Nikola Jokic just threw a wrench into what looked like a runaway MVP race.
After suffering what looked like a potentially season-derailing knee injury in a loss to the Miami Heat, Jokic was expected to be sidelined for over a month-long enough to potentially knock him out of MVP contention entirely. With the NBA's new 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season awards, many assumed the three-time MVP was out of the running.
But Jokic had other plans.
He’s back-sooner than expected-and with just enough games left to meet the threshold. That’s a major development for both the Nuggets and the MVP conversation.
Denver managed to go 10-6 during his absence, holding steady in the Western Conference standings at third place. That’s no small feat, but make no mistake: Jokic is the engine of that team, and his return gives them a shot to climb even higher.
Now, he’s got a little margin for error. If he needs to sit out a game or two down the stretch to manage the knee, he can. Denver’s already said they’ll be cautious-he’ll be on a minutes restriction for now-but the fact that he’s back on the court at all is a big deal.
Still, this MVP race is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s to lose.
The Thunder guard has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and he’s currently the odds-on favorite to win the award. We were on the verge of a trilogy: Jokic won two years ago with Gilgeous-Alexander finishing second, then the two flipped spots last season as SGA delivered one of the most complete campaigns in recent memory.
Now, with Jokic missing a chunk of time and likely not playing full minutes for a while, SGA has a clear statistical and availability edge. Even if Jokic plays every remaining game, the gap in games played will be hard to overlook-especially under the league’s new rules.
But here’s where it gets interesting: the Nuggets and Thunder still have four head-to-head matchups left on the schedule. That’s four chances for Jokic to go toe-to-toe with the frontrunner and shift the narrative.
Four chances to remind voters just how dominant he can be when healthy. And if those games carry playoff seeding implications?
Even better.
So no, Jokic isn’t the MVP favorite. But he’s back in the race-and that alone makes things a whole lot more interesting. What looked like a closed case just opened back up.