Nuggets coach George Karl admitted Arron Afflalo “probably came back a little too early” from a hamstring injury.
Afflalo did help Denver win a big game at Atlanta last week, but two games later, he re-strained his left hamstring. And so Afflalo didn’t play Wednesday, and Karl said, “I’m pretty sure we’ll hold him out until next Wednesday.”
That means Afflalo will also miss Friday’s home game against Washington, Denver’s only other game during the stretch.
Against the Spurs, Karl went with a bigger starting lineup, wedging small forward Wilson Chandler into Afflalo’s shooting guard spot and giving Danilo Gallinari the start at the three.
With Carmelo Anthony now a Knick, Afflalo is arguably the Nuggets’ most clutch shooter. But lately, Karl has been using a crunch-time backcourt of Ty Lawson and Raymond Felton — both point guards — causing some problems for opposing defenders.
But in the future, “There’s no question that, in the end, (Afflalo) will be on the court when we finish most games, but now that’s not happening,” Karl said. “When we’re experimenting, it seems like I’ve gone with Ty and Ray a lot.”
In the Atlanta game, Afflalo was 6-for-9 from the field, scoring 15 points in 30 minutes. For the season, Afflalo is averaging 12.6 points per game in 34.1 minutes.
Fashionisto for 3!
The Italian Gallinari has been named the face of the spring and summer advertising campaign for clothing line EA7 Emporio Armani. The Nuggets forward is in a black- and-white modern commercial, wearing different attire, such as a golf outfit or a stylish jacket, shorts and sunglasses, while dribbling a basketball.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
