“It’s easy to be a general after a war.” Despite Nikola Jokic being humble about the recent win over the Miami Heat, one couldn’t simply underestimate the contribution he had in the matchup. The same goes for the other wins too. After going through a bad slump in the early part of the season, the Denver Nuggets are on a 5-game winning streak, during which the Serbian has averaged 29 points. In light of this, his presence would be paramount during the Friday night NBA Cup game. Unfortunately, there might be some bad news for anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the 3x MVP at the Smoothie King Center.

According to the most latest injury report by Katy Winge, Nikola Jokic is “officially out” for the upcoming game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 29-year-old has not sustained any major ailment, nor did he develop an illness.

Instead, “Out of respect for Nikola’s wishes, we aren’t going to say anything more about the personal reasons he is missing tonight’s game. I can confirm that he and his family are fine and there is nothing to be alarmed about!” Winge confirmed.

Vlatko Cancar, Aaron Gordon, and DaRon Holmes II will remain OUT. Therefore, the 2023 champions may have to take on the Pelicans without the support of another major player.

If the Joker has decided to be away from the upcoming game due to ‘personal reasons’, then the reason behind the same must be of great importance. After all, Nikola Jokic was the same person who played 79 of his team’s 82 games last season!

Jokic being absent for one regular season game would not have mattered much if this was a regular game. However, the upcoming Nuggets-Pelicans matchup is part of the Emirates NBA Cup! Played over the course of one month, it hosts all 30 teams over four regular season games each. Each win counts towards the group stage standings, which affects which team the Nuggets will face during the knockoff round. Even losing one game can have major consequences. Therefore, if the Denver Nuggets cannot have their star player for the matchup, they will have to explore an alternate route.

How can the Denver Nuggets proceed without Nikola Jokic for the upcoming Pelicans game?

According to CBS Sports, in the event that Nikola Jokic is unavailable to play, both Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan can see an increase in their on-court minutes.

Being the backup Center to Nikola Jokic, Zeke Nnaji seldom gets the chance to start. He does not even get to play the minutes of an average NBA player. During the previous season, the 23-year-old started in 0 out of his 58 games. He averaged only 7.2 minutes, and could only average 2.2 points, 1 rebound, and 0.5 assists per game.

As the tertiary Center on the depth chart, DeAndre Jordan has secured better stats. He started in 2 of his 36 games last season. On top of that, he averaged 11 minutes and averaged 3.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

Using either of the backup centers wouldn’t be the same. After all, the primary center is someone who averaged 26.4 points during the 2023-24 tournament. However, they can still contribute as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr will have to lead the team towards a win. Whether Jokic’s absence due to ‘personal reasons’ will continue for the foreseeable future is something that remains to be seen.