Nikola Jokić’s knee injury in December may have spoiled his MVP plans, but it didn’t change the fact that his Denver Nuggets are NBA Finals contenders. Jokić is expected to be out for a month or so, which means Denver just needs to stay afloat in January and then get back on the Joker express from February onward.
Given that he’s already won three MVP trophies, it might feel hyperbolic to say that Jokić has played the best basketball of his life in 2025-26, but it’s true, and it’s also a big reason why Denver is seen as one of two real threats to the Oklahoma City Thunder (along with the San Antonio Spurs) in the Western Conference.
What the Nuggets have that the young Spurs lack is championship experience. Jokić, Aaron Gordon, and Jamal Murray are still just three years removed from winning a title in 2023.
All of this had Bleacher Report’s NBA writer Andy Bailey thinking the other day as he predicted that Denver will win the 2026 NBA Finals.
“Picking anyone but the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the title feels like a stretch,” Bailey wrote on January 1. “And at the moment, the Denver Nuggets are beyond compromised. After Nikola Jokić hyperextended his knee against the Miami Heat this week, they’re now down four starters (Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson are also out).”
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“But it’s only January,” Bailey continued. “Jokić and the rest of the regulars figure to be back well in advance of the playoffs. If they’re whole for that, they have as good a shot as anyone to take down the Thunder. No one has a real answer for Jokić, but OKC’s slight-framed bigs (at least relative to Jokić) are at a particular disadvantage against Denver’s near-300-pounder.”
“Add to that the fact that Jamal Murray is playing like he did during the 2023 postseason, and you can start to see how this team could upset the historically dominant Thunder,” Bailey added.
As Jokić nurses his wounds, it’s a good time to reflect on his Christmas Day masterclass that people will be talking about for years to come: an historic 56-point triple-double (including an NBA-record 18 points in overtime) in a thrilling 142-138 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Featured image via Christopher Hanewinckel/Imagn Images
