The Denver Nuggets are facing some major injury adversity with Nikola Jokic for the first time.
The superstar center, who is typically healthy for most of the season, is expected to miss at least one month of action. On Monday night, Jokic went down with a hyperextended knee against the Miami Heat.
While the MRI results and initial injury timeline are positive for Jokic and the Nuggets, the star center’s impressive MVP campaign has taken a major hit.
The Odds Shift Out of Jokic’s Favor
Heading into Monday’s action, Jokic was the favorite over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s no longer the case.
According to FanDuel, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in the top spot at -425. Jokic not only dipped below No. 2, but he fell out of the picture entirely, as his 65-game minimum is threatened.
More Nuggets News: How long is Nikola Jokic out? Knee injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Nuggets star
Beyond SGA is Luka Doncic (+430), Cade Cunningham (+5000), Jalen Brunson (+7500), Victor Wembanyama (+7500), and Tyrese Maxey (+25000).
This season, Jokic has appeared in 32 games. He was shooting 60 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc to average 29.6 points.
Along with his scoring, the star center was averaging a triple-double, notching 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game.
While his shot at getting MVP No. 4 is fading, Jokic has to be more than satisfied with the idea that he avoided a season-ending setback. The Nuggets will face a tough obstacle moving forward as they deal with several key absences beyond the star center, but they anticipate having Jokic back at some point well before the season concludes.