Denver Nuggets Roster, Injury News 2017: Forward Juancho Hernangómez Diagnosed With Mononucleosis, Out Indefinitely
It appears that Denver Nuggets forward Juancho Hernangómez will have to sit out a few games early this season.
The team has confirmed that Hernangómez has been diagnosed with mononucleosis and he's going to be out indefinitely as he continues to deal with the effects of the disease.
"To be honest, we were talking as coaches and as a staff that Juancho hadn't looked like Juancho from last year. The first reaction was: Well, he had a very busy summer," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said, via NBA.com.
"Then he started coming down with a little bit of a cold, and we did blood work and it came back that he had mononucleosis," he added.
He did not travel with the Nuggets to Charlotte on Wednesday as they begin a four-game road trip, and he will remain in Denver while he recovers.
"He could be out for a couple of weeks; that infection obviously is tricky. Hopefully he is able to get the rest he needs to get his body back under control," Malone stated.
Mononucleosis usually takes between four to six weeks to recover, so Hernangómez may be out for more than a couple of weeks.
Well, this explains why Hernangómez hasn't been playing much at the start of the season. After averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.6 minutes a game last season, the Spanish forward was supposed to play behind Wilson Chandler at the small forward position this season. However, he has only played a total of 13 minutes in two games so far and he hasn't scored a single point.
With Hernangómez sidelined, second-year wing Malik Beasley should continue to see significant playing time off the bench. Richard Jefferson may see some minutes at small forward as well. The veteran forward hasn't played since he signed a one-year deal with the Nuggets last week.
