Nuggets' Shaw says Nurkic will be out 'for a while' due to ankle sprain
Denver Nuggets fans are running out of things to root for this season.
With any playoff hopes long dead, the trade deadline passed and their locker room mired in dysfunction, anything in the way of excitement surrounding the team seems to rest in the gigantic palm of rookie center Jusuf Nurkic.
Nurkic's raw skill is undeniably tantalizing, but as of now the most entertaining thing about him is his famed, brash irreverence, which reached new heights during the Nuggets' game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
In a twist of cosmic retribution, Nurkic suffered a severe right ankle sprain just minutes later, and had to be carted off the court in a wheelchair.
The Nuggets will now be dealing with a sizable void in the swagger department, as head coach Brian Shaw said Saturday that he expects Nurkic to be out "for a while," according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.
In 45 games this season, Nurkic is averaging 7.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 18.1 minutes.