Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has been out since late December after hyperextending his left knee, has resumed on-court workouts, ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Wednesday during an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).
Jokic was ruled out for four weeks on December 30 and he may not miss much – if any – time beyond that initial projection, Charania said, referring to the big man as “right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of schedule.” According to Charania, the Nuggets are optimistic that Jokic will be able to return to action before the end of January.
As Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports notes (via Twitter), if Jokic misses exactly four weeks as a result of the knee injury, he’d make his return on January 27, resulting in a 15-game absence. That would allow the three-time MVP to retain his award eligibility for the 2025/26 season, since he could miss up to 17 contests and still reach the 65-game minimum.
Of course, Jokic’s long-term health will be a more important consideration for the Nuggets than his ability to qualify for end-of-season awards — especially since the team has more than held its own in his absence and shouldn’t be desperate to get him back as soon as possible.
Denver has gone 5-3 without Jokic, picking up road victories in Toronto, Philadelphia, and Boston during that stretch. The club is tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference at 27-13.
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- One key reason for Denver’s strong play without Jokic is fourth-year wing Peyton Watson, who has put up excellent numbers (24.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG, .511/.442/.731) in the club’s past eight games. While Watson has battled some turnover issues as his usage increases, he’s showing legitimate star potential, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required), and earned the first Player of the Week award of his career this week. “I can’t tell you the last time I’ve won any personal accolade. So it really means a lot to me to be recognized by the league,” Watson said. “It’s just more fuel to my fire. It makes me want to be better and better. I don’t want that to be my first and only. I want it to be the first of many.”
- He was somewhat overlooked during an offseason that also saw the Nuggets add Cameron Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown, but veteran swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. has made the team look savvy for signing him to a one-year, minimum-salary contract last summer, Durando writes in another Denver Post story (subscription required). Hardaway’s .463 FG% and .414 3PT% are career highs, and he has gotten more comfortable in a leadership role over the course of the season. “Tim’s been great,” teammate Jalen Pickett said. “He’s been telling me, ‘Be aggressive, get in there, attack.’ He sees the work that I put in. So, just having a veteran like that, who can read the game and see the game, is great.”
- Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) will miss a third straight game on Wednesday in Dallas, while Jamal Murray (left ankle sprain; illness) and Brown (right knee inflammation) are listed as questionable on the second night of a back-to-back (Twitter link via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).