As the Denver Nuggets prepare for the Emirates NBA Cup, they may be without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night in their first NBA Cup match of the season. Nikola Jokic is questionable for the game due to personal reasons. Ryan Blackburn discusses why on Pickaxe and Roll.

In the meantime, the Nuggets will have to be ready for an ailing Pelicans squad without several starters and rotation players. Among them: Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado. This is a golden opportunity for Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and the Nuggets. Can they take advantage in a game that may or may not matter more than usual?

On the latest episode of Pickaxe and Roll, Ryan Blackburn previews the first Denver Nuggets NBA Cup game, a matchup with the injured New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Are the Nuggets true contenders for the Cup? What happens if Nikola Jokic misses the game? Ryan goes over the details of the Emirates NBA Cup and what Nuggets fans need to know about tonight’s matchup.

Pickaxe and Roll is a Nuggets podcast streamed live on YouTube every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10am MT. You can catch episodes live by subscribing to the Mile High Sports YouTube channel and turning on Bell Notifications.

If you can’t catch Pickaxe and Roll live, listen to the audio version on the BLEAV Podcast Network, or download this podcast episode wherever you get podcasts.