The Nuggets are reeling, now the fifth seed in a crowded Western Conference and in danger of going on the road in the first round of the playoffs. Defense has been the Achilles heel for the Nuggets this season—that and losing most of the lineup at some point to injuries. Both of those problems could get an instant boost when Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson are reevaluated for their hamstring injuries this week. And not a moment too soon, either.
The Nuggets are in the midst of a 6-9 stretch since Gordon hit the sidelines. Turns out, the Nuggets' defense lives and breathes with Gordon on the floor, and wilts without him. And he's been sorely missed in the clutch, too.
The reevaluation timeline matches up with what head coach David Adelman revealed last week when he said he hoped to have the full roster back and on the floor together with 20 games to go. That would be Thursday, March 5th, when the Nuggets take on the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena.
Gordon's impact will likely be felt right away
The Nuggets have been playing atrocious defense without Gordon in the lineup. With Gordon, the Nuggets are a top-five defensive team. Without him, they drop to the bottom five. Because he's missed so many games, the Nuggets rank 21st overall for defensive rating on the season.
Gordon's impact will also be felt on the offensive end. Gordon is in the midst of a career year, his sixth with the Nuggets, averaging 17.7 points per game, including a career-best 1.8 made threes per game.
Overall, it makes for an advanced net rating of plus 14, the highest on the team. Denver's 20-18 without Gordon, and 17-6 with him.
We need him back. But we need him in the playoffs even more. Adelman's probably going to play it safe and keep Gordon's minutes down for now, but any minutes from him will be an upgrade over what the Nuggets have been getting from his replacements.
Watson's return will also help the wing
P-Wat's another player who's been sorely missed. Watson won a player of the week award while he co-led the Nuggets with Jamal Murray, while Nikola Jokic was sidelined for most of January. And since that first game Jokic was out, Watson's averaging a sterling 21.1 points, which would be good for third on the team behind Jokic and Murray.
And he's a long, lengthy defender on the wing, who provides pressure defense. The Nuggets have been giving up a lot of wide-open three-point attempts during their recent slide.
Having Watson's speed and energy back on the perimeter should also be a much-needed boost for a Nuggets team that's trying to get the puzzle together before the playoffs start.