It’s been nearly two weeks since Aaron Gordon last suited up for the Denver Nuggets, but fans got a welcome dose of his presence Tuesday - not on the court, but on The Old Man and the Three podcast, now hosted by Cam Johnson. The interview was recorded before the season tipped off, but the timing of its release couldn’t have been better for a team trying to steady itself after a rough stretch.
Gordon didn’t mince words when it came to his expectations for the 2025-26 season. “We’re going to be the ones to win at the end of the season,” he said confidently.
“Everyone else is going to hold an L.” That’s the kind of mindset you want from a core piece of your championship roster - especially when the team is navigating a tough patch like this.
Denver’s recent form has been anything but championship-caliber. Monday’s 131-121 loss to the Mavericks marked their fourth straight defeat at Ball Arena, and it came after blowing a double-digit lead.
Making matters worse, Jamal Murray rolled his ankle during that game and is now questionable for Wednesday’s matchup in Indiana. If Murray can’t go, that would leave the Nuggets without three starters - joining Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) on the injury report.
On paper, Denver should still be favored against a Pacers team that’s dealing with its own injury concerns. But “on paper” hasn’t meant much lately.
The Nuggets have stumbled against undermanned squads, including losses to a Kings team missing Domantas Sabonis and a Spurs team without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. And that Mavericks team they just lost to?
They came into the game with only six wins.
So yes, the frustrations are real. But Gordon’s words serve as a timely reminder: this is a long season.
There are 62 games left before the playoffs begin. The Nuggets are 14-6, sitting fourth in the Western Conference, just 5.5 games back of the top-seeded Thunder and only a game behind the second-place Lakers.
That’s hardly a crisis.
What’s made this recent skid feel heavier is the weight of expectations. When you’re the defending champs - or at least built like one - every loss gets magnified.
Every injury feels like a potential derailment. But context matters.
This isn’t April. It’s early December.
There’s time for Gordon to get healthy. Time for Braun to return.
And time for Murray’s ankle to heal - assuming it’s not something more serious.
The Nuggets start a four-game road trip Wednesday in Indianapolis. It’s the kind of stretch that can either deepen a slump or spark a turnaround.
Either way, the approach has to be steady: one game at a time. There’s no need to panic, but there is a need to respond.
Gordon’s belief in this team hasn’t wavered. And if Denver can get back to full strength, there’s no reason to think they won’t be right back in the mix come playoff time. For now, it’s about weathering the storm - and remembering that championships aren’t won in December, but they can be lost if you let the grind get the best of you.
As Gordon said, the goal is to be the last team standing. The journey back to that mountaintop continues tomorrow night in Indiana.