The Denver Nuggets have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA and with their two top players, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, competing as 2026 All-Stars, it's hard to envision a playoff picture where they Nuggets aren't major contenders. 

Right now, they're the third-seed in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder and they're tied with the New York Knicks for the best record in the NBA as a whole at 35-20, but there's one glaring issue that's held the Nuggets back all season and could hurt them come playoff time: injuries.

The Nuggets have possibly been the most injury-stricken team in the NBA this season. Four of the Nuggets' starting five have all missed weeks at a time this season due to various injuries and coming back from the All-Star break they'll still be missing Aaron Gordon, who's out with a re-injured hamstring, and Peyton Watson.

Spencer Jones and Jalen Pickett are both out with injuries as well, meaning the Nuggets' core depth pieces that rose to the occasion when Gordon, Christian braun and Bruce Brown were all injured earlier in the season are now in the injured list themselves. 

The Nuggets don't have any shortage of talent or effort and they've made remarkable strides considering how depleted their team has been all season, but to compete on the highest stage means they'll need their team at full strength. 

"Get healthy is a big one. It's hard to rate or critique our team right now with our whole starting five basically out," Murray said after the All-Star Game (via NBA). "Once we're healthy, once we get guys back, we'll be in a better place."

Having both Murray and Jokic healthy will obviously do a lot of heavy lifting for the Nuggets, but their missing pieces are still so crucial for the team's overall play. 

Gordon's versatility has allowed him to slot into virtually any big man role the Nuggets have asked of him and he brings an extra layer of movement, athleticism and physicality to the court while he's on it. 

Watson had been heating up at the time of his injury and with a line of 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game coming off the bench, he has a major ability to jumpstart an offense on switch-ins. 

Navigating this many injuries has been a major task for head coach David Adelman and if the Nuggets can just outlast their current injuries and find a way to avoid any new ones, they'll be as serious a threat as any in the NBA in the playoffs.