- Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said on Instagram Live over the weekend that he’s feeling “great” as he ramps up his pre-game workouts in his recovery from ACL surgery, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. The hope is that Murray will be able to return before the end of the season.
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been diagnosed with a nerve issue in his back, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, who says Porter’s season could be in jeopardy.
As Singer writes, the Nuggets haven’t offered up many details on Porter’s status since shutting him down two weeks ago. He has been receiving daily treatment on his back in an effort to strengthen the area where he sustained the injury, Singer explains.
The Nuggets’ plan is to give Porter another week to show improvement before considering alternative treatment options, including a possible surgical procedure, sources tell The Denver Post. Head coach Michael Malone said on Sunday that Porter was in Florida, away from the team. A source tells Singer that the 23-year-old’s absence is related to him seeking more opinions on how to treat the injury.
Porter’s ailment is particularly concerning since he has a history of back issues, having previously undergone two surgeries — one during his first and only college season, and the other prior to his rookie season in 2018.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2020/21, averaging 19.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG on .542/.445/.791 shooting in 61 games (31.3 MPG). The performance earned him a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension, which goes into effect in 2022/23.
However, Porter battled back pain in his first nine games this season before the injury forced him to the sidelines. He has posted just 9.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG on .359/.308/.556 shooting in 29.4 minutes per contest this season.
We’ll have to wait to see what course of action Porter and the Nuggets take to treat his back injury, but losing him for the season would be a tough blow to a Denver team that’s already missing another one of its maximum-salary players — Jamal Murray is recovering from an ACL tear he sustained in the spring. Without Porter, Murray, and Nikola Jokic – who is dealing with a wrist injury – the club lost its fourth game in a row on Sunday to slip to 9-8 on the season.
Reigning league Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic has a right wrist sprain and it’s uncertain when he’ll return, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
The Nuggets’ big man watched the team’s loss to Chicago on Friday with a brace on his wrist. He suffered the injury against Philadelphia on Thursday.
“He’s gotten X-rays, he’s gotten MRI’s, talking to the doctors,” coach Michael Malone said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a long-term thing at all, but at the same time, I don’t want to put him out there if he can only play with one hand. Unfair to ask him to do that. When he’s ready to play, he’ll play. That could be against Phoenix (Sunday), that could be in a week. There’s no timeline at this point.”
Strategically, the Nuggets played more zone against the Bulls than at any point this season but they were clobbered on the boards. Personnel-wise, they went small and relied on forwards Jeff Green, Aaron Gordon and JaMychal Green to man the interior.
“I’m not sure how long Nikola’s going to be out, but you have options,” Malone said.
PJ Dozier said it’s going to be difficult to play without their star. The Nuggets have already been playing without Michael Porter Jr. most of the month due to a back injury, and Jamal Murray is expected to miss most of the season as he continues to recover from an ACL tear.
“We play through him. He’s the head of the snake.,” Dozier said of Jokic. “We go as he goes. Having our MVP not on the floor, of course, offensively is going to be an adjustment but defensively as well. He’s communicating to us guards, calling out the coverages.”
- Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday that his assistant coach Sam Cassell was the first to suggest that the Nuggets would be a good fit for Doc’s son, Austin Rivers. As Mike Singer of The Denver Post details, Rivers signed with Denver last season, then re-signed with the club in the offseason and is playing regular minutes. “It’s always great when your kid is happy,” Doc said.
Nuggets guard Austin Rivers says forward Michael Porter Jr. was playing through back pain the entire season before being sidelined due to the issue, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.
“He’s 23 years old,” Rivers said following Monday night’s loss to Dallas. “He’s just gotta take care of himself and get himself right physically and that way mentally he can come to the court playing the way that we know he can play. He’s playing hurt this whole season. It’s hard to do that. Hopefully he comes back soon because he’s a huge part of our team.”
Singer notes that the back problems could explain Porter Jr.’s slow start to the season. The Nuggets have been vague on updating MPJ’s status after saying he’ll be out for the “foreseeable future.”
Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:
- In a separate article, Singer writes that Nuggets guard Monte Morris has been playing through a nagging leg injury this season, but Morris says it’s finally starting to improve. “Today was the first time I was able to do (player development) probably since the second Memphis game (on Nov. 3), so I haven’t even been able to do that,” Morris said. “I’ve been getting treatment and just playing in games. I’m starting to feel better. Been able to play without pain and stuff like that.” Singer also notes that Will Barton, who’s been dealing with back soreness, has been improving, but is listed is doubtful for Thursday’s game, while Zeke Nnaji is out with a sprained ankle.
- Rudy Gay could make his season debut Thursday for the Jazz. The team listed him as probable on its injury report tonight (Twitter link). Gay has been recovering from offseason heel surgery.
- It doesn’t sound like Nicolas Claxton will be returning to the Nets‘ lineup anytime soon, tweets Brian Lewis of the New York Post. According to Lewis, coach Steve Nash said that, “Nic (Claxton) has a ways to go. He’s really got to work on his conditioning.” Claxton had been dealing with a non-COVID illness.
- Heat star Bam Adebayo is getting a night off for injury maintenance on a bruised knee, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Per Chiang, coach Erik Spoelstra says that it will be “really beneficial” for Bam to get rest and treatment in order to reduce swelling in the knee.
- Michael Porter Jr. remains sidelined on Monday due to lower back pain and there’s uncertainty about the Nuggets’ forward’s status in the near future, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. “It’s an ongoing thing, trying to figure out what’s going on…I’d still say that Michael’s out for the foreseeable future,” coach Michael Malone said. “We’re trying to take it one day at a time with him and see what the best way to approach getting him back healthy is.”
As anticipated, the reigning NBA MVP, Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, has been suspended by the NBA following an on-court altercation with Heat forward Markieff Morris in last night’s 113-96 blowout Denver win.
The league announced (Twitter link) that Jokić will miss one game after shoving Morris from behind and giving him whiplash, though Morris had initially instigated contact with a mild shoulder check seconds prior. Both players were instantly ejected with Flagrant 2 foul calls.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Jokić, a three-time All-Star, will lose $210,417 in salary as a result of his single-game suspension.
The NBA has also opted to fine Morris $50K for his role in the dispute. A bit more surprisingly, All-Star Heat small forward (and current 2022 MVP candidate) Jimmy Butler was dinged to the tune of $30K for “attempting to escalate” the conflict between the two players and “failing to comply with an NBA Security interview” about the incident, per the league’s statement. Though players from both the Nuggets and Heat rushed to the aid of their respective comrades, the league opted to single Butler out.
Jokić will thus miss the Nuggets’ next contest, a home matchup against the Pacers tomorrow night. Denver head coach Michael Malone said earlier today that, provided Jokić indeed was suspended, Denver would look to feature forwards Jeff Green, JaMychal Green, and Aaron Gordon more in the paint. Malone also floated the possibility that little-used young centers Bol Bol and Zeke Nnaji would get some run.
Starting Jazz small forward Royce O’Neale appears to be increasing Utah’s ceiling this season by becoming a bigger offensive threat, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“I’m trying to just take what the defense gives me,” O’Neale said of his revamped offense this season with the Jazz. “I’m trying to find ways to get open, whether I am finishing at the basket or kicking it out for the open three. I’m trying to find the open guy. I don’t want the ball to stick in my hands. Everybody thrives off moving the ball, finding the open guy.”
Though O’Neale is still averaging a fairly modest output of 7.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.2 APG, along with an excellent 2.2 SPG, Jones contends that O’Neale’s consistent three-point shooting and his improved cutting away from the ball have made him a player that opposing defenses need to respect. This could improve the Jazz’s outlook in the postseason.
“This is what I’ve been trying to train for in the offseason,” O’Neale said of how he hopes to help the Jazz. “I want to do whatever I have to do for us to win. Whether that’s guarding the best player, or knocking down shots. I’m just trying to not be tired and to play the whole game, if I can.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers‘ investigation into the alleged workplace misconduct of longtime president Neil Olshey could last a few weeks, well beyond the duration initially anticipated, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
- Third-year Thunder forward Darius Bazley has looked to learn from 30-year-old veteran center Mike Muscala, the team’s oldest player, per Joe Mussatto of the Oklahoman. “I don’t know if Mike knows this, but I look up to him,” Bazley said. “Just to see Mike and his readiness, whether he’s playing good or playing bad, he always comes in with the same energy and effort, and today he was rewarded for it.”
- The league continues to gather information on the on-court fight between All-NBA Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Heat forward Markieff Morris. Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets that a league announcement on an expected suspension period for Jokić could be announced as late as tomorrow. Denver head coach Michael Malone has indicated that an extended absence for Jokić could open the door for more rotational run for reserve big men Bol Bol and Zeke Nnaji, per Sean Keeler of the Denver Post. “Maybe some guys like Bol Bol (and) Zeke Nnaji that haven’t had a great chance to play yet are going to have a chance to get out there and play rotational minutes,” Malone said. “But we’ll react once we get that news.” Malone also noted that he would feature forwards Jeff Green, JaMychal Green, and Aaron Gordon in the post more frequently should Jokić be unavailable tomorrow for the club’s next game against the Pacers.
The back injury that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. suffered on Saturday will keep him out of action for the “foreseeable future,” according to an article by The Athletic.
Coach Michael Malone updated Porter’s status before Monday’s game, telling reporters that the team plans to be careful as he deals with the injury. Malone added that Porter will undergo more testing before any decisions are made.
“This is a process where we’re being very cautious, talking to doctors, getting imaging all that kind of stuff,” Malone said.
The injury happened as Porter missed a breakaway layup early in Saturday’s game with the Rockets. The Nuggets’ medical staff conducted several tests on Sunday, and he was ruled out of Monday’s game.
The 23-year-old is off to a slow start after last year’s breakthrough season, which saw him average 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Through nine games, those numbers are down to 9.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG and his shooting percentages have dropped from 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from three-point range to 35.9% and 20.8%.
Back injuries are particularly concerning for Porter, who has already undergone two surgeries to relieve back pain. However, the team is confident that he will be able to return at some point this season and doesn’t believe another operation will be necessary, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. But Porter won’t try to play again until the soreness is gone and the Nuggets are sure that his back is structurally sound.
Denver is already playing without Jamal Murray, who is expected to miss most of the season while recovering from ACL surgery. Vardon expects Aaron Gordon to get a greater share of the team’s offense in Porter’s absence, while free agent addition Jeff Green may see his minutes increase.
“We all have to support Michael like we’re all supporting Jamal. … Michael could be back in a week,” Malone said. “It could be more than that. I don’t know. When I say foreseeable future, I don’t really know what that means. I just know he’s not playing tonight.”
A suspension may be coming for Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after a violent hit on Heat forward Markieff Morris in the late stages of Monday’s game, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
With 2:39 remaining and Denver leading by 17 points, Morris committed a hard intentional foul on Jokic at midcourt. The reigning MVP responded by charging at Morris and hitting him in the back with his right forearm and shoulder. According to Vardon, Morris’ head snapped back and he collapsed to the floor while grabbing his forehead as a fight erupted between the other players on the court.
Miami’s medical team, along with paramedics, spent several minutes checking on Morris before he was able to walk to the locker room with help from teammates. After the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra blasted Jokic for his actions.
“It’s just absolutely uncalled for, and it would have looked a lot different, this whole thing could have been a lot uglier if Markieff was actually facing Jokic,” Spoelstra said. “The fact that he had his back turned, and he made a play like that, blindsiding, it was just a very dangerous play.”
Jokic, who was ejected, admitted that he handled the situation poorly, saying, “It’s a stupid play. I feel bad.” Morris received a Flagrant-2 foul and was also ejected for prompting the incident.
“The contact by Morris was interpreted to be excessive and unnecessary based on the following criteria,” referee Kevin Scott explained. “One, the severity of the contact. Two, whether or not the player was making a legitimate basketball play. Three, the potential for injury resulting from the contact, and four, the outcome of the contact led to an altercation.”
Denver coach Michael Malone told reporters that he expects to have Jokic available for Wednesday’s game, but admitted that he hadn’t watched a replay of the incident. Vardon considers a suspension to be inevitable.