David Adelman sets short timeline for Gordon and Watson returns

Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman offered his most optimistic timeline yet for Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson on Tuesday, expressing hope the team will be at full strength with 20 games remaining in the regular season.

“My hope is that we get the full group back 20 games to go,” Adelman said following practice. “That’d be what I pray for nightly, just so we can actually see what it is we have.”

The Nuggets play their first game post-break in Denver on Wednesday, hosting Boston. Then it’s a quick trip to OKC, back home to host the rival Wolves, then game No. 62 in Utah on Monday. Adelman’s timeline would project Gordon and Watson returning within the next week or so, possibly by that date with the Jazz.

Gordon has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a right hamstring strain — the second time he’s had that same injury in that exact spot this season, missing about 20 games the first time. Now he’s back to participating in most practice activities.

“He did basically everything but the contact,” Adelman said. “He got up and down. We did some situational defensive drills. He was a part of that, but it’s just going to be a day-by-day thing.”

Watson has been out since Feb. 4 after suffering a hamstring strain during a double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks. The 23-year-old had been in the midst of a breakout stretch before going down. He also missed much of February last year and struggled to find a rhythm after coming back for the playoffs.

Both forwards worked with coaches Monday.

“Yesterday they were in here playing with their coaches, conditioning, but they got some contact, full contact, in,” Adelman said. “I saw a lot of growth there.”

Adelman emphasized the mental hurdle both players face before returning to game action, particularly given Gordon’s two injuries this season and Watson’s most serious setback of his NBA career.

“I think it’s more about confidence to explode and be OK with what an NBA game is like, as opposed to a workout out here,” Adelman said. “So once they get that comfort level back, mentally, the physical part follows that.”

The Nuggets (36-22) have clung to a top-four spot in the Western Conference despite their injury woes. Denver hasn’t been at full strength since its 11th game, though Adelman recalled the team’s 8-2 start.

“Those 10 games we had to start the season were very successful,” he said. “Statistically, we were as good as anybody in the NBA, but that’s been a long time coming.”

First it was Julian Strawther, then Christian Braun, Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Nikola Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Braun again, Gordon again, and finally Watson — all missing extended stretches. The constant shuffling has given the Nuggets very little continuity, which may be contributing to their alarming collapses.

the frustration everyone has felt — from fans to the coaches themselves — yet he cautioned patience.

“When everybody gets back, there’s going to be a growth period during that point too, and we have to be patient with that,” he said. “We know what we can be if we’re fully healthy. We get in the tournament, how hard would we be to beat.”

The Nuggets have 24 games remaining — toughest schedule in the NBA. They’re 16-16 over their last 32 games, a stretch marred by many of those injury issues.

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