Forward Hernangomez out with case of mono

NOTEBOOK Nuggets:

Denver entered Tuesday ranked last in the NBA in turnovers (20.3 per game) but fourth in assists (24.3). … Newly acquired power forward Paul Millsap leads the Nuggets in scoring (18.0 points per game), while versatile big man Nikola Jokic is coming off a 29-point performance against Washington and leads Denver in rebounds (10.0 per game), assists (6.7) and turnovers (4.7). … The Nuggets have a 6-7 record at Charlotte since the 2005-06 season.

Charlotte has road losses to the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks and a comeback home victory against the Atlanta Hawks. … The Hornets entered Tuesday ranked 27th in scoring (97.7 points per game), 28th in field-goal percentage (41.8) and 29th in assists (16.7 per game). … Kemba Walker leads the Hornets with 21.7 points and 6.3 assists per game. … Howard’s gaudy rebounding numbers paced Charlotte to the third-highest average in the NBA (50.7 per game) entering Tuesday. — Gina Mizell, The Denver Post

Hornets:

Nuggets reserve forward Juancho Hernangomez has been diagnosed with mononucleosis, league sources told The Denver Post on Tuesday.

Hernangomez, a second-year player from Spain, was officially ruled out of Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards with an undisclosed illness and did not travel with the team for Wednesday’s contest at Charlotte. Symptoms for mono, which include fatigue, sore throat and fever, typically last four to six weeks.

This helps explain Hernangomez’s slow start to the season. He had played in 13 total minutes over Denver’s first two games and did not record a stat. After the Nuggets’ season-opening loss at Utah last week, Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Hernangomez needed to “get it going.”

“Right now, he doesn’t have that same energy and zap that he had last year,” said Malone, adding Hernangomez had a grueling offseason while playing for the Nuggets in summer league and for Spain in EuroBasket.

Already an outside-shooting threat and underrated rebounder, Hernangomez was expected to be Wilson Chandler’s primary backup at small forward and could also fill in as a stretch power forward. As a rookie last season, Hernangomez averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game and shot 40.7 from 3-point distance.

Without Hernangomez, Chandler could fill some minutes at power forward, while Malik Beasley could also be in line for more time when the Nuggets play a smaller lineup. Beasley played seven minutes against the Wizards — by far his highest total in the early season — and made a 3-pointer in the second quarter and added one rebound, one assist and one steal.

Additionally, newly signed veteran forward Richard Jefferson could see a viable on-court role with Hernangomez out for a lengthy period of time. He was activated for Monday’s game against Washington but did not play.