Sidelined Jokić to test Nuggets’ resilience

The Nuggets pulled off a thrilling escape against the Raptors in the absence of Nikola Jokić and with other key players nursing injuries.

Compelled to compete without the National Basketball Association’s leading candidate for Most Valuable Player (MVP), the Nuggets scraped out a 106-103 win over Toronto that called for both a celebration in the moment and a moment to ponder their uncertain future.

Jokić, three-time MVP and the engine of everything the Nuggets run on the court, will miss action until late January at the earliest. He hyperextended his left knee in the Nuggets’ loss to the Heat, and tests revealed a bone bruise, but no structural damage requiring surgery. During the time he is sidelined, the Nuggets will be negotiating at least 16 games, the results of which are certain to reshape the pecking order in the highly competitive West.

What makes Jokić’s absence so jarring goes beyond the box-score brilliance he provides (near-historic averages in points, rebounds, and assists that have him among the league leaders on all three fronts), but the gravitational pull he exerts on every possession. Teams without their best player typically limp through the standings, and the Nuggets’ recent history proves it; they’re a pitiful 13 and 23 in contests he has missed over the past five seasons.

As such, the victory against the Raptors on the road was as much a patch job as a statement of resilience. Peyton Watson stepped into the spotlight with 24 points, Jamal Murray delivered 21, and the Nuggets survived a late surge by the hosts that ended with a buzzer-beating trey waved off on review. Yet even as they got out of Scotiabank Arena with a win, their experience highlighted the absence of any margin for error shrink. They were without Jokić AND three other starters, and then needed late free throws and poise down the stretch to prevail.

To be sure, the Nuggets had already been flirting with inconsistency, dropping four of six before Jokić’s sidelining and trekking through a long road swing that figured to become a test of depth. Make no mistake: Opponents now sense blood in the water, aiming to take advantage of the turn of events and not necessarily pull them out of playoff position, but to make the climb steeper. Certainly, they will be forced into uncomfortable lineups and mismatches that their foundational piece erases by rote.

Still, the Nuggets’ response against the Raptors demonstrated an intangible that coaches and contenders talk about this time of year: belief. It was not a fluke. It was an amalgamation of timely effort, brilliance, and cohesion to weather late pressure. But confidence, like momentum, is fragile, and one month without Jokić will test every ounce of it. It doesn’t help that the January schedule will feature tough opponents. Every possession will feel like a referendum on their identity and depth. For now, they cling to the hope that they can hold the fort until their leader returns in time to anchor a title push.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.