Nuggets' David Adelman Speaks on Latest Aaron Gordon Injury

The Denver Nuggets' injury-riddled regular season spiraled further out of control earlier this week when the announcement hit surrounding Aaron Gordon's latest injury: a second right hamstring strain of the year that will sideline him for four to six weeks, flaring up less than a month after his first game back from his previous injury.

It's yet another hit to the Nuggets' beaten-up rotation that's now currently without four of their typical five starters until further notice. For Aaron Gordon, it puts him out of the mix until a hopeful return arrives in March at the earliest.

When asked about the injury before the Nuggets' latest game vs. the Brooklyn Nets, head coach David Adelman made his feelings clear: it's a frustrating situation, but especially so for Gordon as a person.

"It just sucks for AG, first of all, as a person," Adelman said. "Coming back, going through the rehab process, really held us down when he came back. He allowed us to play how we always play... Just a setback, so yeah it hurts the team. I’m more concerned about him and just having to restart this whole process, find the motivation to get back."

"We know he’ll be back before the end of the season and he’ll get back to being who he is. So, it’s just an unfortunate thing in a season of many unfortunate things. I’m more concerned about Aaron as a person and trying to get him in the right headspace to complete this short journey again that he just went through to get back to help us. It’s just been one of those years. It’s been a crazy year."

Jan 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks on in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

When asked about how Gordon himself feels after having to undergo the same recovery process he just did earlier this season, that sentiment of frustration was echoed.

"Yeah, extreme frustration. That’s a very unselfish person, in Aaron," Adelman said. "Not being able to help his teammates and win games is a big part of who he is, it’s why his jersey will hang here. He is where he should be. Frustrated, pissed off, why again, those kinds of things."

"But most importantly, he’ll support his teammates like he did before, like all these guys have. We’ll move on with who’s healthy and ready to play."

Nuggets Lose Aaron Gordon for Next 4-6 Weeks

When healthy this season, Gordon's been putting together some of the best production of his career, but especially so with the Nuggets. In 23 games, Gordon is averaging 17.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 50.9% from the field and 33.4% from three.

Without Gordon, it'll leave the Nuggets' frontcourt shorthanded once again as it was for the time that he was out with his previous right hamstring strain back in the middle of November.

Jan 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) controls the ball as Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) guards in the first quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

For as long as Nikola Jokic remains out, Peyton Watson will continue to see his expanded role in the frontcourt as a second scoring option to Jamal Murray, and other wings down the depth chart in Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther will likely keep seeing their playing time increased as well.

The Nuggets' shorthanded rotation, especially now with Gordon forced out until after the All-Star break, will present an interesting landscape for Denver and Adelman once this lineup becomes healthy with just around a month before their playoff action kicks off.

Will the Nuggets be able to get back to a consistently dominant force by that point? Will this group have the right time to gel? It's something Adelman has thought about, but for now, he's focused on winning the games front of him.

"It’s definitely in the back of my mind, but you can’t, in the moment, think about that stuff," Adelman said of whether the team will have time to gel. "I have to think about how this team tonight will glue the best to try to win a game with minute restrictions and being careful with guys that are healthy, trying to get them through this to the All-Star break."

"So, it’s a balancing act but that’s why we do it and coach in this league. It’s part of the deal. It’s frustrating, but there’s positives to this too. There’s guys that are close to getting back that will really help... We’ll compete and try to give ourselves a chance to win every game we play and prepare like we’re going to win every game we play. That’s all you can do."

As for now, the Nuggets are 9-6 since the new year without their three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic, still sitting in the top three of the Western Conference, and seemingly keep holding it down in the meantime while down significant firepower in their rotation.

Nuggets Lose Aaron Gordon for Next 4-6 Weeks

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