The Nuggets received some unfortunate news regarding injuries. Peyton Watson, who sustained a right knee sprain against the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of January, will be sidelined through February. The team stated he will be “re-evaluated in four weeks,” meaning his absence could extend beyond that.
This presents a challenge for the Nuggets, particularly in managing Aaron Gordon’s minutes. Gordon is still recovering from a calf strain that has kept him out of 19 games this season, spanning two separate stints. Recently, he played his first games of 30+ minutes since returning, logging 30 minutes against the Knicks on January 29th, 32 minutes against the 76ers, and 30 minutes against the Hornets on a back-to-back. To avoid overburdening him with even more playing time, the Nuggets will need another forward to step up.
Zeke Nnaji saw early playing time in Watson’s absence during the game against the Hornets and recorded five blocks, making him a potential option. However, with Vlatko Cancar still recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery in December and no clear timeline for his return (he will be re-evaluated around this time), the Nuggets are left with limited forward options. Other available players include Hunter Tyson and Spencer Jones, a two-way player averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds in the G League. Denver also continues to feel the impact of DaRon Holmes II’s Achilles injury from the Summer League.
The Nuggets might need to rely more on guards, but with Russell Westbrook now dealing with a hamstring injury, this isn’t an ideal time to push their guards further to compensate for the shortage of forwards. Thankfully, the All-Star Break is approaching, but until then, Denver will need to adapt and make the best of their current rotation.
