After over a month on the sideline, Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic will return to game action against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
Jokic suffered a hyperextended left knee during Denver’s 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 29 and has been sidelined since. His return is good news for the Nuggets, and basketball fans in general.
Nikola Jokic is still eligible to win NBA MVP award, but barely
Prior to going down with the injury, Jokic was considered a leading candidate for the NBA MVP award, which he has won three times previously in his career. However, his extended absence brought his candidacy into question.
A while back, the NBA instituted a 65-game threshold for award and All-NBA team eligibility, meaning players had to play at least 65 games in order to be eligible to be considered for awards that season.
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So, let’s do a little math for a minute. Jokic has missed 16 total games so far this season. That means he’s technically still eligible for award consideration, but barely.
Jokic can only miss one (1) more game for the entire season to remain eligible. If he misses two more, that would bring his total to 18 for the season, and 18 subtracted from 82 equals 64 – one shy of the required number. Denver has 34 games remaining on their regular season slate.
At the end of the day though, hitting that 65-game threshold isn’t going to be the priority for Jokic or the Nuggets. Jokic’s health, both in the short-term and long-term, will be. If Denver’s medical staff thinks Jokic would benefit from a night off, they’re not going to play him solely so he can remain award eligible. Doing so would be organizational malpractice.
Plus, Jokic already has more accolades than most players could ever imagine, and knowing him, he’s not pressed to add to his collection.
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