It is somewhat frustrating to watch how Denver has operated since winning the NBA Finals in 2023. Yes, there is some sense in keeping the core of a championship team together, but the front office has failed time and again to inject that group with the requisite talent to keep up with the ever-evolving Western Conference.
To make matters worse, the front office decided to forgo paying Peyton Watson for financial reasons — the Nuggets are the only team in the second apron — and instead shipped him off for pennies on the dollar. Denver enters the season with three of its top eight scorers from last season gone and three core pieces — Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Cameron Johnson — in their 30s.
David Adelman has said he wants a rotation of 10 men for the regular season, but this is hardly a roster that is deep with talent. Can the Nuggets make it through the regular season with a paper-thin roster once more? What does that even mean in a Western Conference that is as young and deep as this one?
BURNING QUESTIONS
What does Denver get out of its shooting guard spot?
The two-guard spot for Denver is a huge mystery heading into the 2026-27 season. Christian Braun is coming off an extremely poor shooting season in which he hit 29.6% of his three-point attempts. The former Kansas star did average 12.0 points and 4.8 rebounds on 51.9% shooting from the floor, but he was a complete non-factor in the series loss to Minnesota and completely lost his confidence on offense as the season went along. DeMar DeRozan averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% shooting last season, but he is also a non-factor when it comes to shooting and will tighten the spacing for Denver when he is on the floor. Julian Strawther remains on the roster, but he failed to deliver last season when expectations were high. The position is not a massive weakness by any stretch. However, in a Western Conference that is as good as it has ever been, a position group built like this could be the difference in a playoff series.
Can this roster handle the attrition of an 82-game season?
It is status quo for the core of Denver’s roster once again this season. While there are worse cores to maintain, there is the question of how a top-heavy roster will deal with the expected attrition of a long and arduous schedule. Aaron Gordon has played in just 85 regular-season games over the last two seasons. Cameron Johnson has not played more than 60 games in a season since 2021-22. Jamal Murray played in 75 games last season, but it was the most in a single season for him since the 2018-19 campaign. The presence of DeRozan on this roster gives the Nuggets a steady presence in case attrition hits. The Nuggets stunned win-total bettors last season with a 12-game winning streak to end the season, surpass their win total by a half-win, and steal the third seed. But they needed a 12-game winning streak to achieve that. Can they survive a long season once again?
How in the world does Jokic follow up that season?
The Joker has set otherworldly standards for himself with his play, but last season was downright incredible. Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and a career-high 10.7 assists per game on 56.9% shooting. In advanced metrics, he set career highs in usage rate (32.5%), assist rate (45.8%), and assist-to-usage rate (1.41). However, it is worth noting that he also played in the fewest games of his career. Most of the games he lost to injury last season were due to a knee injury suffered when Spencer Jones accidentally stepped on his foot and caused him to hyperextend his knee. Still, Jokic is 31 and entering his 12th season. His availability has been one of his greatest strengths, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see fewer than 70 games played become the norm for “Big Honey.”
WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: Under 49.5
