Juancho Hernangomez doing whatever's necessary to stay in Nuggets rotation

After unexpectedly butting his way into the Nuggets rotation as a rookie, Juancho Hernangomez looked ready to take on an even bigger role entering the 2017-18 season.

Hernangomez moved one spot up in the pecking order at small forward when Danilo Gallinari went to the Los Angeles Clippers in a sign-and-trade this summer. But in late October, Hernangomez was dealt a curveball when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis.

Doctors ordered Hernangomez to rest and recover. He wound up missing 10 games — fewer than many anticipated — and has since reclaimed his spot in Denver’s rotation.

The 22-year-old received double-digit minutes in each of the Nuggets’ last four games. Hernangomez was on the floor in the fourth quarter Friday vs. Memphis when Denver pulled away for the win.

“I feel great,” Hernangomez said Monday. “I feel like I’m getting better every day. I’m happy to be here with the team and trying to help as much as I can.”

Hernangomez logged 18 minutes against Memphis. He scored three points (1-2 FG’s), grabbed five rebounds and recorded one steal. His three-pointer with a little more than 5 minutes remaining pushed Denver ahead by 14 points and represented the final nail in the Grizzlies’ coffin.

Afterward, Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised the closing group Hernangomez was a part of.

“Just think about the group we did it with,” Malone said. “Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Juancho, Kenneth (Faried) and Nikola (Jokic). That’s four young guys who in a very tough situation stepped up and had poise. Juancho made some big plays. Jamal did. Kenneth did. I was really proud of that group.”

Hernangomez’s biggest strength is outside shooting. Last year, Hernangomez was one of two rookies to attempt 100 three-pointers or more and sink at least 40 percent of them. Hernangomez memorably hit six threes in Denver’s 132-110 win over the Golden State Warriors in February.

This season, Hernangomez has picked right back up where he left off from deep. He’s hit 43.8 percent of his attempts (7-16) from beyond the arc.

“I try to be better every single day. I try to help my teammates,” Hernangomez said. “Some days they need me to score. Some days they need defense and rebounding. I’m here to help my team get the win. If it’s necessary, I’m going to do it.”

Friday’s matchup against Memphis was special for Hernangomez because he got to face Marc Gasol, who he got to play alongside this summer with the Spanish national team.

“Coming from Europe, I think all the European players like Dirk, Pau and Marc, we want to be like them,” Hernangomez said. “It’s impossible because they are stars and are going to be in the Hall of Fame. But we try to be as close as possible.”

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Opening-night rematch on tap

The Nuggets blew a big lead to the Utah Jazz in their Oct. 18 regular-season opener. Denver held a double-digit advantage in the second half but got outscored by Utah 28-13 in the fourth quarter in the 106-96 loss. On Tuesday, the Nuggets will return to the scene of the crime. They face the Jazz at 8 p.m. in an ESPN-televised game.

“At home we’ve been terrific,” Malone said. “We have to find a way to be a lot more consistent on the road, and that starts with valuing the basketball. Not to beat a dead horse, but that’s where it starts and ends with us right now.”

Denver committed 21 turnovers on opening night, which helped the Jazz climb back into the game. Utah converted those turnovers into 31 points.

“Can we go on the road and not beat ourselves?” Malone asked.

Limiting turnovers is a chief concern. So is containing Donovan Mitchell. Denver traded Mitchell’s draft rights this summer to Utah for Trey Lyles and the 24th pick, which became Tyler Lydon. Mitchell is averaging 14.8 points per game. He poured in 24 points in the Jazz’s 121-108 win over the Bucks on Saturday.

“I would say here is a young, athletic, aggressive player whose confidence is growing,” Malone said of Mitchell. “He plays in attack mode. Obviously, he’s a heck of a talented player.”

[columns]
[column size=”1/2″]Nuggets Starters

Jamal Murray
Gary Harris
Will Barton
Kenneth Faried
Nikola Jokic[/column]
[column size=”1/2″]Jazz Starters

Ricky Rubio
Donovan Mitchell
Joe Ingles
Jonas Jerebko
Derrick Favors[/column]
[/columns]