The Nuggets were back to full strength. Or so they thought. It started out innocent enough. Before the game, the Nuggets were dealt a small blow on the injury front. Aaron Gordon was listed as out for the game with the Golden State Warriors due to tightness in his left calf. The Nuggets were holding him out for precautionary reasons. Simple. But then the avalanche hit.
The Nuggets lost Spencer Jones, Cameron Johnson, and Zeke Nnaji in the game. And just like that, it's deja vu all over again for a Nuggets team that just began to play its best basketball in weeks.
"It's so funny this year, it's been like that. It's never a guard and a forward, or a guard and a center. The whole group goes out," said Nuggets head coach David Adelman after the Nuggets' 116-93 win over the Warriors. At least Adelman can feign the humor.
Nuggets fans know all too well that when the injury bug hits, it hits. They've lost multiple starters and key backups, plus the world's best basketball player, Nikola Jokic, to extended absences this season.
Health is the biggest question mark surrounding the Nuggets
The Nuggets have been picked by some as a top-three team despite all of their defensive flaws, but the biggest "if" that has been surrounding them has been health. And for once, it was trending in the right direction.
The Nuggets had everybody back, even Peyton Watson. But the good fortune just couldn't last for long. And you have to wonder if it will ever be something they can finally get right before the playoffs.
Before the game, the "All-NBA Podcast" recorded an episode hosted by Nuggets fan Adam Mares, who was joined by NBA insider Marc Stein, and the two lamented Gordon's latest issue. Mares "doesn't know what to make of it," and I think after the latest wave of injuries, most fans don't know what to make of it either.
The Nuggets are clicking as the playoffs approach
As Stein thought, as long as they're healthy by the playoffs, the Nuggets are in good shape. They have won six in a row, and the offense has kicked it up a notch.
Jamal Murray has been playing some incredible basketball, including a 53-point game, and the two-man game with Jokic has been stunning to watch. It's the biggest reason the Nuggets keep being put in the top tier of the contenders. And the Nuggets just held the Warriors to 40 second-half points.
There are a lot of positives emerging, like the 7-3 record in the clutch in March. But the health question could overshadow them if the injury bug spreads to anyone else. It already feels like we've heard this story before.