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Denver Nuggets’ Injuries Continue to Pile Up

By Matthew Schoettler

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The Denver Nuggets’ injuries continue to pile up, with Kenneth Faried missing Sunday’s game against Golden State due to an ankle injury.

The Denver Nuggets entered the season flying under the radar, due to many thinking they were still in the midst of another rebuilding season after trading Ty Lawson to the Houston Rockets. However, the Denver Nuggets look better than advertised this season, and a playoff berth is still within reason for the young squad. Despite the Nuggets’ playoff ambitions, the team continues to suffer setbacks in the health department and puts their hopes in question.

-= Related: Kenneth Faried: Back Spasms Cause Early Exit =-

Earlier in the month, the Denver Nuggets lost Wilson Chandler for the season due to season-ending hip surgery. Chandler entered the season as the Nuggets’ jack-of-all-trades player, able to play a multitude of positions at a relatively high level. The Denver Nuggets looked for Chandler to split time between shooting guard, small forward, and power forward; however, Chandler suffered a hip strain just before the beginning of season. The strain turned out to be worse than expected; thus, Chandler opted for surgery to repair his labrum, ending his season. 

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The Denver Nuggets suffered a tough loss with Wilson Chandler’s injury. Moreover, the Denver Nuggets’ health woes did not stop there. Denver Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic underwent knee surgery during the offseason; however, the Nuggets expected him to be ready by the beginning of the 2015-2016. To their dismay, Nurkic remains sidelined while he rehabilitates his knee. Nurkic has yet to see any playing time and missed the entire preseason as a result of the surgery. Earlier this month, Denver Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone stated that Nurkic was still “a ways away” from a return to the court.

Jusuf Nurkic figured to be a key piece in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation to begin the season, but the team must wait even longer for Nurkic’s season debut. While Malone initially hoped for Nurkic to return in November, it looks like he is more likely to return in December, at the earliest. With both Chandler and Nurkic out for the Denver Nuggets, their big man rotation took a hit, but the news only gets worse. Joffrey Lauvegne’s back issue continues to flare up, and he is expected to miss more time than initially anticipated.

Joffrey Lauvergne expected to see a significant role to open the season for the Denver Nuggets, with injuries hampering Chandler and Nurkic. Lauvergne put in a strong preseason, and he went into the regular season as a potential breakout candidate. During the final days of preseason, Lauvergne had some back issues arise, but that did not keep him from starting the first couple of games for the Denver Nuggets. However, after the first couple games, Lauvergne succumbed to the back injury, and he has missed 12-straight games. 

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Lauvergne’s injury was considered to be minor; however, the injury looks to be more significant than expected. Lauvergne returned to practice with the Denver Nuggets a little over a week ago, but upon his return, his back continued to flare up, resulting in him missing a longer amount of time. Coach Malone stated that the Denver Nuggets are doing everything in their power to get Lauvergne right, but he believes the big man just needs ample rest for his ailing back. Joffrey Lauvergne’s injury just added to the health woes of the Nuggets this season.

As if things could not get worse for the Denver Nuggets, they did. Last week, the Nuggets’ star power forward Kenneth Faried had to leave their road game agains the Phoenix Suns due to back spasms. Faried did not miss significant time due to his back injury, returning to play in the next game on the schedule. However, an ankle injury recently popped up for Faried, and he missed the Denver Nuggets’ home matchup against the Golden State Warriors. While we are unsure how hurt Faried is, the Nuggets host the Clippers on Tuesday, and that will paint a clearer picture on his injury.

Next: Denver Nuggets: Trade for DeMarcus Cousins?

With a bevy of injuries to the Denver Nuggets’ frontcourt, the Nuggets must find a way to stop the bleeding. Kenneth Faried has not missed significant time this season, unlike Nurkic, Lauvergne, and Chandler, but the Nuggets need to get healthy in a hurry if the intend on competing in the Western Conference. The Denver Nuggets have two tough home matchups left before they head on the road for five-straight. Hopefully, Faried and Lauvergne return before the Nuggets hit the road. Keep an eye on the injury news concerning these players in the upcoming days.

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