The Nuggets wouldn’t be in first place in the West without their do-it-all forward.
When the Nuggets acquired Aaron Gordon from the Magic in March 2021, coach Michael Malone didn’t have a special role in mind for Gordon, the No. 4 pick from the ’14 draft. Gordon wasn’t asked to become the team’s second-leading scorer or told to focus on only his perimeter defense. Instead, the message was simple.
“They just told me to be me,” Gordon says.
Now, nearly two years since the trade, with a roster that’s finally fully intact, Denver is thriving. The Nuggets are first in the West, having gone 18–3 since Dec.