Aaron Gordon believes mutual sacrifice and team camaraderie are among the reasons the Nuggets have been able to rise to the top spot in the West, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Gordon, who has been with Denver since being acquired in a trade with the Magic two years ago, says it’s rare to find a team where everyone is committed to the same goal.
“I’m not here to win a championship for myself,” he said. “I’m here to win a championship for Joker (Nikola Jokic). Joker’s here to win a championship for Jamal (Murray) and (coach) Michael Malone and Michael Porter. (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope), we’re looking to get him another one. I’m not doing this for myself. I’m doing it for the guys around me.”
Gordon, who’s enjoying one of the best seasons of his nine-year career, had a brief interruption recently due to a rib contusion. He returned last week and helped the Nuggets to four straight victories.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Vlatko Cancar, who signed a new three-year contract last summer, told Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports that he hopes to spend his entire career with the Nuggets. The Slovenian power forward has a rotation role this season for the first time in his four years with the team. “I want to be in Denver because, first of all, I love it here. This is my first team, and I just want to be with the one team that drafted me, that believed in me,” Cancar said. “So I just want to give back to them with being positive, being a true professional, and when the opportunity comes, just play as best as I can.”
- Kevin Durant sees a bright future for his first NBA franchise, per Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. The Thunder will be the opponent tonight when Durant plays his first home game with the Suns. “You got some potential up and down the lineup, guys that can be impact players in this league, a front office and coaching staff that understands what that’s like developing players,” Durant said of the Thunder. “So the last couple years they’ve been trending in the right direction and I feel like they’re working their way to being a playoff team.”
- The Timberwolves have been saying that Karl-Anthony Towns is in the “final stages” of his recovery from a calf injury for several weeks, and Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune wonders why there’s so much secrecy.
Denver is the team to beat. I hope they get home court advantage in the Finals…
I like that he loves it there. Cancar living the American dream
” Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune wonders why there’s so much secrecy.”
Arthur, the Star Tribune has a paywall which should be noted with the link you gave.
Trade Towns asap…………..regain the picks and start over.
Towns isn’t worth the trouble. Trade him while there’s still some value. This team needs to start over from square one. Once Taylor no longer has any say in daily operations they’ll have a chance to succeed. Until then…keep treading water.