As the Nuggets move past the trade deadline, it’s time to lock in with the players in the locker room. Reinforcements are not coming, and the guys in the rotation certainly aren’t going anywhere. Maybe there will be a tweak at the very end of the bench for a buyout player, but for the most part, the team is what it is at this point.
This is who Denver will be rolling with for a playoff run later this season. We can sit here and lament the previous mistakes by the front office that led to a quiet deadline that frustratingly saw the Nuggets fail to make a single move despite a shallow roster short on playable talent.
A big part of the reason the Nuggets badly needed to bolster the roster is the recent string of injuries suffered by key players. Russell Westbrook suffered a hamstring strain which has him out indefinitely, Peyton Watson is out for at least 4 weeks with a knee injury, and Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. have all been questionable for games recently.
Still, the Nuggets have managed to win 3 in a row and 14 out of 17. They’ve moved up to third place in the West and the two seed is squarely within their sights. But the competition is about to pick up and wins will be harder to come by, especially if the team can’t get healthy.
Michael Porter Jr. Ruled OUT vs. Suns
On top of the absences of Watson and Westbrook, MPJ has now been ruled out for Saturday night’s game against the Suns as well with a hamstring injury. It’s a tough blow as Porter has been on the best run of his career, scoring over 30 points in three consecutive games. He has arguably been the team’s second-best player this season.
Luckily for the Nuggets, Gordon and Murray were both cleared to play after coming into the day listed as questionable.
Suns will be without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal
At least the Nuggets won’t be the only shorthanded team on Saturday night. The Suns, who played an overtime game on Friday night will be without Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, and also new additions Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic.
The Suns have been a polarizing team this season and dealt with serious adversity at the trade deadline. Both Durant and Beal saw their names appear in rumors and knew the team was shopping them, despite no interest in leaving.
Now, things have to be at least a little awkward, and sure enough, those two haven’t played since Thursday’s deadline. It’s a serious problem in Phoenix, but in the short term, it could be great news for the Nuggets.