SportsPreview
The biggest question facing every WNBA team in training camp
WNBA training camps open with key questions for each team.
ESPN News1 min read
Sports
Is Nikola Jokić playing for Nuggets on Sunday?
TL;DR
Nikola Jokić is currently listed as questionable for the Denver Nuggets' game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. He needs to play at least 15 minutes to remain eligible for MVP and All-NBA honors, as he has played 64 games this season, just one short of the NBA's 65-game requirement.
Nikola Jokić is in a pickle. As the rest of the Denver Nuggets' presumed playoff rotation sits out the end of the regular season to get extra rest before the playoffs (not to mention most of the NBA), Jokić can't exactly join them. That is, unless he wants to forfeit his end-of-year award eligibility (MVP, All-NBA, what have you) according to the NBA's 65-game rule.
With the Nuggets set to visit the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, Jokić has played 64 games this season. That is one under the NBA's 65-game threshold to remain eligible for all the honors mentioned. If he does not play at least 15 minutes in San Antonio, not only will he not be an MVP finalist, but he will also not be on any All-NBA team, both of which his play this season deserves. The last time Jokić wasn't at least an MVP finalist was 2020. The last time he didn't make any All-NBA team was 2018.
Suffice it to say, while Denver has bigger fish of an NBA title variety to fry this spring, Jokić and the Nuggets probably want to maintain that for his individual legacy. Both appear to understand this goal, as Jokić is the only major Denver player still listed as "questionable" for Sunday's Spurs matchup. In fact, based on the Nuggets' pre-flight photos on social media, he seems to be the only major Denver player even making this final regular-season road trip.
If you can read the tea leaves as I can, the safe assumption is that Jokić will, in fact, play to maintain his award eligibility. And by "play," I mean literally stay in for as close to 15 minutes as possible before getting pulled:
The Nuggets have three probable missions as a team on Sunday. Here they are in order of priority:
- Everyone stays healthy.
- Jokić maintains his award eligibility by making a bare-minimum number appearance.
- Get the win, if the situation develops that way.
Every other consideration is something they're likely not even thinking about.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nikola Jokić injury update: Is Nuggets star playing for 65-game rule?
Q&A
What does Nikola Jokić need to do to maintain his MVP eligibility?
Nikola Jokić needs to play at least 15 minutes in the upcoming game against the San Antonio Spurs to remain eligible for MVP and All-NBA honors.
How many games has Nikola Jokić played this season?
Nikola Jokić has played 64 games this season, which is one game short of the NBA's 65-game threshold for award eligibility.
When was the last time Nikola Jokić was not an MVP finalist?
The last time Nikola Jokić was not an MVP finalist was in 2020.
