Denver Nuggets Lose Jonas Valanciunas For Four Weeks

It feels like it has been a while since the Denver Nuggets have had a true backup center to give Nikola Jokic a breather. With all respect to DeAndre Jordan, Dario Saric, and Jay Huff, who have manned the position over the last few years, the addition of Jonas Valanciunas just seemed right.

Valanciunas was averaging solid minutes as Jokić's primary backup, playing roughly 13 minutes per game, providing exactly what you'd want from a veteran center: rebounding (4 rpg), interior defense, and enough scoring punch (8 ppg) to keep defenses honest. Everything seemed to be going just fine for the Nuggets, who were among the top three seeds in the West. Even when Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Cam Johnson all went down with injuries, the team kept plodding along. Then came the unfortunate injury to Jokic that will reportedly sideline him for approximately a month. For those who thought things couldn't get worse for Denver, they somehow did. Two nights later, Valanciunas would leave Denver’s game against Toronto in a walking boot. The Nuggets announced Thursday that the Lithuanian center will miss at least four weeks with an injury, and the timing is absolutely brutal.

This is where depth gets tested in ways front offices pray they never have to experience. Losing Valanciunas means Denver's center rotation is basically a pair of 6’9” forwards in Zeke Nnaji and rookie DaRon Holmes. 

Holmes got the starting nod on Saturday against Cleveland, playing just under 24 minutes, while Nnaji played just three seconds less.  While the good news is that Gordon is rumored to return to the lineup shortly, it will take some time for him to get back up to NBA speed, having been sidelined since November 21. 

Looking at the free agent cupboard, it is pretty bare of serviceable big men. Mo Bamba just signed with the Toronto Raptors. They could give Grand Rapids Gold center Moses Brown a call, at least he is some size at 7’2”, 258lbs. While they could always explore a trade, any valuable piece the Nuggets have is either hurt or needed as they look to keep their heads above water. 

The good news is that both Jokic and Valanciunas will return and have avoided any major injury. The bad news is that even in today’s NBA style of play, big men are still a much-needed commodity, especially for the Denver Nuggets.