The Denver Nuggets have lost four games in a row and seven of their last eight, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise as they are dealing with some key injuries. Both Danilo Gallinari and Emmanuel Mudiay have missed some time with ankle sprains, but head coach Mike Malone gave updates on both and it seems like they will be back fairly soon.
Gallinari has missed the Nuggets' last six games as he is dealing with a sprained left ankle, but he is very close to a return. Gallinari went through pregame warmups on Wednesday, and Malone thinks that if everything goes well in the next couple of days he should be back in the lineup for Denver's next game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.
Mudiay, on the other hand, has not played since Dec. 11, as he is dealing with a sprain to his right ankle. His timetable for a return is a bit of a question, though, as Malone thinks he needs about 10 more days while Mudiay thinks he needs less than that. The Nuggets are going to play it safe with their prized rookie, so a week seems like a logical time for the point guard to get back on the floor.
This all comes on the heels of the news earlier this week that center Jusuf Nurkic may be able to make his season debut this weekend. It is possible that Nurkic could make his debut in the same game that Gallinari returns, which would provide a huge spark to a Nuggets team that has really struggled lately. Malone is unsure if Nurkic will be ready this weekend, but it does seem like a distinct possibility.
In other Nuggets news, they have decided that they will keep Kostas Papanikolaou for the remainder of the season, as his contract is set to become fully guaranteed on Jan. 10, according to Nikos Varlas of EuroHoops.net. Papanikolaou was acquired by the Nuggets in the Ty Lawson trade this offseason, but they cut him and his $4.8 million salary before re-signing him to a minimum deal. Papnikolaou's minutes have been sporadic so far this season and he hasn't contributed much, but the Nuggets decided to pick up the option on the 25-year-old that will keep him around until the summer with a team option for next season.
