(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
This title run for the Denver Nuggets has been years in the making.
And while Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Mike Malone are right to get most of the credit, one cannot overlook Aaron Gordon’s contributions as well.
That’s why Shams Charania of The Athletic took some time on his show to praise the Nuggets organization in the 2021 NBA trade deadline and identify Gordon as the missing piece they needed to get over the hump.
“You can’t say the Nuggets win this year without Aaron Gordon” @ShamsCharania on @Double0AG proving himself this #NBAFinals #RunItBack with @MichelleDBeadle @ChandlerParsons & @bansky pic.twitter.com/1Qq5sgSMc3
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) June 12, 2023
Charania stated that the Nuggets would’ve made it to the NBA Finals right there if Jamal Murray hadn’t suffered a major injury, although he wasn’t sure about their chances to win the whole thing.
Even so, he gave the team some props for finding Gordon and putting him in that role, and then signing him through a contract extension, as he’s just a perfect fit and the guy they needed to finally reach the next level.
Gordon was asked to do too much during his days with the Orlando Magic, not to mention the fact that he had multiple coaches in his tenure in Central Florida, and that’s never good for player development.
He embraced a lesser and somewhat different role in Denver, a role that was more suited for his skill set, and he’s now one of the main reasons behind their postseason success, playing elite defense and making the most of his athleticism on the offensive end of the floor.
Gordon might not win Finals MVP, but there’s no way they go this far without him.
The post NBA Insider Names 1 Nuggets Player As Key To Finals Run appeared first on The Cold Wire.