The Denver Nuggets have had to deal with a lot of adversity in terms of injuries this season and Aaron Gordon has been no exception. Gordon has played only 23 games due to several injuries, and he has not played since January 23 due to a right hamstring injury that has troubled him throughout the season.
However, it ultimately looks like Gordon's absence will end after just six weeks, as according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, he aims to return on Friday night when the Nuggets take on the New York Knicks.
Although this is Gordon's target date, he will still need to be cleared by the Nuggets' medical team, as they have taken a cautious approach with him and fourth-year forward Peyton Watson, who has been sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring strain. Given their championship hopes this season, the Nuggets are in no rush to add any players back into the mix.
This is especially true for Gordon, who returned in January from a hamstring injury suffered in November, only to play 10 games before restarting the process. His staying healthy is essential for the Nuggets in the postseason.
On Sunday, league sources told ClutchPoints that both Gordon and Watson are recovering from their respective injuries and will be re-evaluated by Denver sometime this week, with the expectation that they can return to the field along with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in 7-10 days.
If Gordon is cleared to play and return against the Knicks on Friday night, he would immediately provide a boost that the Nuggets are missing.
Over their last 16 games, the Nuggets have gone just 7-9, winning back-to-back games just once during that span. Without Gordon and Watson, as well as Cam Johnson at times, Denver has been left extremely weak at the forward position. More importantly, Gordon's absence has left a void on defense that the Nuggets have shown no answer to addressing without him.
While Gordon may not be an All-Star level talent, the little things he does on both ends of the court have made his impact synonymous with the league's stars.
In addition to being able to guard multiple positions and take a huge amount of pressure off everyone else in Denver, Gordon always plays an aggressive game in terms of making the extra pass or creating second chance scoring opportunities.
This season, he is averaging a career-high 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.9 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from 3-point range. The Nuggets ranked near the top in the league when it came to offensive efficiency before Gordon's injury, and that's no coincidence.
As good as Jokic and Murray have been, their presence is vital to Denver's overall success, which is why the team has been patient on Gordon's road to recovery. Whether Gordon will make his return on Friday, his target date, is still unknown.
The Nuggets are currently 38-24 this season and are a full game behind both the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, who are tied for the 3-seed in the Western Conference standings.
