The hits keep on coming: PJ Dozier's injury caps an awful night in Portland

The hits just keep on coming.

PJ Dozier went down in a heap late in the first quarter last night in Portland on a drive to the rim. Dozier got into the paint, jumped, and landed awkwardly on his left leg. His left knee buckled and he had to be carried off the floor by teammates. It didn’t look good live, and the reported prognosis according to ESPN is what was feared the moment Dozier crumbled to the hardwood: He likely has a torn ACL.

https://twitter.com/TedBuddy8/status/1463350425105559558?s=20

Dozier is averaging just 5.4 points per game in 18.9 minutes off Denver’s bench this season. His 3-point shot has once again been inconsistent, and through 18 games, the 25-year-old just hasn’t found his groove. You could sense some frustration building around his role when Dozier described his season as “interesting” last week and spoke to the different roles and positions he’s already bounced between this year. According to Basketball Reference, 25% of Dozier’s minutes are coming at power forward this season.

But the Nuggets’ second-best defender has been solid on the other end of the floor. There’s a case to be made that Dozier was going to be a more valuable playoff player than regular-season player because of his defense, and ability to play multiple positions and mesh with both the starters and bench. A strong second-half or playoff run could also potentially have led to an extension in Denver or a fresh contract elsewhere in free agency. Now, he’ll likely be rehabbing an ACL for the next 10 months with his future in limbo.

It looks like Denver’s Swiss Army Knife off the bench will miss the postseason due to injury for the second-straight year.

Dozier’s injury combined with a humbling 19-point loss led to a quiet scene in the Nuggets’ locker room late-Tuesday night. One by one, Nuggets players embraced Dozier, told him he was in their prayers and to get well soon.

“It just sucks,” Monte Morris said.

Simply put, it was a truly awful night in Portland. The Nuggets committed 19 turnovers leading to 32 Blazers points. Denver also finished the game with just two total fast break points. To end the first half, Portland rattled off an 18-3 run to take control of the game. To end the second half, Bol Bol and the end of Denver’s bench turned in a defensive effort that was sure to make Michael Malone’s blood boil. Malone notoriously hates when his reserves mail it in during a blowout win or loss. Malone coaches to the end of games no matter the score. He expects his players to match his effort.

Covering Michael Malone for his entire run in Denver, I know this play made his blood boil. He coaches to the final buzzer and always watches how the end of his bench closes out blowout wins and losses. This definitely ticked him off. https://t.co/dzSLRRTgVq

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) November 24, 2021

“Mother fuckers on the break going between the legs, just like it’s a circus,” Morris said. “It’s frustrating. We’ve got to be tougher. It’s just embarrassing right now.”

The Nuggets have now lost five in a row for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

“We got our ass kicked again. We lost by 19 points on the road,” Malone said. “There are no silver linings. There are no moral victories. There’s nothing to feel good about. We’ve lost five in a row. End of story.”

Dozier joins a jam-packed Nuggets injury report that already included Nikola Jokic (wrist), Michael Porter Jr. (back), Bones Hyland (ankle), and of course Jamal Murray (ACL). Jokic has been ramping up his pregame on-court work over the last few games and could return Friday vs. Milwaukee. The feeling around Porter’s situation is that he’s still a ways away from a potential return.

It’s not just that these injuries are hitting Denver — Malone and his players are very familiar with fielding undermanned lineups — it’s that they’re puncturing holes in the Nuggets’ rotation at the worst possible time. Sure, it’s still November. That’s Denver saving grace in all of this. But after a home date with Giannis and the Bucks on Friday, the Nuggets venture out on a season-long seven-game road trip that takes Denver from Miami to Orlando, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and San Antonio (for two games).

“I have to control the controllables,” Malone said.

At 9-9, the Nuggets are simply a mediocre team. With Jokic out of the lineup, Denver looks like a lottery team. The Nuggets are +120 in the 454 minutes Jokic has played this season and -123 in the 410 minutes he’s been on the bench.

Once again, the Nuggets need Jokic to save them from their misery.

“We’ve lost five in a row. We’re not playing good basketball,” Malone said. “And as a head coach, I have to do a much better job.”