WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nobody was happier about the return of Jonas Valanciunas than Aaron Gordon. Masquerading as a center isn’t exactly his preferred use of time. He does it reasonably well when needed — remember the 2023 NBA playoffs? — but it takes a toll on him. Gordon is in his 30s now. He has responsibilities that he didn’t used to have. He has to take care of his calves. His hamstrings. “Banging against a 7-footer? Like a 7-foot, 275-pound man? Nah. What makes you think I’d be tired?” he said when asked if he gets tired of his minutes at center — a bluntly honest if sardonic assessment. He couldn’t contain his smile, even while donning a sarcastic tone. Those minutes were finally on the downturn Thursday night, with actual center Valanciunas returning to the Nuggets’ rotation after an 11-game absence. Usually the backup to Nikola Jokic, Valanciunas started alongside Gordon in a 107-97 win over the Wizards in his first game back from a right calf strain. Jokic (left knee) might not be far behind, judging by the ease with which he went through a pregame shooting routine in his latest recovery development. “He pushes me back to the four,” Gordon said eagerly when the topic of Val’s return came up. “It’s nice having somebody bigger on the floor than me. On the defensive end, on the glass, on the offensive end. … I can play big-big pick-and-roll again. I mean, he’s a fantastic player. And it’s nice having that center. That anchor back in, boxing out, getting rebounds.” Valanciunas amassed 16 points and nine boards in 22 minutes, a busy night in spite of a minutes restriction that left David Adelman marveling at the box score afterward. “I mean, he stats out,” the first-year Nuggets coach said. “It’s absolutely crazy. Couple of assists. A lot of fouls. The guy, he’s impactful. You can post him up. Great offensive rebounder.” Valanciunas heard a pop in the calf when he changed directions and pulled up limping on New Year’s Eve in Toronto. He left the arena in a boot that night, but the recovery process wasn’t his concern. Nor was it his missed opportunity to play more minutes, considering the injury had occurred just one game after Jokic’s, in a stroke of untimely luck. It was, as he tells it, about the impact of his injury on the team. Jonas Valanciunas (17) of the Denver Nuggets warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) “It’s not about me or somebody else. It’s about us. It’s about our team,” Valanciunas said. “It’s about the Denver Nuggets. Anybody who can help. Anybody who can step up and do stuff. I’m going down, Nikola going down — anybody who went down, another guy was stepping up and doing it. That’s why we’re winning. Because they know their roles and they contribute.” Even after patching together a 6-5 stretch without him, the Nuggets luxuriated in his return Thursday. They won the rebounding battle, a claim they have not been able to make often this month. And their first play call of the game was a weak-side dribble handoff with Valanciunas setting a second pick for the ball — an action that “just showcased what we’d been missing,” as Adelman put it. “He screens and rolls. He gets a layup.” It was almost as if Adelman was desperate for the reminder of what it’s like to have a classical big man on the floor. He couldn’t bear to wait for the second possession of the game to use Valanciunas. “Physicality, that’s what I can bring,” the 33-year-old Lithuanian said. “Setting good screens, fighting for the ball, just being a presence down low. Rolling hard for shooters to get some open shots.” “It was just nice to play against drop coverage for the first time in a long time,” Adelman said, referencing the attention Valanciunas demands on the roll thanks to his brute strength. If defenses dare to switch? Then they’d better be prepared for Valanciunas to post up on a smaller player — like he did on Denver’s third possession of the game in Washington, leaving Khris Middleton no other choice but to send Valanciunas to the free-throw line. Aaron Gordon (32) of the Denver Nuggets reacts to being boxed out by Rui Hachimura (28) of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Gordon was the ball-handler on that play, an example of the “big-big pick-and-roll” he’s been eager to get back to when he’s not playing the five. He and Jokic run it fairly often, both traditionally with the three-time MVP screening for Gordon, and as an inverted action with Jokic as the ball-handler. Few teams have the personnel to try that with their starting power forward and center, but Gordon and Jokic can both function as point guards for Denver. Gordon even told The Denver Post last year he sees himself as a one — even if the Nuggets have to use him as a five occasionally. Gordon hasn’t had as many chances to go there with Valanciunas, though. To tap into each other’s tendencies, to establish chemistry as pick-and-roll partners. They’ve only played 54 minutes together. The win in Washington marked the first time they’ve both been available since mid-November. Gordon missed six weeks with a hamstring strain, and he returned two games after Valanciunas suffered his injury. “It’s been a while since I’ve played with him, so it’s great,” Valanciunas said. “He’s a good player. He’s very smart, very crafty. He knows what he’s doing on the floor. High-IQ guy.” In that miniature 54-minute sample size, the Nuggets have a 119.6 offensive rating and 100.9 defensive rating — elite marks, and tantalizing ones. Denver would like to have a fully healthy rotation eventually, and when that time comes, fiddling with lineup combinations that intermingle starters and bench players will be a crucial component of playoff prep. Related Articles Denver Nuggets hold off Wizards as Peyton Watson goes off for career-high 35 points LeBron James on his hug with Nikola Jokic: ‘One of the greatest players to ever play’ Nuggets blow 16-point lead to Lakers as Luka Doncic goes for 38-point triple-double Nuggets injury updates: Nikola Jokic ‘up and down’ as Jonas Valanciunas tracking to return first David Adelman — Nuggets coach, Bills fan — extends sympathy to injured Broncos QB Bo Nix In the meantime, Valanciunas will ease back in on a minutes restriction. When asked where his conditioning is at right now, he twisted the figure of speech: “In Denver.” The Nuggets wanted to be especially careful with him on the second night of a back-to-back Friday in Milwaukee. “I’m just enjoying it. I’m just enjoying (being able) to be out there and play,” he said. “Anything I can do for this team, I’ll do it. No matter what kind of role I need to do, I’ll step out there and do.” His teammates and coaches enjoyed it even more in Washington. “He allows us to play normal NBA basketball,” Adelman said. ...read more read less