A dog attacked Aaron Gordon on December 25th, while he was celebrating the holiday season. He suffered injuries to his hand and face, requiring 21 stitches. As of now, there is no return in sight for Gordon. Without Gordon, the Denver Nuggets will be dependent on their young players, Peyton Watson and Christian Braun to step up. Braun helped boost the Nuggets during their championship run last season, but Watson is in his first season of receiving rotation minutes.
Aaron Gordon is arguably the Nuggets’ best defender and is certainly their most versatile one. Replacing his value on the court will be a hard task, but will provide valuable learning lessons for the Nuggets’ youth. Both Braun and Watson have been inconsistent during the season. Now is the perfect time for them to gel with the starters and get into a groove.
Nuggets Youth Starting to Show Improvement
Michael Malone promoted Peyton Watson to the starting lineup for the first two games Gordon missed. Watson played incredibly against the Grizzlies, adding a career-high in both points with 20 and threes with four. He was a team-high +28 in a blowout victory. Watson also played good against the Oklahoma City Thunder adding 14 points and 2 blocks, but only shot 1/6 from three. For someone who is in his first year receiving his first real minutes, Watson looks like he belongs. Although his offense is inconsistent, his defense is elite for a second-year player.
Christian Braun has been a key cog off the Nuggets bench all season long. In the two games without Gordon, he had a great game against the Grizzlies, but struggled against the Thunder. He contributed 11 points and 4 assists against the Grizzlies. He didn’t add much against the Thunder, only scoring 4 points, all from the free throw line. Braun is also a very versatile defender and has shown a little more consistency on offense to start the season.
Aaron Gordon’s Importance
Aaron Gordon has been one of the best role players in the entire NBA since the Nuggets traded for him in the 2020-2021 NBA season. He has meshed perfectly alongside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. In the games where the Nuggets starting five is healthy, they prove how elite they are. Gordon is one of the best finishers in the restricted area in the entire NBA and is the glue on the defensive end.
Without Gordon, the Nuggets are going to struggle a little, especially with defensive consistency. Although both Watson and Braun are plus defenders, having them play more with the starters means the bench will struggle more on that end. Gordon currently doesn’t have a return in sight, but the Nuggets want him physically and mentally healthy before he makes his return. The young duo of Braun and Watson should be able to fill his shoes while he gets healthy.
