Things got much easier for the Lakers ahead of the Denver Nuggets game when we all found out that Nikola Jokic would miss the matchup. This instantly kicked off a wildfire of speculation. Is the Siberian big man being rested? Is he hurt? Well, an NBA insider has provided some clarity on why Jokic is out of the Lakers game.

Nikola Jokic has been one of, if not the best, players in the field over the past few years. And it’s not like we’ve seen this in flashes. No, ‘The Joker’ is really consistent too. That is why missing this game is such a big deal for him. But why is he absent?

The Denver Nuggets’ injury report has him listed as QUESTIONABLE with an elbow injury and ankle impingement. And expected him to return for this game. However, he was downgraded to being OUT not long before the game. NBA insider Chris Haynes was the first to report this and the injury report soon corroborated his claims.

As of now, it’s not clear when Jokic will be back. As we mentioned earlier, the expectation was for him to return against the Lakers after missing the Warriors game. But now we look forward to the next game to see if he returns.

Nevertheless, coupled with the Jamal Murray blow, the Nuggets are definitely short-handed against the Lakers in the upcoming game. Now you may say, “The Lakers are missing LeBron James, too!”  But remember, they still have Luka Doncic on their side, not to mention the red-hot run of form that Austin Reaves is on.

All in all, Chris Haynes’ report confirmed what a lot of Denver fans speculated about and feared. However, coach Michael Malone rejected the claims that the Nuggets rested Jokic or that he was sitting out voluntarily. In fact, he seemed irritated by the implications.

Head coach Michael Malone annoyed by complaints about Nikola Jokic

A lot of people, mostly fans, said that the Denver Nuggets “resting” Nikola Jokic was killing the sport. Their gripe was that teams resting their stars in the regular season is unfair to fans. Well, Coach Malone thinks that’s all “a bunch of bullsh-t”.

Malone made his feelings perfectly clear during the pregame press conference for the Lakers game. “Somebody said after the Golden State game that what the Denver Nuggets did was a disgrace to the league. And I think that’s just a bunch of bullsh-t,” said coach Malone.

He continued, “The last 10 years Nikola Jokić has played the 2nd most games in the NBA…So if Nikola is not playing, it’s not because he’s sitting. It’s not because he needs rest. It’s because he’s hurt & he’s trying to play through things that most wouldn’t…We don’t rest guys.”  Malone also stated that the only reason a player would miss a game for the Nuggets is if they’re unable to perform at the level the team needs them to be at.

It’s no wonder the claims against the Joker have upset Michael Malone given his form this season. A player as consistent as Jokic, who’s currently second in the MVP voting would not miss games for the fun of it. And we agree with Malone that anyone who says the opposite spewing nonsense!