The Nuggets got some bad news on the injury front, as per the team the right knee sprain that Peyton Watson suffered against the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of January will keep him out through February. Per the report, he will be “re-evaluated in four weeks” so the timeframe could stretch on longer than that.
What does this mean for the Nuggets? Well it throws a wrench in their plans to monitor Aaron Gordon’s minutes as he keeps working his way back from a calf strain that has caused him to miss 19 games already this season across two separate stretches. AG just logged his first 30 minute games since his return a few weeks ago, with 30 against the Knicks on January 29th, then 32 against the 76ers and 30 against the Charlotte Hornets on a back-to-back. But to avoid pressing him into even more minutes, the Nuggets will need another forward to step up.
Zeke Nnaji got some early playing time against the Hornets in Watson’s absence and wound up with 5 blocks, so he’s an option. Unfortunately with Vlatko Cancar still out after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in December there’s no timetable on his return currently (other than he would be re-evaluated himself around this time) and one of Denver’s only other options in their thin forward rotation are Hunter Tyson and Spencer Jones, their two-way player who is averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds in the G League. Here again is where the Summer League Achilles injury to DaRon Holmes II hits Denver very hard.
The Nuggets may need to play more guards, but with Russell Westbrook also suffering an injury this week, this one to his hamstring, it’s not a good time for Denver to be running its guards into the ground to make up for the raft of forward injuries they’ve had. It’s a good thing the All Star Break is coming up, but until then Denver is going to have to piece the rotation together and carry on.
