Ever since the Nuggets won the title in 2023, and perhaps even before that, the default stance has basically been that when everyone’s healthy, this team will be a contender. But for the first time, that seems to be a serious question. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon have all been out there for the most part, and things have still looked ugly
It’s forcing fans to grapple with the scary reality that this team just may not be good enough anymore, and that’s exactly the threat that Bill Simmons outlined on his most recent podcast. He was doing an NBA power poll, ranking the teams 1-30 based on what he has seen so far, and put the Nuggets at 19th, in a group by themselves called ‘possible panic time’.
What if Gordon simply isn't the same player anymore?
He raised concerns about Jokic, which have been running rampant through the media recently, suggesting he just hasn’t been the same player since he got injured last season. But his other worry is one that hasn’t been expressed as frequently, but would be almost just as damaging: Aaron Gordon is past his prime.
AG has basically become the face of the Nuggets’ health issues, as it seems like he’s constantly battling some kind of soft tissue injury in one of his legs. The idea of him ever playing a full season again has probably become a bit of a fantasy, but what if he’s just not the same guy anymore, even when he is “healthy”?
That’s a huge fear in Denver because although Gordon may not be an All-NBA player like Murray or an MVP like Jokic, he’s the team’s most important player in a lot of ways, and without him wreaking havoc on both ends, everything kind of falls apart.
Gordon is the team’s best defender down low and on the perimeter; he’s the best rim protector and also their best option to guard dominant wing players. He’s also one of, if not their best, catch-and-shoot guys from three, an absolute weapon playing out of the dunker spot, and someone who can even bring the ball up and run offense in a pinch.
Nuggets are way too reliant on Gordon on both ends
He truly does it all and is the straw that stirs the drink. He rightfully gets credit for running the defense and keeping that unit respectable, but he probably doesn’t get enough credit for his offensive contributions, and when the Nuggets are truly humming, it’s not the Murray-Jokic two-man game; it’s the three-man game with Gordon as well.
The drop-off is extremely noticeable when AG isn’t available, but the scarier thought to grapple with is if Gordon just can’t be relied on to reach that level anymore and give this team what it needs. They don’t have anyone who can come close to replacing what he does on either end of the floor, and without him producing at his usual level, they are way too reliant on Joker and Jamal to be taken seriously.
It’s a horrifying thought and one that I’m not ready to stamp just yet, but it’s something to keep a close eye on. So far, it has just been three rough games, and there’s a chance things could look completely different a week from now. But if not, some major questions will be raised, and this team is going to be desperately searching for answers that may not exist.
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