As if things couldn’t get any worse for the Nuggets right now, the basketball gods have dealt yet another blow to the struggling young team. According to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, Nuggets coach Michael Malone has said that starting shooting guard Gary Harris could miss up to four weeks with a foot injury:
Gary Harris (foot) could be out up to 4 weeks, #Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. Big big blow.
— Chris Dempsey (@chrisadempsey) November 15, 2016
Harris initially sustained the injury Saturday night against Detroit, heading to the locker room for a quick evaluation before eventually returning to the bench and even checking back into the game. However, he did not play Sunday in Portland and had been ruled out for tomorrow night’s match up against the Phoenix Suns at Pepsi Center earlier today.
This injury could not come at a worse time for Denver. The Nuggets are already without Will Barton and Darrell Arthur who have injuries of their own, and only recently welcomed back Wilson Chandler who missed a few games with a minor hamstring injury. The team is currently on a four game losing streak and will need healthy players if they want any chance of salvaging the 3-7 start to the season. Both Barton and Arthur are listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game.
If there’s any silver lining to this, Harris’ absence will mean increased minutes at shooting guard for Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray, who after failing to make his first 17 field goal attempts has finally found a solid rhythm in his shot. Murray scored a team high 19 points while shooting 55.6% from three in Sunday’s loss to the Trail Blazers.
This story will be updated as more details regarding the injury arise.
