As the Nuggets have intriguingly struggled since he returned, Jokic set the record straight about his health status.
Nikola Jokic clarified Sunday that he is healthy and well for the Denver Nuggets, just over a month since he returned from a grinding left knee injury recovery.
Denver Nuggets / Schedule
Jokic addressed the media after the Nuggets' 117-108 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, revealing that he finally regained his shape and conditioning similar to what he had before going down with knee issues.
"I think my body feels really good," he said. "Like, I think I'm in shape, and I think I'm back before the injury in that kind of shape.
"I feel really good out there."
Jokic notably missed 16 consecutive games after going down with a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise in late December. Despite his absence, the Nuggets still performed greatly and maintained their hold atop the West standings behind Jamal Murray's lead.
But interestingly, as Jokic returned from injury, the Nuggets struggled and endured a handful of losses. They went 5-8 since the Serbian superstar came back into the lineup, despite Jokic averaging 26.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, 9.2 assists and shooting 49 percent from the field.
They are now fifth in the West with a 37-24 record.
As such, the Nuggets' recent slump can be connected to the critical absences of two of their top frontcourt pieces. Both Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson are slated to return for Denver later this month out of their hamstring recoveries.
Right now, the focus for Jokic and the Nuggets is to keep themselves healthy to reach the deepest part of the season as the last team standing.
"We are not healthy the whole season, and we will see if we're going to be healthy because it seems like every time, something happens," Jokic said.
"I think we are fighting. I think we were in every game we played since All-Star break. So we will see. We can go out there, give our best, and hope to give ourselves a chance to win a game."
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