Spiteful: The Nuggets receive a critical Zeke Nnaji Injury Report before the Magic Clash.

The Nuggets hope to have backup big man Zeke Nnaji in the lineup against the Magic on Wednesday.

As expected, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the top teams in the NBA to begin the 2023-24 season. They are currently dealing with Jamal Murray’s injuries but have remained one of the best teams in the Western Conference. One explanation for this is because they are getting major contributions from players who were not in the rotation last season. Zeke Nnaji has been a crucial player for the Nuggets this season. Nnaji has come in as a critical backup for Nikola Jokic, although he is currently battling with an ankle injury. According to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, he is still scheduled to play in the Nuggets’ game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

This is the first indication of an injury worry for Zeke Nnaji, who has appeared in all 14 games for the Nuggets this season. Nnaji signed a four-year, $32 million contract extension prior to the season. Nnaji had struggled to get regular minutes in the Nuggets rotation during the previous three years, but the team needed a backup center and he was given the chance.

Nnaji has been averaging 3.7 points per game and 2.4 rebounds while playing approximately 10.9 minutes per game and shooting 52.8 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from the three-point line, and 64.7 percent from the free throw line. Nnaji fits the pattern of today’s big guys, who are more flexible and capable of spreading the floor with consistent outside shooting.

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Nuggets Report on Some All-Star Short of Action in the Road Trip Encounter(Nikola Jokic, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamal Murray)

The Nuggets had to do it without Nikola Jokic and coach Michael Malone for much of the game, but they’ll take their scrappy road win over the Pistons on Monday night.

“We were desperate tonight, because we were 0-2 on this road trip and we really needed a win,” guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told reporters. “We knew they were going to come out hard, because they hadn’t won a game in a while, but we got it did done.”

Jokic and Malone were both dismissed for contesting call. “I think Nikola was worried about my welfare,” Malone said. “It is tough to watch a game on TV — we were hugging on good plays and I was cursing in Serbian on the bad ones.”
Denver held Detroit scoreless in the final 1:41 seconds to win 107-103. “Our guys know that, if you want to win a one-possession game on the road, you are going to have to get timely stops,” Malone told reporters. “KCP probably made the defensive play of the game when (Reggie Jackson) got beaten off the bounce and he came over and got the stop without fouling.”

It appears that star guard Jamal Murray (hamstring) is moving closer to a comeback, though Malone acknowledged he’s unlikely to return this week, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. While injured, Murray has been traveling with the team. “I think Jamal is a guy that is, whether he’s playing or he’s not playing, he cares about his teammates,” Malone told ESPN.
Jokic leads the NBA in scoring with 27.4 points per game. In addition, he leads the league in rebounding (13.1 rpg) and assists (8.7 apg). In terms of assists, he is the only non-guard in the top nine.