RealGM

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl is expected to miss several games during the rest of the regular season while he undergoes chemotherapy treatments to deal with a recurrence of cancer, the 58-year-old told NBA.com Tuesday afternoon.

Karl will not take a formal leave of absence during his treatments, which have already begun, but will obviously not be able to be on the bench all the time during the treatment schedule.

Karl is a prostate cancer survivor, having undergone successful surgery in 2005 after his initial diagnosis. But the cancer that has been discovered this time is not in the same area, according to sources. Karl knew the diagnosis last week, before coaching the Western Conference All-Star team in Dallas.

Karl is hoping to just miss nine games while he undergoes the chemotherapy treatments. He will coach the Nuggets for the next three weeks while the treatments continue, but will then take selected games off in March and April. The Nuggets return from the All-Star break on Thursday with a game at Cleveland, and play at Washington Friday before returning home for a Sunday afternoon game against Boston.