According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo sports, Gary Harris‘ MRI has revealed a partially torn groin muscle and he will be out 4-6 weeks.
Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a partially torn groin muscle, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) October 5, 2016
This is tough news for the Denver Nuggets. A timeline of 4-6 weeks almost guarantees that Harris will not be ready to go for the start of the season. The diagnosis of a partially torn groin muscle is also more severe than the initially reported strain (though strain is somewhat an ambiguous term and can mean a tear). Groin injuries can be tricky, especially in the game of basketball which requires players to sprint at full speed for a large portion of the game. The key for the Nuggets will be to make sure Gary is 100% before putting him back on the court or they will run the risk of a partial tear becoming a full tear which would essentially end the season for Harris.
Luckily, the Nuggets have the depth to overcome a minor injury to their starting two guard. Will Barton, Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley all can fill the role vacated by Harris, though none of them offer the same defensive prowess that he does. Barton would seem like the most likely candidate but coach Michael Malone has shyed away from taking Barton off his reserve unit. Perhaps this means that the Nuggets top pick in this year’s draft, Murray, will get thrust into a starting role a little sooner than anticipated. Keep it locked here on the Stiffs for updates as the situation develops.
