Center Jonas Valanciunas sidelined for four weeks, Nuggets mired in injury woes.

2026-01-02 02:20

As the Denver Nuggets enter the new year, they face their toughest survival challenge in recent years, with backup center Jonas Valanciunas sidelined for at least four weeks due to a right calf strain.

The veteran was injured in Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors while starting at center, but unexpectedly left the game in the third quarter. Valanciunas was seen wearing a protective boot after the game, further indicating the severity of the injury.

Valanciunas's injury is a further blow to the Nuggets. With their star player Nikola Jokic suffering a hyperextension of his left knee in the previous game against the Miami Heat and facing at least four weeks of rest, the Nuggets' interior rotation is suddenly completely depleted.

Currently, four of the Nuggets' five regular starters are on the injury list. Head coach David Adelman expressed his frustration after the game, stating that the team seems to have become numb to the situation of "someone getting injured every night" and is forced to rely on a small-ball lineup to maintain the team's performance.

Over the next month, the Nuggets will have to rely more heavily on young players like Payton Watson. Given that only De'Aaron Holmes and Zek Nagy remain as capable center, it's widely speculated that the team will urgently use their 15th roster spot to sign a replacement center in free agency.