Denver Nuggets’ Injury Misfortune Reaches Another Level

The Denver Nuggets’ 2025–26 season has become a harsh reminder of how quickly injuries can derail even the strongest teams. Despite avoiding a worst-case scenario with Nikola Jokić, Denver continues to suffer setback after setback as key contributors fall out of the lineup. Jokić, the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, appeared to suffer a devastating injury on December 29 during a game against the Miami Heat when he hyperextended his left knee. Fortunately for Denver, medical evaluations revealed only a bone bruise rather than structural damage. Even so, the Nuggets will be without their franchise centerpiece for at least a month. Jokić was spotted walking comfortably before Denver’s next game in Toronto, but his recovery timeline remains cautious. Matters worsened almost immediately. With Jokić sidelined, backup center Jonas Valančiūnas stepped into the starting role, only to suffer a right calf strain against the Raptors. Valančiūnas is also expected to miss approximately a month, leaving Denver dangerously thin in the frontcourt. As a result, the Nuggets are now missing four of their five starters and five of their top seven rotation players. Jamal Murray, the lone remaining starter, is dealing with a sprained ankle and is listed as probable for the upcoming matchup against Cleveland. Meanwhile, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson were already sidelined before the team’s seven-game road trip. Braun and Gordon, both out since mid-November, are expected to return before the trip concludes, though their absence has been felt on both ends of the floor.

Head coach David Adelman faces the difficult task of keeping the team competitive using smaller lineups until reinforcements arrive. Rookie forward DaRon Holmes II showed promise when pressed into action against Toronto, while veteran Zeke Nnaji is expected to absorb increased minutes in the paint. Despite the adversity, Denver sits at 23–10 following a gritty 106–103 victory over the Raptors. However, the margin for error is slim. With teams such as Houston and San Antonio surging—and the Oklahoma City Thunder setting the pace in the Western Conference—the Nuggets are just three and a half games ahead of the sixth seed with four road games remaining. January presents challenges but remains manageable. After facing Cleveland, Denver will play back-to-back games in Brooklyn and Philadelphia before closing the trip in Boston on January 7. The Nuggets’ only January matchup against a Western Conference contender comes at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 20. A visit to Oklahoma City on February 1 looms, by which time Denver hopes to be closer to full health.

If the Nuggets manage to stay in the upper half of the Western Conference while enduring this stretch without Jokić, Adelman’s ability to guide the team through adversity could earn him serious consideration for NBA Coach of the Year honors.