Nikola Jokic has been an important part of the Denver Nuggets franchise, and his absence makes the team worse, according to head coach Mike Malone.
“Every time he comes out, everything just falls apart,” Malone said following Wednesday’s 108-106 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, according to CBS Sports’ James Herbert. “It’s every night.”
The Nuggets are playing without superstar guard Jamal Murray, who recovers from a torn ACL injury that occurred the past April.
“I went to him in the fourth quarter and I called his name and he looked at me kind of like, ‘Already?’” Malone said. “And I feel for him.”
The Nuggets are 4-4, but when Jokic has been on the court, they’ve outscored opponents by 14.2 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. They are a minus-25 with the reigning MVP off the court.
Next up, the Nuggets are meeting with the 1-6 Houston Rockets Saturday at Ball Arena in Denver.
