Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will miss at least the next two games due to a right calf strain, according to head coach Michael Malone.
The 29-year-old left Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter after feeling some tightness in his calf. This is the same calf that forced Gordon to miss 10 games earlier in the season.
The Nuggets play the Detroit Pistons on Saturday followed by the Utah Jazz on Monday.
Malone also made headlines for his scathing remarks about the Sacramento Kings following the dismissal of head coach Mike Brown.
Season Lacking Momentum
Denver has struggled to build momentum this season, despite Nikola Jokic arguably having his best season yet and looking like the frontrunner for another MVP award. Injuries to both Gordon and Jamal Murray have taken a toll this season, leading to a 16-12 record, which is good for fifth in the West.
The Nuggets have lost their last two games, including giving up 149 points to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. The team also had an ugly loss to the Portland Trail Blazers just over a week ago and needed overtime to put away a 5-26 New Orleans Pelicans squad.
As a result of the inconsistent play, Denver has been rumored to be pursuing upgrades and dangling forward Michael Porter Jr. as a trade chip to do so.
Stepping Into Big Shoes
Gordon has become an integral part of the Nuggets’ success with his terrific two-way play, averaging 13.5 points and 6.3 rebounds which are both career-highs. He is often defending the opposing team’s best wing/forward as well.
In his absence, Peyton Watson has taken on a bigger role and put up 11.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 41.2 percent from three in 12 starts.
Denver will also be hoping to get more out of Christian Braun during this time, who has had a steep decline in his offensive production after a strong start to the season. After scoring 16.8 points on 51.4 percent shooting from three in November, Braun is down to 10.8 points on 19.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 11 December games.
