Nuggets under strain, Banchero under pressure: two classic NBA fights
The NBA never slows. It strikes when you think you’ve got the rhythm, it tests bodies and nerves. In Denver and Orlando the situations differ, but the line is the same: take the hit, answer back, keep moving.
Denver hit again — the bad luck rolls on
The Nuggets really didn’t need this. Already without two starters, Cameron Johnson limped off the court with his right knee hurting in the fourth quarter against Dallas. An MRI will tell the tale, but the picture isn’t calming.
Johnson, who arrived from Brooklyn this summer, had settled into the rotation. 27 starts, nearly 12 points per game, over 30 minutes on average. A glue player. He can space the floor, defend clean, punish you if you forget him. He’d even dropped 20 on Utah the night before. He was finding his groove.
And Denver is starting to run out of breath.
A squad that starts to crack at the worst moment
Christian Braun’s been out since mid-November, ankle trashed. Aaron Gordon hasn’t stepped on a court since November 21, hamstrings acting up. If Johnson joins that list, the Nuggets’ rotation will be seriously tested, right as the schedule tightens over the holidays.
Michael Malone will have to jury-rig things. Put more on Tim Hardaway Jr., hand Bruce Brown a bigger role, speed up Julian Strawther‘s development. Not impossible. But in Denver the balance is brittle. And Jokic can’t carry it all forever.
In Orlando, Paolo Banchero’s fed up with the chatter
Meanwhile, out East, Paolo Banchero is clearing the air. Calm, but blunt. Debates about his fit with Franz Wagner? He couldn’t care less.
“It’s bullshit.” Plain. No filter. Banchero won’t buy the idea that the Magic play smoother with only one of them on the floor. For him, Orlando is more dangerous when they run together. Same system. Same intent. Same confidence.
And he says it like someone who knows his worth.
The shot’s not falling, but the confidence’s intact
Yes, the numbers are there. 43% shooting, under 24% from three — the worst marks of his young career. Banchero doesn’t dodge it. He explains. A groin injury. Ten games missed. Rhythm shattered.
“It stopped me cold.” Not an excuse. A fact. Come back, rebuild footing, timing, feel. It takes time. Paolo knows that. He’s not forcing it. He’s grinding.
Two teams, two battles
In Denver they grit their teeth waiting on medical news, hoping the bad run finally ends. In Orlando they answer the noise with conviction, criticism with continuity.
That’s the NBA. A league where the season isn’t decided by talent alone, but by who can take the hits. The Nuggets and the Magic have been warned. The rest won’t be gentle.
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