San Antonio – Injuries never are welcome. But the timing for what might be a serious knee injury to Nuggets forward Nene, just 2 minutes and 33 seconds of playing time into his fourth season, could almost be described as Shakespearean.
A day after he failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension with Denver, Nene landed awkwardly on his right knee and was carried off the floor with 2:17 left in the first quarter. The initial diagnosis was a sprained anterior cruciate ligament. He will be examined again today by the Nuggets’ team doctor, Steve Traina.
Last season Denver dealt with the loss of Voshon Lenard, who missed the next 79 games after tearing an Achilles tendon in the opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Asked if he felt deja vu from opening night last year, general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said, “Brother. We obviously hope it doesn’t turn out like last year’s.”
Added center Marcus Camby: “We hope he’s all right. He’s a big part of what we do around here. We’ve got a lot of guys. I think we have the deepest frontcourt in the league. If he’s going to be out an extended period of time, we’ve got confidence in (Eduardo) Najera coming in, (Francisco) Elson coming in giving us minutes.”
Reached by phone Tuesday night, Nene’s agent, Michael Coyne, declined to comment on the situation until hearing a more complete report on his client’s health.
Rookie forward Linas Kleiza appears the most likely choice to replace Nene on the active roster.
