Players watch as Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray remains on the floor after being injured during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Monday, April 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Aaron Gordon injury: Nuggets coach says timescale for recovery from’very traumatic experience’ is ‘open-ended’
Gordon reportedly needed 21 stitches after being bitten by a dog on Christmas day.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is out of the lineup after being bitten by a dog on Christmas Day, and coach Michael Malone indicated Wednesday that there is no timeframe for his return.
“Right now it’s open-ended, and we’re not going to put any pressure on him,” Malone told reporters. “We need him to heal both internally and outside. Going through something like that is difficult to recover from. That’s something where you have to heal from the physical, but you also have to heal from the mental.
“So, as I told him, we want him back, we know we’re better off with him, but I want to support Aaron Gordon and make sure, when he comes back, he’s ready to come back and play at the level that we know he’s capable of.”
The Nuggets said on Wednesday that Gordon had “suffered lacerations to his face and hand resulting from a dog bite,” but was in “good condition.” According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Gordon required 21 stitches following the incident and was bitten on his right hand.
“I texted with him a little bit,” Malone told DNVR. “He is hanging in there. Obviously, it was a really painful situation, and the most important thing I told him was to take as much
Malone described Gordon as “one of the more underrated players in the league.” Denver has performed better on both ends with him on the court than without him this season, and its starting five — Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Gordon, and Nikola Jokic — has outscored opponents by 17.7 points per 100 possessions in 311 minutes.
Gordon was sidelined for four games a month ago with a heel strain. During that span, Malone added Justin Holiday to the starting lineup. Holiday’s minutes have fluctuated in December, and he has not played in Denver’s previous four games.
Malone did not say who will take Gordon’s slot this time. If Holiday does not return, second-year wings Peyton Watson and Christian Braun are viable replacements.
“Until he’s able to come back, we have plenty of guys that can step up and fill that void,” Malone told reporters.
As long as Gordon is out, Denver will miss his ability to punish mismatches and guard all positions. He provides Malone the option of playing small with the second unit, but for the time being, the Nuggets will most likely have DeAndre Jordan or Zeke Nnaji on the court for the most of their non-Jokic minutes. The defending champions will be less versatile without him.
“We have his back,” Malone added. “We adore him, and we are here for him. When he comes back, we’ll open our arms and hug him.”
Denver is 4-0 without Gordon in the lineup, defeating the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns. It will finish the 2023 calendar year with a home back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday and Friday, followed by a New Year’s Day home game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Gordon is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per 32 minutes this season. His 3-point percentage has dropped to a career low of 25%, yet just three players (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, and Dereck Lively II)
The defending champion Nuggets are 22-10 this season, one and a half games behind the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves. They are 7th offensively, 9th defensively, and 6th in net rating, and they are 14-4 in games where Jokic and Murray have both played.
