Why Nuggets are bringing Aaron Gordon off the bench as he returns from hamstring injury

Aaron Gordon (32) of the Denver Nuggets is defended by Mouhamed Gueye (18) of the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of a 110-87 Nuggets loss on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)Aaron Gordon wore a bashful smile as he flexed at his teammates, almost as if he was afraid to jinx himself. He had every reason to be feel arrogant after muscling his way into the paint for a tough bucket, after momentarily quieting Boston’s raucous arena and prompting a Celtics timeout.

But he had just as much reason to feel reserved on Wednesday. Gordon is still working through the aftermath of another strained hamstring, which kept him out of action for six…