The Denver Nuggets received another tough injury blow with Aaron Gordon set to be sidelined for an extended period of time. Gordon has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and will be sidelined the for next 4-to-6 weeks before being re-evaluated.
He joins Christian Braun as the second Nuggets starter to be sidelined for a significant portion of time. Braun has missed since Nov. 12th due to a sprained ankle and will be re-evaluated after his six-week timeline.
Gordon had been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury entering Friday’s matchup with the Rockets. He was listed as probable, but he left the game in the first quarter after coming up lame on a drive attempt and immediately grabbing the area.
This interrupts a strong start to the season for the Arizona product. Through his first 13 games played, Gordon was averaging a career-high 18.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and was shooting 44.4% on three-point attempts. The Denver standout was one of seven players in the league to average 15+ points on 50-40-85 shooting splits.
The Nuggets are off to a strong start to the season, even amid the injuries. Denver holds a record of 12-4 on the year and sits in second place in the Western Conference. These injuries are a major hit to its outlook in the short-term, but Denver has flashed why it deserves to be on the shortlist of true contenders this season.
Looking at the odds, Denver holds the second-best odds of winning the NBA Championship at +500 on DraftKings Sportsbook. It also holds +360 odds of winning the Western Conference, and Nikola Jokic has climbed to the MVP favorite once again at just +120 odds.
Stay tuned to DK Network for live updates surrounding Gordon’s outlook and all other notable players moving forward.
