Nuggets are managing Aaron Gordon’s minutes, even on a night they needed every one

Aaron Gordon made half of the Nuggets' 3-pointers at Oklahoma City, and David Adelman said he's still pulling one of Denver's best players in and out

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Oct 23, 2026, 4:30 AM

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - OCTOBER 22: Aaron Gordon #32 of the Denver Nuggets loses the ball while b...

Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images

A day before the season opener, David Adelman summed up the Denver Nuggets’ ethos in one sentence.

“When Aaron plays, we’re as good as any team in the league,” the Nuggets coach said Wednesday.

It wasn’t quite that on Thursday. Plus-minus didn’t love Gordon’s night — Denver was minus-11 in his 29 minutes — but the stretch that swung the game came while he sat. Thursday showed that Denver could go toe-to-toe with even a team as good as the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the minutes he didn’t play were rough and the Nuggets are going to have to survive with Gordon on the bench more than anyone would like.

Gordon was the best Nugget on the floor in a 96-84 loss to the Thunder. He scored 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 29 minutes, and he was the only Nugget who could reliably make a 3-pointer. After the game, Adelman said he’s still managing Gordon’s minutes, even in a game that was close for three quarters.

“I’m trying my best here. We’re pulling him in, pulling him out,” Adelman said. “With the minute stuff, it’s hard for him … to keep your rhythm … when your coach is trying to keep your minutes at a certain place.”

Gordon’s health has been the swing factor for this group for years, and he missed much of last season. In fact, he hasn’t played 16-straight games — a full playoff run — since late 2024. When he did play last season, the Nuggets outscored opponents by 13.8 points per 100 possessions. Denver needs him in April, even if the 18-5 record his full starting group posted last season makes it tempting to lean on him now.

But Thursday showed how much it hurts to have him resting, and the shooting is one of the bigger reasons.

Gordon went 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Before the reserves took over with 1:43 left, Denver made six 3-pointers, and Gordon had half of them. The rest of the Nuggets went 3 of 22. Nikola Jokic was 1 of 7, and Christian Braun was 1 of 6.

For a player once known more for his dunks than his jumper, it’s still a shocking change a few years later. Adelman said he noticed AG’s smooth stroke again Thursday.

“I thought we had the lead in the first half because of him,” Adelman said. “His shot looks so fluid again this year. Just allows us to play the way we want to play.”

Gordon’s shooting mattered even more because of who wasn’t there to shoot. Cameron Johnson left in the second quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return. Spencer Jones (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (knee) were inactive. Without them, Oklahoma City packed the paint and dared everyone else to shoot.

“If your best shooters aren’t playing obviously that’s a big deal,” Adelman said.

The minutes question showed up clearly in the third quarter. Gordon opened the half with two 3-pointers off Jokic passes and added a driving reverse layup, giving Denver a 58-52 lead. He went to the bench with 7:04 left and the Nuggets up three. By the time he returned with 1:50 left in the quarter, Oklahoma City had outscored Denver 9-4 and led 64-62.

In the fourth quarter, Gordon played eight minutes and didn’t take a shot. He sat for just over two minutes midway through the period with Denver trailing by eight and came back with the Nuggets down 10.

The minutes management didn’t lose this game. Twenty-two turnovers did, along with a 5-of-19 night from Jokic and a 2-of-11 night from Jamal Murray. But Johnson’s injury forced Adelman to use lineups he said “literally had not played together even through training camp.” With fewer reliable options, every minute Gordon spent on the bench hurt. It’s a conundrum the Nuggets will face every game with how they utilize Gordon in the rest vs. best decision.

Adelman didn’t say how long the careful approach will last. He did say what the ceiling looks like.

“Aaron’s impact is always huge,” Adelman said. “And we get all three of those guys playing well, we’ll be fine.”

On Thursday, one of the three played well. He just wasn’t on the floor long enough to carry the other two, and against Oklahoma City, one out of three was never going to be enough.