The Nuggets’ average height continues to shrink as their injury list grows.
Doctors delivered Denver’s latest bit of bad news late Wednesday, that center Marcus Camby – in the middle of what looked like a career year – has a fractured right little finger and not a sprain, as originally thought.
Camby will have pins surgically inserted into the finger today, at which time doctors will set a timeline for his recovery, the Nuggets said in a news release. However, such a procedure suggests Camby, who sprained the finger during practice in Cleveland on Dec. 14 and fractured it Monday at Golden State, could miss more than a few days of work.
“A sprain you can be back in a week or so or less,” general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. “This is probably longer than that.”
Camby could manage only six minutes in Denver’s 108-106 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. After the game he said he took a painkilling shot to try to play, but it did not work.
“I’m not a big shot guy,” he said. “I try to do everything I can to get out there on the court. It hurt (Monday) night. It hurt worse when I woke up (Tuesday).”
Without Camby and with forward Kenyon Martin in and out of the lineup, the Nuggets face a short-term future without any of their top three big men at close to full strength. Nene is out for most or all of the season with an injured right knee.
“It’s been a very difficult year, lots and lots of injuries,” Vandeweghe said. “(Assistant coach) Doug Moe told me this morning it goes in cycles. We’re in a bad cycle right now.
“We’ve been through it before. We’ve just got to weather the storm. But it’s going to be difficult.”
Against Philadelphia, the Nuggets went with four guards and a small forward at times, a lineup the larger 76ers exploited. With its roster full and set, Denver might not have any choice but to continue with that strategy.
“It’s getting old. It’s tiring,” small forward Carmelo Anthony said after Tuesday’s loss. “Hopefully we can get everybody back as soon as possible because playing like this, playing with four 6-foot-4 and under guards, it’s tough out there.”
Camby entered Wednesday ranked first in the NBA with 12.9 rebounds per game and second with 3.1 blocks per game, while averaging a career-high 16.3 points.
The only silver lining Wednesday was that Anthony’s right wrist felt well enough that he did not ask for treatment. He had been hit on the hand by Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert as he released a shot.
Even before the news on Camby, the Nuggets differed on whether their laundry list of injuries makes recent losses understandable. Some thought it did, while others said games decided late eliminate injuries as an excuse.
As they have coped with injuries, the Nuggets have won enough to stay near the top of the Northwest Division. But they’re hardly happy with a 14-15 record, especially because their past five losses have been decided in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Martin, who has missed 10 games this season – first to lingering pain in his surgically repaired left knee and lately to a deep right thigh bruise – said the team’s inconsistency is a product of the injuries.
“We don’t know who’s going to play day in, day out,” said Martin, who trainer Jim Gillen said he thought would play against Seattle tonight. “It’s hard to prepare for a game if you’re not certain when you’re going to play. Some of it might be mental.”
But Earl Boykins, recovering from a strained right hamstring, disagreed.
“I think injuries are just an excuse that teams make when you lose,” he said. “I don’t buy the injuries (excuse). … Right now we’re just not playing good basketball.”
Staff writer Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
