What Nikola Jokić's Injury Return Means for His NBA MVP Candidacy

In a welcome update for the Nuggets, Jokić plans to return vs. the Clippers after missing 16 games due to a knee injury.

Jokić has won three league MVPs in his already-decorated career. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić plans to return to action for the Nuggets on Friday against the Clippers following a month’s absence due to injury, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Jokić has been sidelined since Dec. 29, when he hyperextended his left knee just before halftime of Denver’s 147-123 loss to the Heat.

Jokić also suffered a bone bruise in his left knee, an injury that was initially expected to cost him about four weeks, a forecast that proved correct. The Nuggets (32-16) and third in the Western Conference, went 10-6 in Jokić’s absence, though there’s no universe in which the team isn’t made better by the return of arguably the best player in the world.

Jokić, a seven-time All-Star in his 11th season in the league, is averaging a triple-double for the second straight year and his 11.0 assists per game would lead the league if he qualified.

More than just a boon for the injury-riddled Nuggets, Jokić’s imminent return also keeps afloat his hopes to win another MVP Award.

How many games has Jokić missed this season?

Jokić has missed 16 games this season, all due to the left knee injury. This means that the Serbian big man is still technically eligible for end-of-season awards such as MVP and All-NBA. To combat load management, the NBA in 2023 implemented a 65-game minimum for players to qualify for awards.

While Jokić maintains his eligibility for awards should he return Friday, the constraints leave little wiggle room for the Nuggets star. Having suited up for 32 games thus far, Jokić will need to play in 33 of Denver’s remaining 34 games in the 2025-26 season to be eligible for MVP and All-NBA. Certainly a possibility for Jokić, an iron man who has cleared that mark in every season of his career, but no sure thing.

After Friday’s game against the Clippers, a showdown vs. the Thunder, who own the best record in the NBA, awaits Jokić and the Nuggets on Sunday.

---