It's not often that something that feels like a curse turns out for the better, but that's exactly what's going on for the Denver Nuggets. They've been plagued by the injury bug this season, and on most nights since mid-November, at least two starters have been out of the lineup, and many times, even three or more.
But that injury bug has quietly been a blessing in disguise for the Nuggets this year. Without it, we may not have seen the development of the young stars at the back of the rotation.
The development of guys like Peyton Watson. He's morphed into a budding superstar. But, he, too, has been bitten by the injury bug and is currently on the sidelines for at least the next four weeks. However, P-Wat was around long enough to help lead the way without Nikola Jokic. Since December 29th, P-Wat's averaging 20.6 points over 17 games.
And then there's Spencer Jones, who started the season on a two-way contract but quickly found himself in the starting lineup a whole lot more than I'm sure he was anticipating. Yes, Jones is also out currently with a concussion, but over his 34 starts, he gained valuable on-court experience that head coach David Adelman will be able to draw upon in the postseason. He doesn't get that experience without the blessing in disguise.
The Nuggets' young bench runs deeper
Finally, you've got Julian Strawther. He's been thrust into the starting lineup now in place of the injured Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones. Strawther has been on fire recently, and his last time out, he scored 19 and had 5 rebounds. He's the latest in the long line of players who have stepped up while the merry-go-round that is the Nuggets injury carousel has been spinning.
These guys don't get this kind of game action without all of the injuries that have occurred. And it's just icing on the cake that the Nuggets are still sitting in third place in the Western Conference standings. It's a testament to the heart this team has and the coaching they've received.
Come playoff time, when all of the injuries are healed, and the Nuggets are whole again, Coach Adelman will have his choice of situational weapons, his bench now deeper and more ready for playoff basketball. That's a spot that any coach could envy. It was all a blessing disguise.