Nikola Jokic will not play for the Denver Nuggets against the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to the team, he will be out due to personal reasons.
Jokic has played in each of the first 10 games of the season. Denver is 7-3 and is in fourth place in the Western Conference.
Nikola Jokic will not play tonight in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/lDLR5pD7jR
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) November 15, 2024
In the NBA, there are plenty of players who take breaks for health or personal reasons.
This could end up being a good thing for both Jokic and the Nuggets moving forward.
In an 82-game season with the playoffs attached, rest is crucial for the best players in the game.
Jokic is arguably the best player in the world, especially at his position of center.
The three-time NBA MVP and six-time All-Star can dominate the game from all levels as a scorer, passer and defender.
It’s not the worst thing in the world for him to take a night off early in the season.
He is going to turn 30 in February and is going to need more days off as he gets older so he can play his best basketball at the most important time of the year.
Denver hopes that that time will be in May and June as it is looking to hoist another trophy.
But that can’t happen if Jokic isn’t in uniform.
In the long run, his being out one night could be more helpful than Nuggets fans may think.
