Considering the Nuggets’ 27-16 record, the season has been a taxing one for Michael Malone and company. The coach has had to experiment with all kinds of different lineups and rotations to try and make his team function, especially when the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic is off the court.
Jokic is having another MVP-caliber season and whenever he’s on the floor, the Nuggets look like a well-oiled machine. But in the minutes when he’s on the bench, the team has struggled. They brought in Russell Westbrook to play a 6th man role, and he has been great, but mostly when sharing the court with Jokic.
Due to multiple injuries and absences to key players, Westbrook has gotten many chances to start. He has thrived in the role and has been a massive boon for the team. But his success has created a bit of an issue now that the team is fully healthy.
The rotation player who has missed the most games is Aaron Gordon who was out for two different long stretches with a calf injury. Gordon recently returned to the lineup, but he was on a tight minutes restriction, so came off the bench.
Gordon told Malone he’s fine coming off the bench
The team has been playing their best basketball lately and Gordon coming off the bench as a super 6th man has completely rejuvenated the bench. This accidental move has made the whole roster fall into place and the Nuggets have been dominating teams for 48 minutes recently.
When Jokic sits, Gordon is able to come in fresh and put his own unique imprint on the game. It’s working better than anyone could have imagined, but surely, one would expect once the minutes restriction is lifted, a player of Gordon’s caliber and stature would immediately slot back into the starting lineup.
But according to Malone, that may not be the case. After Wednesday night’s blowout victory over the 76ers, Malone told a story about Gordon’s unselfishness and shared that Gordon actually told Malone to bring him off the bench because the team was playing so well.
Michael Malone told us a story about Aaron Gordon.
— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) January 22, 2025
Malone discussed Gordon's minute restriction w/him coming back from injury, and Gordon told him to bring him off the bench because the team was playing so well.
"I want everybody to know who Aaron Gordon is. That is selfless."
Malone relayed that even when Gordon is fully healthy, he’d be fine coming off the bench, stating that he wanted everyone to realize what a selfless person Gordon is. Malone wouldn’t commit to anything in the future, but it’s great to know this is an option.
For now, Gordon off the bench has unlocked the best version of the Nuggets. The team looks like a juggernaut and these new rotations are a big part of that. Having a star player like Gordon be willing to make this kind of sacrifice shows what he’s all about and could go a long way in getting this current version of the Nuggets to true contender status.