Preseason Profile: A Fully Healthy Aaron Gordon Keeps Nuggets’ Title Window Open

Getty Image

The Denver Nuggets enter the 2025–26 season with championship aspirations still very much alive. At the heart of those hopes lies Aaron Gordon, a player whose value extends beyond the stat sheet and whose health could very well determine how long Denver’s title window remains open. After a turbulent 2024–25 campaign riddled with recurring soft-tissue injuries, Gordon has arrived at training camp healthy and focused, ready to reclaim his role as one of the league’s premier glue guys. Last season, Gordon was limited to 51 appearances, the lowest of his Nuggets tenure. A Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered late in the postseason further underscored the fragility of Denver’s rotation when their defensive anchor and versatile scorer was sidelined. Yet, despite those limitations, Gordon showcased growth in his offensive game. He averaged career highs in playoff points and rebounds while logging over 37 minutes per contest, a testament to his endurance and importance to Denver’s system. Perhaps most notably, his shooting touch blossomed. Gordon posted a career-best 43.6 percent from three-point range and 81 percent from the free-throw line, numbers that raise questions of sustainability but also hint at an evolution in his game.

Comparisons to players like Blake Griffin illustrate the uncertainty of such transformations. Griffin briefly reinvented himself as a perimeter scorer before regression set in, and Denver must be wary of a similar trajectory for Gordon.

Nonetheless, the addition of sharpshooter Cameron Johnson provides a complementary balance to the frontcourt, potentially alleviating pressure on Gordon to stretch the floor consistently. Defensively, however, Gordon must return to form. His 2024–25 numbers—just 37 combined steals and blocks across the season and a career-worst -0.8 Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus—paint a concerning picture for a player once regarded as Denver’s most versatile stopper. The Nuggets, ranked 20th in Adjusted Defensive Rating, cannot afford such slippage if they expect to compete with the elite offenses of the Western Conference. At 30 years old, Gordon is now among the elder statesmen of Denver’s core. Father Time looms over players whose games are predicated on athleticism, but Gordon’s improved jump shooting suggests an awareness of the need to adapt.

Managing his workload in the regular season will be key, ensuring he is available when the postseason arrives. For a team built around Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray, Gordon’s health represents the X-factor that can turn a playoff run into another championship parade.

Ultimately, Gordon is more than just numbers. To Denver fans, he is “Mr. Nugget,” a veteran leader, a connector on and off the court, and a player whose energy fuels the team’s culture. If he can remain healthy, the Nuggets’ championship window stays wide open, proving once again that Gordon’s presence is the difference between contention and disappointment.