Nuggets Face Injury Challenges This Season
The injury woes for the Nuggets continue this season.
Denver forward Aaron Gordon is projected to be sidelined for at least a month after exacerbating his right hamstring injury, as announced by the team on Thursday.
Gordon, who is 30, sustained the injury during Friday’s narrow 102-100 victory over the Bucks, managing to play only 16 minutes in the first half.
The Nuggets indicated that Gordon will undergo evaluations in four to six weeks, with a potential return in early March.
This is not the first time Gordon has faced this issue. He previously missed over a month after hurting the same hamstring in an NBA Cup game against the Rockets on November 21.
In his 12 seasons in the NBA, Gordon has been a key player for the Nuggets, averaging 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting better than 50% from the field across 23 games this season.
Unfortunately, Gordon’s hamstring issue is just one of many injuries plaguing the Nuggets this year. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic was also out last month due to a knee injury.
Jokic is set to be re-evaluated in about a week, and he has mentioned that he is “in the preparatory stages of the return-to-play process,” according to an episode of “NBA Today.”
Jokic has played 32 games this season, averaging 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11 assists, while shooting at an impressive 60% from the field.
Additionally, Cam Johnson has been out since December 23 due to a knee injury but is expected to return soon, given the timeline provided. Christian Braun has also been limited, having only played in 14 games this season due to a left ankle sprain he suffered in November.
Backup big man Jonas Valanciunas has been recovering from a right calf injury, which he sustained in the Nuggets’ win over the Raptors on December 31, and he has been out for three weeks already.
Despite these injuries, the Nuggets maintain a solid record of 31-16, positioning themselves in third place in the Western Conference, trailing only the Thunder and Spurs.
