It’s opening week in the NBA, and the Denver Nuggets are about to find out where they stand right away. Their season begins Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2025 NBA champions led by back-to-back MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
After a 3-2 preseason, the Nuggets have a fairly clear picture of what their first rotation of the season should look like. The biggest caveat: Julian Strawther is out, and there’s still no timetable for Spencer Jones to return, so both bench pieces are left out of the opening-night mix.
The top five is already set. Denver kept its core intact this offseason, and that means the same starting group that shared the floor for 23 games last year is expected to open the season together again.
Starting Lineup: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
That group went 18-5 in those 23 games last season, a pace that pointed toward 64 wins if it had stayed together. The central issue for Denver this season is the same one that has hovered over this group before: staying healthy. Jokic has said as much, and the Nuggets know full well how dangerous this lineup can be when it’s intact.
The preseason finale offered a good final look. Denver beat the Los Angeles Lakers, and even with rookie Trevon Brazile stepping in for the resting Gordon, the starters showed they were ready for the regular season. Thursday night presents a much bigger challenge, but this group should be capable of handling it.
Head coach David Adelman has also made his plan clear. He wants to use a 10-man rotation to start the year, and he’d prefer a platoon setup rather than mixing starters with the second unit. With that in mind, the first bench group should look like this.
Second Unit: Tyus Jones, Alpha Diallo, DeMar DeRozan, Trevon Brazile, Marvin Bagley III
That group may not be the final version once the roster is fully healthy. Strawther and Spencer Jones would likely be part of the picture then, but for now, this is the opening-night bench.
Diallo, stepping in for Strawther, has a real chance to stand out. He has already shown he is the best defender on the roster, and that matters for a team that has had its share of issues on that end. Brazile, filling in for Jones, brings athleticism, length, and versatility that could matter more than expected.
Beyond those 10, the rest of the roster sits just outside the first cut. If injuries pop up, though, they’re the next men up.
Next in Line: Ryan Nembhard, Cam Whitmore, Bryce Hopkins, Zeke Nnaji, DaRon Holmes
It would be a surprise to see any of that group on the floor Thursday night, though Whitmore could get a look if the Nuggets’ bench offense stalls. Even then, Diallo’s defense may be too important to remove from the rotation.
The bigger question for Denver comes later, once everyone is available. With at least 12 players who can legitimately factor into the rotation, things could get crowded fast. But for opening night, the Nuggets appear set with a 10-man plan.
In Other News...
Marvin Bagley May Have Given Nuggets An Answer Behind Jokic
Marvin Bagley III had a preseason finale that gave Denver plenty to think about behind Nikola Jokic. In the matchup with the Lakers, the veteran big man looked comfortable off the bench, providing a mix of scoring and activity that stood out in a reserve role the Nuggets have been trying to shore up.
Bagley showed he can finish inside, stretch the floor a bit and bring real juice on the defensive end, where his athleticism showed up in the paint and in the passing lanes. For a Denver team that needs a dependable backup center, that kind of all-around burst is exactly the sort of answer it has been searching for, even if the true test still has to come when the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Nuggets Champ Bruce Brown Still Has A Knicks Twist Ahead
Bruce Browns latest stop with the Knicks turned into a short stay, even after New York brought the veteran in for training camp with a chance to earn a roster spot. The only hurdle was procedural but significant: the team needed to move a player already on the books in order to keep him, and that deal never came together before the season began.
For now, Brown is on the outside looking in, but the door is not completely closed. Once contracts become prorated later in the season, New York could circle back and revisit the fit, leaving open the possibility of a reunion if the roster and finances line up in December. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Get A Needed Spencer Jones Update Before The Opener
Spencer Jones appears to be trending in the right direction just in time for the Nuggets season to begin, a welcome development for a team trying to get through the final stretch of camp with as few health concerns as possible. The forward had been dealing with a hamstring strain, and the latest word is that he is expected to be available when Denver opens the regular season.
Jones situation fits into a wider run of early injury news around the league, with several teams sorting through their own concerns before opening night. The Wizards have AJ Dybantsa day-to-day with an ankle sprain, the Suns are waiting on Luke Kennard after a knee tendon strain, and the Heat expect Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson to be ready for their opener, while the Magic are managing injuries for Franz Wagner and Noah Penda as they head toward theirs. For Denver, getting Jones back on track matters because every healthy body counts as the rotation starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]