The Denver Nuggets were no strangers to injury during the 2025-26 season, with their starting five missing a combined 136 games. Aaron Gordon accounted for 46 of them by himself. But according to Mr. Nugget himself, he's "ready to go" for the upcoming season. The Nuggets hope he is, because his health will be central to their ceiling this year.
Gordon was hosting a basketball camp for local kids when he took a few minutes to answer some questions from the local media who had gathered to cover the event. When asked how his offseason had gone, Gordon gave an answer every Nuggets fans hopes comes true.
"It's been nice. Did a lot of soul-searching and training. So, I got my mind right, my body right. I'm ready to go," Gordon said.
We won't truly know just how healed Gordon's soft-tissue issues are, but having the mind-body connection in unison is a step in the right direction to helping keep the glue guy of the team on the court as much as possible in 2026-27. Gordon had two separate long stints out of the lineup due to a right hamstring injury and re-aggravation of that same hamstring, and he was slowed down by a left calf injury in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which also forced him out of three of the six games.
Gordon's health will determine the Nuggets' ceiling
Of course, Nikola Jokic is central to the Nuggets' success. But right behind him is probably Gordon. Gordon's minutes and games played have been trending in the wrong direction over the last two seasons, and the Nuggets' overall success has taken a hit without him in the lineup. Especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Gordon was relatively healthy in 2023-24, missing just nine games. He averaged 31.5 minutes per game over 73 games. But in 2024-25, AG played in just 51 games and averaged 28.4 minutes. The Nuggets were 33-18 with him in the lineup, but just 17-14 without him. Their overall defensive rating was 115.7 with Gordon and 117.3 without.
2025-26 was more of the same. The Nuggets were 27-9, a .750 winning percentage, with a defensive rating of 116.6 in games Gordon played. Without Gordon? 27-19 for a .567 winning percentage and a defensive rating of 118.4. Plus a stinging first-round exit from the playoffs.
Clearly, without Gordon during the regular season, the Nuggets perform worse. But it's magnified in the playoffs to lose your best interior defender, who also stretches the defense on the opposing end with a three-point shot that's been improving in consistency each year.
The Nuggets need Gordon to be healthy for the playoffs, but they need him to find cohesion with his teammates during the regular season, too. Managing his workload will be crucial. But as long as Gordon is feeling good now, there's no reason to think he can't regain his form from his first three years in Denver and be ready to head into the playoffs healthy, where the Nuggets need him most.
Add us as a preferred source on Google