Denver, Colorado: Jokic Questionable With Elbow Sprain as All Five Nuggets Starters Land on Injury Report

Denver fans got a new worry on Sunday. The Nuggets added Nikola Jokic to the injury report for the first time this season, listing the three time MVP as questionable for Monday's game against the Houston Rockets with a right elbow sprain.

Jokic has played in all eight games for Denver, which improved to 5-3 with Saturday's 114-102 win over the Indiana Pacers in Mexico City. He is now one of six Nuggets listed as questionable on the NBA's Sunday injury report, and that group includes all five players who started against Indiana.

A shooting swing with no clear cause

Jokic went 7 for 20 from the floor against Indiana, finishing with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes. Three days earlier, he went 13 for 19 in a win over Toronto and finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The two games show how much his scoring efficiency has swung through Denver's first eight games.

It started on opening night, when Jokic scored 13 points on 5 for 19 shooting against Oklahoma City. He followed that with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists against New Orleans. Through eight games he is averaging 22.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists.

Denver's report gives no date for the elbow injury, so it is unclear whether the elbow was bothering Jokic during any of those games. Even on the tougher shooting nights, the rest of his game has held up. He had 11 assists against Golden State on Oct. 26 and was two assists short of a triple double against Indiana.

The whole starting five is in doubt

Denver started Jokic, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon against Indiana. All five are questionable for Monday's 8:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff in Houston. Jamal Murray is listed with a left shin contusion. Christian Braun has a left calf contusion and an illness. Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon are both listed under lower body injury management. DeMar DeRozan is also questionable with low back spasms, while Julian Strawther is the lone Denver player ruled out, with a left knee sprain.

Denver got a useful look at two reserves in Mexico City. Marvin Bagley III scored 10 points in 11 minutes, and Spencer Jones put up 13 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes in his season debut. Bagley offers an option in the middle if Jokic sits, while Jones gives Denver another wing if Johnson or Braun cannot play.

The harder problem is who starts the offense if Jokic and Murray both sit. Jokic has recorded at least eight assists in each of Denver's past seven games. If Houston is his first missed game of the season, Denver will have to replace the player who creates much of its offense, even on nights when his own shots are falling at a lower rate.