A resolution on whether Nuggets center JaVale McGee will play again this season is expected by March 1, his mother, Pamela, told The Denver Post.

McGee has been out since early November with a stress fracture in his left tibia. The team’s original plan was to allow McGee to take time to let his foot heal without having surgery. But now, with little progress having been made, the 7-footer has to decide whether to have surgery.

“By March 1, we’ll know exactly what strategy to use and when he’ll be definitely be back, or not back,” Pamela McGee said.

While McGee has been able to start doing lower-body activity such as light work on the elliptical machine, the tibia has not healed enough for McGee, or the Nuggets, to be confident the efforts will work to get him back on the court this season.

So surgery, which would end his season, is now much more of a consideration than before.

In his absence, the Nuggets have scrambled at the center spot. J.J. Hickson has been starting at the position, and Timofey Mozgov has come off the bench. Hickson has done an admirable job as an undersized center, averaging 11.7 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Mozgov has played much more this season than he did a year ago. His improvement has been notable, with averages of 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots.

But the Nuggets have been at a considerable disadvantage at center without McGee, who played in only five games this season and had averages of 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds. If he opts for surgery, he’ll be the third Nuggets player to have a season-ending procedure this season, joining Danilo Gallinari and Nate Robinson, both of whom had ACL surgeries.

Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dempseypost