Who wouldn’t want to watch their favorite teams play regularly? But only those who hit the court understand what it takes. Muscles sore, minds exhausted, and the pressure building — there’s barely enough time to catch their breath (excluding the traveling). Before they can even recover, they have to rise for the next challenge. They have no choice. But the heavy schedule is taking a toll, even to the best of the teams. Right now, two teams stand on the edge. The Lakers have already felt its bite, while the Nuggets, with their star Nikola Jokic, are hanging on. And head coach Michael Malone is worried.

After the 131-126 win against the Lakers’ thin roster, Malone addressed the media about their upcoming game against the Wizards and didn’t shy away from highlighting the challenge of consecutive games. When asked if facing the Eastern team would be beneficial for Jokic and Co., he quickly dismissed the idea. While Washington may be at the bottom of the East, they still managed to beat the Nuggets the last time they met. So, Malone emphasized, underestimating them is not an option. Moreover, with new players added through trade, the Wizards could be even tougher this time. But Malone shifted the focus to a more serious concern.

“Tomorrow night will be our fifth game in seven days, so that worries me more than anything, is five games in seven nights,” Malone said in the postgame press conference. “But when you’re playing against a team that’s already beaten you, that should be all the attention you need going into tomorrow night’s game, in my opinion.” The schedule is packed, the men are tired, and amid these, all he needs to do is keep them going, without any further injuries.

The Lakers are going through the same. Their schedule shocked LeBron James, who took to his Instagram story last month, posting, “This is INSANE!!!!!” Not surprising, given that the Lakers are facing a stretch of 6 games in just 8 days. However, the 4x champion couldn’t even join in, landing on the injury list with a groin issue. With several other key players already sidelined, the team couldn’t play Luka Doncic on consecutive nights since he was already playing with a back problem against the Bucks. Knowing that exhaustion could ultimately impact the franchise, he was dropped from the roster.

About a week ago, the Lakers were sitting pretty at the second seed in the West. Now, they’ve slipped to fifth, and there’s concern they could fall even further because of their brutal schedule. With 17 games left in the regular season, 10 of those are back-to-backs, which only increases the risk of exhaustion. The risk is already real, and they need to focus on preserving their players. It’s not just Coach JJ Redick thinking hard about the schedule. Malone is right there with him. He knows Jokic’s absence would be a massive setback, but pushing him too hard could have even worse consequences. So Malone is torn in between, especially with the Serbian’s injury complicating matters.

Nikola Jokic’s injury raises further worries for the Nuggets

Although the Nuggets struggled against the Wizards earlier in the season, resting Nikola Jokic for this matchup might be a realistic option, especially with the big man dealing with a right elbow contusion. On top of that, his left ankle impingement is also causing discomfort on the court. So, what’s Malone’s plan? He has to balance the team’s performance with their positioning in the standings.

“I’ll go back there and convene with the training staff to see, what our thoughts are for tomorrow night,” the head coach said in the presser. He then pointed out Jokic’s five missed free throws against the Lakers. The 3x MVP shot 12-of-17 from the line, which surprised the coach. “When does Nikol ever miss five free throws? I don’t recall him ever missing five free throws.” That made him reconsider Jokic’s health. “I think, and he won’t admit it because that’s who he is, but you can’t tell me that, you know, the elbow and everything else is, you know, is irritated and bothersome right now,” he added.

Malone then sarcastically mentioned that at least they don’t have any back-to-back games next week, which was a relief. But on a more serious note, he added, “Sometimes that rest is not doing a damn thing and letting guys stay off your feet, stay away. So, it’s mental, it’s physical, it’s emotional.”

With 15 games left, the Nuggets’ playoff positioning is still uncertain, he believes. “If I told you that we’re going to finish the season in seventh place, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. If I tell you we’re going to finish the season in second place, that’s very realistic,” the 53-year-old said.

There are plenty of contenders in the West eager to take the second spot from the Nuggets, and that’s no secret. The difference-maker is Nikola Jokic here, whose presence could determine the team’s success or failure. With the postseason fast approaching, the last thing the Nuggets want is to jeopardize their chances. So, calling Michael Malone’s current situation a “worry” would be an understatement.