When assessing the severity of an injury, the word Nuggets VP of sports medicine Steve Short likes to use is “sinister.”
Aaron Gordon’s right calf has cast a sinister shadow over his entire season, but his most recent removal from a game ended up avoiding that categorization.
Five days after a hobbled Gordon went to the locker room during the first quarter of Denver’s back-to-back at Oklahoma City, he was able to suit up against the Lakers. He missed two games.
The Nuggets held their collective breath at first. “The concern for me right away was, is this going to be another Christmas night game in Phoenix?” Coach Michael Malone said in OKC. That’s when Gordon first reaggravated the calf injury that had already caused him to miss 10 games early in the season. He missed another nine straight for the same reason after the Christmas incident.
This time, the calf turned out to be barking but not quite biting. And so the Nuggets carried on this week in a state of constant wariness about their power forward’s health as the playoffs approach.
“You’ve gotta remember, and I think about this all the time, there’s a big difference between, ‘Hey, Aaron can go out there and play,’ and, ‘He can go out there and play effectively,’” Malone said Friday. “So I think most of the times when he’s not available to play, it’s because — calf strain, ankle, whatever it may be — it’s been, ‘I can’t go out there and do my job.’ Obviously, we know what Aaron means to this team. And every chance he’s had a chance to play, he’s played really well for us. But it’s just been a very up-and-down season in terms of availability, and that’s been really frustrating for him.”
Listed as questionable for both calf injury management and a lingering left ankle sprain before the Lakers game, he has missed 27 total games and come off the bench in another eight.
Denver’s five opening-day starters have each been available at the same time in only 23 games, with 15 to go after Friday. The lineup consisting of Gordon, Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokic has a 10.1 net rating in 367 minutes.
Gordon is averaging 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting a career-high 44.4% from the 3-point line.
“My heart breaks for him,” Malone said. Because it’s hard to get into the rhythm of a season when you’re in, you’re out, you’re in, you’re out. And that’s been Aaron’s case this year.”
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