Pistons, Mike Brown of the Knicks, and Jordi Fernandez of the Nets were also nominated for the award.
Daigneault and Bickerstaff earned the monthly honor for games played in October and November.
Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Win Player Of The Month Awards
A pair of star point guards and MVP candidates have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for December, with Jalen Brunson of the Knicks winning the award in the East and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder claiming it in the West, per the league (Twitter link).
Brunson was named Player of the Week twice in December and led the Knicks to an NBA Cup championship. He averaged 30.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest in 13 December outings, posting a strong shooting line of .475/.405/.826 and leading his team to a 10-3 record in the games he played.
Those stats don’t include the NBA Cup final, which doesn’t count toward the regular season, but he was excellent in that game too, racking up 25 points and eight assists as the Knicks toppled the Spurs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive Most Valuable Player award in 12 December appearances, with averages of 31.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and a scorching-hot .594/.436/.882 shooting line.
Gilgeous-Alexander now ranks second in the NBA in scoring (32.1 PPG), while his Thunder – following a 9-4 December – hold the league’s best record at 29-5.
It’s the third time Brunson has won a Player of the Month award and the fifth time Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the honor. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were the NBA’s first Players of the Month this season, for games played in October and November.
Cunningham was also nominated for the Eastern Conference award in December, along with Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, Hawks forward, Jalen Johnson, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., and Brunson’s teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, according to the NBA (Twitter link).
The other Western Conference nominees were Jokic, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Rockets forward Kevin Durant, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, Jazz guard Keyonte George, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, Trail Blazers teammates Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe, Timberwolves teammates Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, and Lakers teammates Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Jonas Valanciunas Out At Least Four Weeks With Calf Strain
Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a right calf strain, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Nuggets formally confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).
Valanciunas suffered the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win at Toronto. The Lithuanian big man was making his first start of the season in place of superstar Nikola Jokic, who is also out at least four weeks due to a left knee injury.
It’s yet another tough blow for the Nuggets, who were playing without four starters on Wednesday and will now be without their primary backup center for several weeks.
Valanciunas, 33, has been quite durable throughout his lengthy NBA career, appearing in 70-plus regular season contests in nine of his 13 years in the league heading into 2025/26. That has been particularly true in the past few seasons — he played 81 games in ’24/25, 82 in ’23/24, and 79 in ’22/23.
Denver acquired Valanciunas over the summer in an offseason trade with Sacramento. He’s playing just 13.3 minutes per game — a career low — but has been productive in his limited time on the court, averaging 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 33 appearances.
Peyton Watson, DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji are among the Nuggets who could receive more frontcourt minutes amid the wave of injuries.
Northwest Notes: Valanciunas, Murray, Edwards, Lillard
The Nuggets‘ unfortunate run of injuries continued as Jonas Valanciunas limped off the court in the third quarter of Wednesday’s win at Toronto, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. It was a non-contact calf strain for the 33-year-old center, who was making his first start of the season due to a knee injury that will sideline Nikola Jokic for at least the next four weeks. Starters Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun are also recovering from injuries.
“I don’t know how serious it is. We’re just getting used to this,” coach David Adelman told reporters. “It just seems like every night, somebody has something. The cool thing about it is there’s somebody else to get an opportunity from it. And that’s how you have to look at it. Hopefully Jonas heals up correctly. Hopefully it’s not serious, just like I’ve said the other 19 times this month.”
Valanciunas was turning in a strong performance before being forced out of the game, with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 23 minutes. He wore a walking boot as he left the arena, according to Durando, but was able to move under his own power.
“He was great. … He’s been sick,” Adelman said. “I saw a much different energy from him tonight. … If he ends up playing the 32 minutes I thought I was going to play him, you’re probably looking at 25 (points) and 12 (rebounds). That’s what he can do, especially when teams have small-ball lineups like (the Raptors) do.”
DaRon Holmes II played 22 minutes in just his fourth career game as Adelman only used eight players. Holmes figures to see extended minutes if Valanciunas has to miss time.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- With their roster currently depleted, the Nuggets are relying more than ever on Jamal Murray, who posted 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Murray, who’s among the NBA’s best players to never make an All-Star team, talked about the possibility of being selected for this year’s game, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “Obviously I’d love to be an All-Star, All-NBA, scoring champ, MVP,” he said. “I want to be all of them, right? But winning matters … if we win a championship but I don’t make All-Star … we win a championship …. that’s my mindset.”
- Anthony Edwards showed his displeasure during the Timberwolves‘ 24-point loss at Atlanta by throwing a towel in the air and walking to the locker room with about eight minutes remaining, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (subscription required). Edwards didn’t talk to reporters after the game, and coach Chris Finch said the action was inappropriate. “Obviously frustrated with the performance and rightfully so, but he needs to stay out on the floor and root for his team,” Finch said.
- Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard told Allie Slifton of the Road Trippin’ Show that his rehab is “going great” as he works his way back from an Achilles tear (YouTube link, hat tip to Real GM). “I think it’s just one of those injuries where you’ve got to take your time — you know, it takes what it takes,” Lillard said. “The first couple of weeks to maybe two or three months is kind of frustrating because you’re so limited. But with patience, giving yourself grace, and doing the things necessary to continue progressing, you get to a point where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Holmes, Backup Center, Gordon
The Nuggets will have to find ways to win over the next month without star center Nikola Jokic, who will miss at least the next four weeks with a knee injury. Head coach David Adelman is doing his best to stay positive despite the massive blow the injury represents.
“Silver lining, it’s not season-ending but it was a very concerning moment for us,” Adelman said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link). “Not just because of the player he is, it’s because I know him… He’s one of the tougher people and players I’ve ever been around.”
Jokic joined the Nuggets in Toronto for tonight’s game, but Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets that the decision on whether he’ll stay for the rest of the team’s road trip is up in the air, and will likely be decided by a combination of Jokic, Adelman, executive vice president of player personnel Jon Wallace, and executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer.
When asked about how Jokic is handling one of the most significant injuries in his playing career, Adelman replied (per Lewenberg): “He’s in a good place. He always is never too high and every now and then hilariously low.”
We have more from the Nuggets:
- DaRon Holmes II, who should move up the depth chart during Jokic’s absence, views the time he’s spent with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate as a valuable chance to show the parent team what he’s capable of, according to Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype. “We’re just trying to show what we can do. And hopefully there’s an opportunity because of that. There are times in training camp when young guys like me don’t get viewed a lot because of our age or because of injuries, or youth,” Holmes said. “So hopefully this can showcase our skill set, so our coaches can see and other teams can see as well… just have fun and get my teammates involved and do things that I would do that would translate up top with the Nuggets as well.” Holmes says that he has watched Jokic closely to unlock other parts of his game, such as play-making, cutting, and more.
- With Jokic out and Jonas Valanciunas inserted into the starting lineup, the Nuggets will have to figure out their backup center rotation. “We’ll be creative with it,” Adelman said, per Durando (via Twitter). “We played a little bit of small ball in Miami with [Spencer Jones] — you can say Spence or Peyton [Watson], whatever you want to say. And obviously, we have Zeke (Nnaji). DaRon is with us, so we can go that way as well.” The Nuggets could use Watson in super small-ball lineups surrounded by shooters, Adelman notes, adding that the decision will be made with an eye towards what will help star guard Jamal Murray be the most effective.
- Aaron Gordon has taken minutes at the five in the past, Durando writes, but the history of hamstring and calf injuries that Gordon has dealt with in recent years will prompt the team to be cautious with him. The physical toll of playing major minutes at center after coming off a hamstring injury that has limited him to just 13 games this season could prove too risky, given Gordon’s importance to the team’s outlook in the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic Out At Least Four Weeks With Knee Injury
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Jokic injured his knee during Monday’s game against Miami. On Tuesday, Đorđe Matić of Meridian Sport, an outlet based in Jokic’s home country of Serbia, reported that the big man had hyperextended his knee but appeared to have avoided a more serious injury. The update from the club confirms as much.
Although the absence projects to be the longest of Jokic’s NBA career, the Nuggets are breathing a sigh of relief, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), since testing confirmed that the three-time MVP’s knee ligaments are intact.
Still, there’s no guarantee that Jokic will be able to return at the four-week mark when he’s reevaluated. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) suggests the 30-year-old could end up missing closer to six weeks.
The Nuggets’ depth will be tested in a major way during that time. The team was already down three starters, with Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Christian Braun (ankle), and Cameron Johnson (knee) all on the shelf. With Jokic now out too, guard Jamal Murray is the only opening-night starter still standing.
Head coach David Adelman said over the weekend that Gordon and Braun have a chance to return during the Nuggets’ current road trip, which runs through January 7 (Twitter link via Katy Winge of Altitude TV). Until then, Murray figures to be joined in the starting five by Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.
The Nuggets are off to a 22-10 start this season and are well positioned in the Western Conference postseason picture at the moment, but they don’t have a ton of room for error as they attempt to hang onto a guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff seed. The No. 6 Timberwolves currently trail Denver by just a game-and-a-half, while the No. 7 Suns are three games back of the Nuggets.
Although Jokic and the Nuggets will be more concerned about their record and their position in the standings, it’s also worth noting that this injury could cost the superstar center his award eligibility this season. In order to meet the 65-game requirement and qualify for end-of-season awards, Jokic can’t miss more than 17 games — Denver will play 18 times between now and the end of January.
If Jokic isn’t award-eligible, his streak of seven consecutive All-NBA appearances would come to an end, as would a stretch of five straight years in the top two in Most Valuable Player voting.
Jokic has been putting up historic numbers so far this season, averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while leading the NBA with 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per contest. His shooting line is an outrageous .605/.435/.853 and the Nuggets have a +12.3 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -6.3 mark when he’s not.
Injury Notes: Kings, Jokic, Sengun, Bogdanovic, Sixers
After losing by 24 points to the Lakers on Sunday, the Kings should have some reinforcements on Tuesday for their matchup with Los Angeles’ other team.
According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), center Drew Eubanks will be available for Tuesday’s game vs. the Clippers after having missed the past seven games due to a thumb fracture. Reporting on December 13 indicated that Eubanks – who appeared in each of the team’s first 25 games of the season, making 11 starts in the middle – would be reevaluated in three weeks, but it appears he’ll beat his projected recovery timeline.
Meanwhile, forward Keegan Murray has been upgraded to questionable after being inactive for the Kings’ past two games, Anderson adds. Murray, diagnosed last week with a calf strain, could also have a shorter absence than anticipated, since a report on Friday indicated that he’d be reevaluated in one week.
Here are more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- The early reports on Nikola Jokic‘s knee injury out of his home country of Serbia are encouraging. According to Đorđe Matić of Meridian Sport, there’s a belief that Jokic hyperextended his left knee but avoided a more serious injury. The Nuggets‘ star center is undergoing more testing today, so it shouldn’t be long before we get a more formal update on his diagnosis and recovery timeline.
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun has missed two consecutive games due to what the team is calling a left soleus (calf) strain. However, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday that he doesn’t believe the injury is a significant one, explaining that the club is just trying to manage a little soreness that Sengun experienced after Thursday’s Christmas Day game (Twitter link via Will Guillory of The Athletic).
- Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic will be out indefinitely due to a left hamstring issue, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Bogdanovic missed Sunday’s game vs. Detroit and has been ruled out for Tuesday’s matchup with Sacramento with a designation of “left hamstring injury management.”
- Sixers forwards Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain), who have both been sidelined for over a month, are being “reintegrated into team activities,” the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). That update suggests they’re practicing again and should be close to returning. Asked if he’ll play during the 76ers’ three-game road trip that begins on Tuesday in Memphis, Watford was noncommittal, simply referring to himself as “day-to-day” (Twitter video link via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Nikola Jokic Suffers Left Knee Injury Monday
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic suffered a left knee injury just before halftime in Monday’s game at Miami, the team announced (via Twitter).
The three-time MVP will not return to Monday’s contest, per Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jonas Valanciunas started the second half with Jokic unavailable.
The injury occurred when forward Spencer Jones was bumped in the lane on defense, causing him to lose his balance and backpedal into Jokic (Twitter video link via SportsCenter). Jones’ right foot stepped on Jokic’s left foot, and Jokic’s left leg buckled. The Serbian center immediately grabbed at his left knee and collapsed to the court in pain.
Jokic had to be helped up with assistance. He made it to the locker room on his own, but he had a considerable limp and was clearly trying to avoid putting weight on his left leg.
The 30-year-old big man had 21 points (on 9-of-14 shooting), eight assists and five rebounds in 19 first-half minutes.
A source tells Amick that Jokic is expected to undergo testing on his left knee on Tuesday (Twitter link).
Obviously, any type of significant injury to Jokic would be absolutely devastating for the Nuggets. The 30-year-old big man is having an extraordinary season, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 11.1 assists and 1.4 steals on .604/.440/.855 shooting through 31 games (35.1 minutes per contest).
Jokic, who has finished either first or second in MVP voting each of the past five years, is averaging career highs in points per game, assists per game, three-point percentage and True Shooting percentage (.714). He leads the NBA in triple-doubles (16), RPG and APG, and is fifth in PPG.
The Nuggets were already playing without three injured starters on Monday. Aaron Gordon (strained right hamstring) and Christian Braun (sprained left ankle) have both been sidelined for several weeks, while Cameron Johnson recently sustained a bone bruise in his right knee and is expected to miss at least a month.
Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of Week
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Celtics forward Jaylen Brown have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Leonard led the Clippers to three wins during the week of December 22-28 while posting averages of 41.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. The star forward erupted for a career-high 55 points against the Pistons on Sunday.
It’s Leonard’s fourth Player of the Week award as a Clipper and the 10th of his NBA career, but it’s the first time he has earned the honor since the 2023/24 season.
Kevin Durant (Rockets), Keyonte George (Jazz), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics, meanwhile, went 2-1 last week with Brown averaging 32.7 points on 55.9 percent shooting from the field while also grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game.
Boston’s star wing has scored at least 30 points in all nine games he has played this month and has now been named the East’s Player of the Week twice in December — he also claimed the award on Dec. 8. Brown and Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson have traded the award back and forth in recent weeks, with no other Eastern Conference player winning it since Nov. 24.
LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Michael Porter Jr. (Nets) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were all nominated in the East.