Nikola Jokic Injury Updates, Latest Timeline for Nuggets Star's Return to Play

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who has been out since Dec. 29 after suffering a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise, will be re-evaluated in one week.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported the news on the latest edition of NBA Today.

"The Denver Nuggets will reevaluate Nikola Jokić in about a week. He is making great progress, he's in the ramp-up phase of his return-to-play process."

"This is a Denver Nuggets team as well as Nikola Jokić that are partnering and working together on weighing the team's long-term health and success over the course of the entire season more than just him being eligible for postseason awards like MVP and All-NBA.

"So potentially forfeiting that as part of keeping him ready for the entire season and not just back and then missing more time. This is a Nuggets team that's played so well [while] keeping their heads well above water. They're 9-5 without Jokić since he went down a month ago.

"A year ago, there were 4-8 without Nikola Jokić. They were third in the Western Conference when Jokić got hurt, they remain third in the Western Conference now, as Jokić does near close to a return."

Jokić has averaged 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Obviously, it behooves the Nuggets for Jokić to be at 100 percent health (or as close to it as possible) during the team's presumed playoff run, so it makes sense that both parties would take a cautious approach after he suffered an injury that's caused him to miss multiple weeks.

To their credit, the Nuggets have done quite well in the meantime, as Charania noted. Jamal Murray is a big reason for that success as he enjoys a breakout campaign that should land him in the All-Star Game for the first time in his 10-year career. For the season, Murray has averaged a career-high 26.0 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Murray has carried a heavier burden without Jokić but other players currently out with injuries, such as Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun.

Other players have stepped up as well, including wings Peyton Watson (14.5 PPG on 50.8 percent shooting) and Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been a major addition via free agency (13.7 PPG).

Denver enters Tuesday tied for second in the Western Conference with the San Antonio Spurs at 31-15, five-and-a-half games behind the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder. The Nuggets will now begin a four-game home trip beginning Tuesday with the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.