Nikola Jokic's Injury Absence Could Help Nuggets More Than Expected

The Denver Nuggets have been playing without Nikola Jokic for the past month, but they have managed to survive. When he first went down with the scary knee injury, it felt like Denver's season ended on the spot. However, they are 9-6 through 15 games without him, and his absence has done more good for the team than anyone could have imagined.

Not only are the Nuggets winning games while severely shorthanded, but this stretch without Jokic is better preparing them for the playoffs. Arguably, Denver's biggest flaw has been their failure to surround Jokic with a capable supporting cast. This season, though, that could not be more untrue.

With Jokic sidelined, among guys like Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas, Cam Johnson, and other minor absences, the Nuggets have gotten a much better idea of what their role players are capable of.

Nuggets know they can win a championship

Jan 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) on the bench in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

If it were not clear before the injury flurry started, this Nuggets team is more than capable of competing for a championship. Of course, we all know what Jokic is capable of, but now look at the players who the Nuggets have put around him and what they have been able to do.

The Ringer's Bill Simmons recently explained how Jokic's absence has actually elevated Denver's title chances.

"I used to have OKC as the sole [championship] favorite. I have now moved Denver into that group," Simmons said. "Partly because of this no-Joker run was so important for their young guys. I mean, [Peyton] Watson in January is averaging 23 [points] and six [rebounds] a game.

"Whatever happens when Joker comes back, the fact that they know what they have got from Watson and [Jalen] Pickett, even a little [Zeke] Nnaji, I just think you can't put a price on that. This is the most important thing that could've happened to them, surviving without the best guy in the league... This is the best supporting cast [Jokic] has ever had."

“This is the most important thing that could have happened to them, surviving without the best guy in the league.”@BillSimmons and @LegsESPN discuss whether Denver has opened the door to being a title favorite alongside OKC. pic.twitter.com/ZTS2LHd5Xe
— The Ringer (@ringer) January 28, 2026

The emergence of Watson, especially, has been a game-changer for the Nuggets, while the offseason additions of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Valanciunas are certainly paying off. As the trade deadline approaches, the Nuggets know they have no urgent moves to make because this roster is already capable of winning a title.

Last season, the Nuggets took the eventual champion OKC Thunder to seven games in the second round of the playoffs, and Denver has only improved since then. Of course, right now, their health is a major concern, but if they can get everyone back on the floor and healthy before the postseason, they are a legitimate threat to win it all.

This run without Jokic has highlighted exactly what guys like Watson, Hardaway Jr., Pickett, Nnaji, and Spencer Jones can do. Not to mention, Jamal Murray has taken his game to the next level this season, playing the best basketball of his career with Jokic out.

The key for the Nuggets will be piecing it all together once they get everyone back on the floor, but if this Jokic-less stretch is any indication, then Denver is likely the best team in the West. Sure, there is still some urgency to get Jokic back in the lineup, but allowing his supporting cast to step up across the board will make them a much better team in the long run.

Nuggets know they can win a championship

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