Exclusive: Nuggets' Vlatko Čančar Details Recovery from Knee Surgery, Sets Sights on EuroBasket with Luka Dončić
Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Čančar has made significant strides in his recovery from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, performed on Dec. 4.
Initially set to be re-evaluated in eight weeks, Čančar is ahead of schedule. He surprised many by joining the Nuggets on their trip to Dallas for a two-game series against the Mavericks. He went through lengthy on-court workouts during pre-game, suggesting he’s progressing well in his return-to-competition process.
When discussing the recovery process, Čančar detailed how both positives and negatives come with it. Since he doesn’t have to focus on preparing for each game from a strategic standpoint, he’s entirely focused on working as hard as he can to complete the rehab process.
“I think it’s just a lot of hard work and no stress, honestly. It’s a good thing and a bad thing when you’re not part of basketball, playing-wise,” Čančar told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Because you don’t need to go through that stress of getting ready for every game and just trying to win every game. So I think that helped a lot.”
Considering Čančar has previously gone through rehab for a significant knee injury, he knows everything that comes with it.
“Since I got hurt the next day, I just tried to look for options, how I can do surgery and stuff like that,” Čančar explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I wasn’t worried because I came back from ACL surgery fast. So I’m hoping this is going to be the same.”
Čančar is confident he can return to game competition before the NBA All-Star break, whether in late January or early February.
“I want to be back hopefully the end of January, beginning of February,” Čančar revealed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I think I should be pretty comfortable around there.”
Denver Nuggets Supporting Vlatko Čančar
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone offered insights into Čančar’s recovery process, emphasizing his relentless drive to return to the game. For Denver, Čančar is progressing in how the medical staff needs to see at this stage.
“He’s definitely moving in the right direction,” Malone told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Vlatko was so set on getting back as quickly as possible. Sometimes, I think he pushes a little too hard, but that’s part of it, right? He’s had a lot of really good days. He had a couple of days where his knee was sore. We expect that.”
There is a positivity Čančar carries during the recovery process that Malone believes helps him handle the process well. During an early-season matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, Čančar suffered the injury after playing 11 minutes, totaling five points and four rebounds.
“One thing that stands out about Vlatko is that every time he’s gotten hurt, he has such a positive mindset,” Malone detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I think his positive mindset allows his body to heal. It was unfortunate when he hurt his knee because he had one of his best games of the season in Memphis. Hopefully, we can get him back. He can stay healthy and find ways to continue to help us.”
Nuggets center Nikola Jokić also highly praised Čančar, whom he described as a “warrior” in the recovery process. Jokić appreciates Čančar’s presence, which brings positivity to the team even when he’s not playing.
“I know he’s a warrior. He’s always going to be a warrior. He’s probably working the hardest on the team,” Jokić told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Whoever is around him, he makes everybody happier, always smiling. He’s a great guy to have around, always positive energy, always joking around. He’s just a great teammate.”
Connecting with Slovenian National Team Members
With two consecutive games played in Dallas involving the Nuggets and Mavericks, Čančar had the opportunity to spend time with his fellow Slovenian national team member Luka Dončić, sporting director Saša Dončić, assistant coach Marko Milič, and athletic trainer Anže Maček, among others.
“Of course, Luka, his father, Anže Maček, Marko Milič, [Jernej Bobić]. Like all the Slovenian group that was here, we kind of got together and just had some food, had some drinks and stuff like that,” Čančar recounted to DallasHoopsJournal.com.
The next time Čančar and Dončić will compete together with the Slovenian national team at EuroBasket is in late August or early September. The previous occurrence was at the Olympic Qualifier in Piraeus, where Slovenia finished with a 1-2 record and could not win the group that included teams like Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Croatia, featuring Ivica Zubac and Dario Saric.
Čančar, who was playing his first games since recovering from a torn ACL, didn’t want to use injury as an excuse. He’s eager to put together a more impactful performance next time he puts on his Slovenian uniform.
“I can start from myself. Maybe I wasn’t playing on the type of level that I wanted to, and I’m not going to use any injury or excuse that I haven’t played basketball,” Čančar told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I just had to keep working harder to be prepared better for the next competitions.”
With some members of the Slovenian national team nearing the end of their careers, Čančar is eager to compete and lean on the experience they’ve established as a group.
“We learn maybe even more how important it is to every game when it counts,” Čančar explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “This group has been together for a long time, and we know how to play; the chemistry is really good, and some guys are kind of on the last end of the national team. So I think this is like our last push for EuroBasket.”
The Olympic Qualifier was the first opportunity Čančar had to play alongside Josh Nebo, who filled Slovenia’s one naturalized player spot. The 6-foot-7 center presented a rim-rolling option that embraces doing the dirty work. However, Čančar felt opponents scouted effectively by switching against screens while staying home on shooters, forcing Dončić to play a lot of one-on-one.
“It changed the game completely because he’s a dynamic roller, and that means more help on the inside, and that should make more shots for us,” Čančar told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But they did a good scouting, so they just started switching to Luka, so they kind of made him play more one-on-one to eliminate all of our shooting options from that time.”
While the upcoming EuroBasket competition is the current focus, Slovenia has submitted to be one of the host nations for 2029. Čančar recalls attending games when Ljubljana was a host city in 2013 and would cherish the chance to compete in Slovenia if the nation were selected to do so.
“It’s a crazy thing because, in 2013, I was there to watch it in Ljubljana, and now, in 2029, it will be pretty special to play,” Čančar told DallasHoopsJournal.com.
Playing with Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić
On the topic of playing alongside greats like Jokić and Dončić, Čančar shared his insights. While being a seven-footer grants Jokić certain advantages as a scorer that Dončić doesn’t gain in the paint, both are dangerous talents that rise in the big moments to guide their team.
“I always say maybe for Nikola it’s maybe a little bit easier to score just because he’s a seven-footer and gets closest to the basket, especially back to the basket,” Čančar explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But each of them is special in their own way. What I like the best out of both is they’re not afraid of the big moment. When the game is on the line, you know who the ball is gonna go to.”
Čančar also highlighted Dončić’s evolution, increasing his three-point volume to an extent that opens up his full talent as a threat. However, Čančar believes Dončić naturally continues to get better at every basketball skill over the years but has shown the most growth as a leader—making his presence felt as a captain.
“I think he’s shooting more threes than he did before,” Čančar detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Definitely that, and when you watch him for so long, it’s hard to say where he got better because he got better in all aspects of the game. But I think he’s definitely growing in the leadership type and to be like a true captain for his team.”
As it stands, Čančar should get plenty of time to compete alongside Jokić as the Nuggets aim to compete for another NBA title before shifting his focus to battling next to Dončić with the Slovenian national team at EuroBasket.
