JaVale McGee could miss 6 weeks with leg issue

It's time to once again put the cap on #JUGLIFE.

JaVale McGee is set to miss a significant amount of time once again, as he continues to have issues with his surgically-repaired left tibia.

McGee missed 77 games a season ago after suffering a stress fracture in the leg, returning just in time for the start of the season. The Denver Nuggets center was able to appear in the team's first 13 games to mixed results but has played just once in the past 11 contests.

He won't be back on the floor for some time still, with head coach Brian Shaw revealing Sunday that McGee has aggravated a muscle near the tibia.

"I heard six weeks at one point," Shaw said. "I don't know. I don't think he's anywhere close to coming back right now ... From what I understand, the area that he had the surgery on - the stress fracture - is fine. I think the muscle around that area, he's done some damage to."

It's an unfortunate setback for McGee, who hadn't yet found his footing and will basically be starting his season over again. In the 14 games he managed to play, he averaged just 5.4 points and three rebounds in 11.6 minutes.

Once a promising rim protector, McGee is now 26 with a $12-million salary for next season, making him somewhat of an albatross. He can be a lot of fun both on the floor and off of it, but that's likely little consolation to the Nuggets, who saw big things in his future after he averaged 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks as a 24-year-old in 2011-12.