For a few days last week, it sounded like Nikola Jokic might be closer to returning than anyone expected. While appearing on NBA Countdown, ESPN insider Shams Charania offered the clearest public signal yet that Jokic’s rehab was progressing well. According to Charania, the reigning MVP had resumed on-court work and was “right on schedule, if not a little ahead of schedule” as he works back from a hyperextended left knee.
That phrasing mattered. The original plan called for a four-week reevaluation following the Dec. 29 injury, placing Jokic’s checkpoint around Jan. 26. If he truly was trending ahead, the door cracked open for a return before the end of the month, possibly even sooner than expected. That window didn’t stay open long.
During his pregame press conference Tuesday night, Nuggets head coach David Adelman delivered a more cautious and telling update. While discussing Jonas Valančiūnas’ progress from a calf strain, Adelman said the veteran big man would “most likely” step right back into the starting lineup upon returning, implicitly signaling that Jokic was not yet ready.
Asked directly about that implication, Adelman didn’t dodge it.
“It looks that way now, but I really mean this, tomorrow could be different,” he said. Of Jokic’s rehab specifically, Adelman added, “Nikola has been the same way as Cam, just kind of up and down.”
Later, he put it even more plainly: “It’s just been a very up-and-down process. Not to sound vague, but that’s the truth. Good days, bad days.”
There’s no indication of a setback, but the language matters. This no longer sounds like a player who is days away. It sounds like a body that hasn’t fully responded to the workload Jokic hoped it would.
The comparison to Cam Johnson, who has yet to resume contact work, only reinforces that Jokic’s timeline remains fluid. Meanwhile, Valančiūnas “feels really good” in his recovery, even if the team remains cautious due to the re-injury risk associated with calf strains.
Nonetheless, it helps that Denver is winning games. The rotation is stabilizing. Role players are stepping up. For once, the Nuggets actually have the luxury of patience. In Jokic’s absence this season, the Nuggets are 7-5 and have seen major developments from Jamal Murray who has returned to All-Star caliber form and Peyton Watson who has shown growth on the offensive end.
Before the injury, Jokic was producing one of the best stretches of his career, 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists per game on elite efficiency, firmly atop early MVP ballots. A return still feels inevitable, but based on Adelman’s tone, early February now appears more realistic than an early surprise.
For now, Denver waits and wisely resists the urge to rush its most important piece back before he’s truly ready.