PHOENIX — J.J. Hickson is not taking any playing time for granted. Not now. Maybe not ever.
The power forward has played in each of the Nuggets’ past three games, including Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns, but he knows as the health of the team gets back to what it was just a week ago, those minutes could vanish.
When Nuggets coach Brian Shaw shortened the rotation to 10 players, Hickson was one of the five left out in the cold. He had two games last week in which he was a “Did Not Play — Coach’s Decision” and was scheduled to stay that way until center JaVale McGee’s injured tibia opened the door for Shaw to use Hickson again.
“It felt good to get back out there on the court after two DNPs,” Hickson said.
Asked how difficult it has been — and probably will be — to fight through being on the outside of the rotation, Hickson shrugged.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of fighting through it,” he said. “It’s a matter of dealing with it. I’m a professional. I was never guaranteed minutes when I came here. The only thing I was guaranteed was that they would pay me, and that’s about it. It’s tough getting DNPs out of nowhere. But, like I said, I’m a professional, and I’m going to continue to stay a professional.”
McGee update. McGee missed his second consecutive game as he lets his tibia heal.
Shaw said McGee remains day to day.
“It’s basically on when that whole area kind of calms down and settles down,” Shaw said. “There’s no structural damage or anything like that, according to the X-rays. Now, it’s just a matter of his pain tolerance.”
Not watching the West. Though things have generally gotten better for the Nuggets, Shaw isn’t checking the Western Conference standings daily.
“I think all of that will take care of itself as the season goes on,” Shaw said. “But right now my focus is on making sure that we consistently bring that kind of effort on a night-in, night-out basis.”
