Denver Nuggets: How serious is Nikola Jokic’s injury?

Nikola Jokic seemed to be in the Halloween spirit after he sent shivers down the spines of Denver Nuggets fans as he went down with a right knee contusion after he banged knees with Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. Jokic played well in his 15 minutes against the perennial defensive player of the year, in which he scored 24 points with almost 90 percent shooting from the field.

Today we got an update on his injury and his status for the next game. According to Mike Singer,The Denver Post:

"“Nikola Jokic is sore following his knee-to-knee collision, but there’s nothing structurally wrong, I’m told. I’d expect him to be questionable with the same diagnosis — a right knee contusion — for Friday.”"

After he banged knees with Gobert he tested it during halftime warmups and was met with some soreness according to team officials.

It’s also being reported that while he was met with soreness while testing it at halftime, he could have played the second half if it was a playoff game. It’s not surprising as it is only the fourth game of the season and there is no reason to put extra pressure on the injury.

After the game, he was seen walking out of the stadium without a noticeable limp which should strengthen his chances to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. I would assume that the Nuggets err on the side of caution and do not force him to rush back, even despite the lack of offense the team has when he is out.

It is not surprising that the team seemed deflated after he went down with the injury, considering their entire offense seems to run through his decision-making and ability to manipulate defenses.

Without a real backup center, the Jazz dominated the Nuggets on the glass and in the paint. Both Rudy Gobert and the new addition Hassan Whiteside seemed to have their way with whoever the Nuggets threw at them.

Jokic’s injury could force the Nuggets to look at their team and make some quick moves, specifically for a backup center that can come in and give the MVP a break. While I like the idea of adapting to a small ball lineup there are too many stacked teams in the Western Conference that still would like to dominate the game in the paint, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the Utah Jazz, and even the Phoenix Suns.

If Nikola Jokic is limited or does not play in the next game, Nuggets fans need to be on the lookout to see who wants to step up and take control of the offense during their next game. Perhaps we will get a break-out Michael Porter Jr. game?