The Denver Nuggets have been looking forward to the return of their reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, after he missed the team’s last three games. The Nuggets are gearing up to take on Western Conference rivals, Dallas Mavericks, in Friday’s NBA Cup game at home. However, it seems like the team may have to wait a little longer with concerning reports coming out of the Nuggets locker room.
No, the Nuggets locker room is not at war with each other unlike some other teams in the league. However, Nuggets coach Michael Malone addressed the media with some concerning news about Nikola Jokic‘s return to the team. Malone was asked about the status of his frontcourt stars, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic, who have both been out of action lately.
Aaron is still out, rehabbing. And Nikola was not at work today, you know, being with his family.
Michael Malone told reporters at the Nuggets practice facility
Nikola Jokic was not at practice today, per Michael Malone. Aaron Gordon is still OUT.
“Aaron is still out, rehabbing. And Nikola was not at work today, you know, being with his family.” pic.twitter.com/2sUILTPOfk
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) November 21, 2024
Michael Malone clarified that Jokic is still engaged with his personal affairs, spending time with his family ahead of the reported birth of their new child. His continued absence will be quite the blow to the Denver Nuggets, who had settled into a groove before their MVP candidate’s departure.
So far this season, the Nuggets have a 1-2 record without Nikola Jokic, with the rest of their roster failing to string together wins. After a long road trip, the team was expecting to see their superstar center return at home during a tough stretch of games against the Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers this week.
Nikola Jokic’s ‘unbelievable’ statistical impact on Denver Nuggets
Everyone knows that Nikola Jokic is the motor that runs the Denver Nuggets offensive engine. His absence is certainly going to have a major impact on the team. His incredible averages of 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 11.7 so far this season have been sorely missed by the Nuggets during their latest three-game stretch.
However, a deeper dive into the statistical impact of Nikola Jokic’s absence from the Nuggets roster paints a troubling picture for the team going forward.
Since ’21-22, Denver outscores teams by 11.3 pts per 48 minutes with Jokic on the floor
Since ’21-22, Denver is outscored by 10.2 pts per 48 minutes with Jokic off the floor
Those would be, respectively, the best and worst point differentials per minute of any team in that span
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) November 18, 2024
Since Nikola Jokic’s first MVP award in the 2021-22 season, his on/off impact per 48 minutes on the Nuggets team is positively unreal. The Nuggets are 11.3 points better than opponents with Jokic on the court, whereas they are absolutely thrashed by opponents during his absence.
He has taken his dominance on the offensive end of the floor to another level this season. If the season were to end today, 33.31 PER would rank as the highest of all time. He also has a record-breaking BPM (Box Plus/minus) of 15.02. Even though some continue to point flaws in his game, his record-shattering statistical impact sets him apart as a truly once-in-a-generation player,
