Overview
- Nikola Jokic sustained a hyperextended knee in Denver’s loss to Miami and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, sidelining him for at least about a month.
- DraftKings lists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a strong MVP favorite at -450, with Luka Doncic next at +370 and a steep drop to the rest of the field.
- Jokic’s projected missed games put him in danger of falling short of the NBA’s 65-game minimum for awards, a point now fueling scrutiny of the rule.
- Denver faces an 18-game January without Jokic and other injured contributors, raising risk of a standings slide that could affect playoff seeding.
- High-profile Thunder–Nuggets telecasts in early February could lose luster if Jokic is out, while some commentators tout a possible unanimous MVP for Gilgeous-Alexander and betting analysts note longshot value if he also misses time.