On the eve of their first round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves – the two teams third playoff series meeting in the past four seasons – the Denver Nuggets divulged some interesting news on their first official injury report.
As expected, forward Peyton Watson, one of the team’s key wing defenders, is expected to miss at least the first game of the series. Some reports have him missing the entire thing. Watson is listed as being out until Monday, which is the night of Game Two. On the plus side, Watson is the only Nugget listed as out on the injury report.
Watson is Out…Could Jones be Back in?
That means the team appears to be expecting forward Spencer Jones – another player who excels at the defensive end – to be available. Jones has missed the last six games, and is officially questionable, which is probably good news for the Nuggets.
While Watson was having a breakout campaign before injuring his hamstring in early February, his offense shouldn’t be missed. Denver still led the NBA in scoring and three point shooting percentage, relying more on starter Cam Johnson, who broke out of a midseason slump and regained the form he showed with Brooklyn last season, and super sixth man Tim Hardaway Jr. who averaged better than 13 points per game off the bench and hit threes this season at a clip of almost 41%. That’s a full four percentage points better than his career average.
Going in, injuries don’t appear to be a big factor in the frontcourt, where three-time MVP Nikola Jokic remains in peak form after coming back from a 16-game absence in January. Power forward Aaron Gordon has nursed a balky hamstring most of the season, but is expected to start the T-Wolves series at close to full strength. They – along with backup center Jonas Valančiūnas – will be needed to combat the in-the-paint talents of three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and 2024 NBA sixth man of the year Naz Reid, who provides a big boost off the bench. Although it’s happened sparingly during the season, it would not be a shock to see Valančiūnas and Jokic on the floor together when Gordon is on the bench. A “small ball” lineup – which Denver did use effectively at points during the season – doesn’t appear to be the best way to attack Minnesota.
T-Wolves Must Keep an Eye on Ant Man’s Knee
While the Nuggets monitor the hamstrings of Watson and Gordon, the T-Wolves are holding their breath regarding the status of All-Star guard Anthony Edwards, who has been nursing a sore knee and missed 11 of the team’s last 14 games. “Ant Man” is officially “questionable” for the opener as well. Edwards needs to have a big series as Minnesota will look to slow down Denver’s Jamal Murray, who’s had a career year, averaging better than 25 points per game, and better than seven assists per contest. In February, he was a first time All-Star selection.
If everyone is healthy, the scale tips Denver’s way. If either team loses a key player during the series, all bets should be off.
Denver Nuggets Pre-Series Injury Report Offers a Mixed Bag