Paul Millsap’s broken toe proves the Nuggets have the injury bug at the worst time

Nuggets forward Paul Millsap may have broken his toe in Denver’s 113-107 loss to Charlotte on Friday. The injury occurred when he hit the ground after contesting Kemba Walker’s drive to the rim.

Denver entered the season with the injury bug. They drafted Michael Porter Jr., a talented prospect who has yet to play while rehabbing from a back injury, then signed Isaiah Thomas, who opted to get hip surgery over the summer. But that bug kept buzzing through the season. The Nuggets have been without sixth man Will Barton since Oct. 20 with groin and core surgery, and Gary Harris is day-to-day with a hip injury of his own.

Millsap’s broken toe would be the icing on the cake. He only played in 38 games last season after undergoing reconstructive wrist surgery, one he called “by far the toughest injury he’s ever been through.” Now, could be out indefinitely with a broken right toe.

The injury comes at a terrible time for the Nuggets, who are currently the top-seeded team in the Western Conference. Only 1.5 games separate them from the sixth seed in the West, and only 4.5 games separate them from seed No. 10. Their next eight games are at Atlanta, vs. Memphis, vs. OKC, vs. Toronto, vs. Dallas, at Clippers, vs. San Antonio, at San Antonio.

The West is wild and up for grabs, and the Nuggets’ grasp on the crown just loosened.

It’s also tough news for Millsap, who signed a three-year, $90 million contract in 2017 with a fully non-guaranteed Year 3. He is due $30 million in 2019-20 if the Nuggets decide to keep him beyond this season. In the games he has played this year, Millsap is averaging 13.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, two assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting an impressive 40.7 percent from three-point range. His versatility is one of the reasons Denver’s defense has been successful this season.