It has been a tough start to the season for Aaron Gordon. While the latest update about the 29-year-old is somewhat encouraging, it is equally concerning as well. Coming into the early November matchup against the Raptors (which the Nuggets won), Gordon had a ‘questionable’ tag because of right calf inflammation and right knee contusion. However, he did suit up, only to play just four minutes before he returned to the locker room and, ultimately, announced as ‘out’ for the foreseeable future.

It’s been over three weeks now since this incident happened. And yet, the team is not ready to provide a return timeline. In fact, the Nuggets reporter, Katy Winge, noted that there was “no time table yet for return.”

What’s more concerning, however, is how Gordon is coping with the injury.

A key member of the Nuggets championship team, Aaron Gordon has continued to perform brilliantly. As such, being sidelined with no clear return date, especially as the team faces struggles, has taken its toll on the hoopster. As per Winge, Michael Malone and AG had a lengthy conversation during practice today regarding his recovery.

“Coach Malone said him and AG talked for a while today. Malone shared this calf injury has been particularly tough for Gordon mentally. AG was playing at such a high level, and he’s in good spirits, but no time table yet for return. Malone said they are going to be smart.”

In his last game, Gordon scored three points and an assist. Tonight’s Knicks matchup will be the ninth consecutive contest he will miss. With Aaron, Denver went 4-3 this season, and without him, 5-3. Now, out of the 5 wins, three of them came with Nikola Jokić in the game. Looking at it from that viewpoint, it’s just two games that the Nuggets won without AG and Jokić.

How are the Nuggets handling Aaron Gordon’s absence?

For the Nuggets, coping with Aaron Gordon’s absence has been a tough challenge. The guy’s a huge part of both their offense and defense—especially in the paint and as a reliable floor spacer. So, it’s not easy to fill that gap. But the team’s doing what they can by adjusting roles and giving other guys the chance to step up.

Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji, and Hunter Tyson have all been filling in for AG.

And while Denver is still figuring things out, it’s clear that they’ll need to be flexible to stay competitive. This is especially tricky since the Nuggets have one of the best starting lineups, but their bench depth has been a bit of a concern.

Offensively, the team’s trying to keep the pace up, even though they’re missing Aaron Gordon’s sharp shooting this season. They’ve been relying more on veterans like Michael Porter Jr. and DeAndre Jordan to help carry the load. But on the flip side, this is a great chance for the younger guys to get some real game experience and build chemistry, which could pay off down the road.

How the Denver Nuggets handle Aaron Gordon’s absence will definitely be a key factor in their early-season success. And with some important games coming up, the next few weeks could tell us a lot about their resilience.