The Nuggets have spent most of their early season trying to sort out what’s real and what isn’t. Monday night should help answer that.
Denver is 5-3 after shaking off the rough start that followed its opening-night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the schedule hasn’t exactly handed them many chances to prove themselves. The Nuggets have padded the record against a string of uneven opponents, from two strange wins over the Pelicans to a blowout of a bad Suns team, plus a loss to the Warriors and another to the Blazers.
They also handled the Raptors without Kawhi Leonard and the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton. None of that has felt like a true benchmark.
Houston is different.
The Rockets arrive as one of the league’s early surprises, with wins already over the Spurs, Thunder, and Celtics. Alperen Sengun has been rolling, Fred VanVleet is back steering the offense, and Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant are creating problems on the wing. That combination has Houston sitting with the 10th-best defense in the league and, more strikingly, the second-best offense.
They’ve been just as strong at home, going 4-1 with the only loss coming against the Timberwolves.
With Oklahoma City dealing with injury issues, Houston has moved into the conversation as a real Western Conference threat, right there with the Nuggets. Both teams are built around experienced players who know how to win and expect to keep winning, which makes this matchup feel bigger than a regular November game.
It also comes at the right time for Denver. This is the kind of opponent that can show whether the Nuggets are really in the same tier as the West’s best. Both teams are close to full strength, and neither is coming in on the second night of a back-to-back.
The only wrinkle is the travel. Denver had trouble getting out of Mexico City, but the team made it, and everyone is available. By the end of the night, the Nuggets should have a much clearer picture of where they stand.
In Other News...
Nuggets Suddenly Face A Major Availability Problem In Houston
The Nuggets trip from Mexico City has already turned into more than a routine travel day, and now the team is carrying a crowded injury report into Houston. Denver has listed Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and DeMar DeRozan as questionable for the upcoming game, leaving plenty of uncertainty around how much of the rotation will actually be available.
Jokic is dealing with an elbow injury, which adds another layer to a situation already complicated by the plane delays after the Mexico City game. Denver is expected to update his status and the rest of the injury report before tipoff, but for now the Nuggets are left waiting to see whether a difficult trip becomes a bigger problem on the court. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Already Have A Few Early Winners And One Clear Concern
Eight games into the season, the Nuggets already have a few early answers as they sit at 5-3. Nikola Jokic has been productive overall, even if his three-point touch has not quite followed the rest of his game, and the supporting cast has started to sort itself out in useful ways. Christian Braun, Marvin Bagley III and Jamal Murray have each given Denver something to build on, while rookie Trevon Brazile has flashed enough to suggest there may be more to his role than just filling minutes.
The one concern is harder to ignore because it involves a player who is still trying to find his footing in a different role. DeMar DeRozan has not looked fully comfortable coming off the bench, and for a team trying to establish rhythm early, that adjustment matters. The Nuggets have enough positive signs to feel encouraged, but how quickly that situation settles in could shape whether this start feels like a solid foundation or just a decent opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Alpha Diallo Is Already Facing A Tough Nuggets Rotation Reality
Alpha Diallo arrived in Denver with a reputation built on defense, and for a while it looked like that skill set could carve out a real lane in the Nuggets rotation. He flashed enough in the preseason and early in the season to suggest he could be more than just a camp body, but the early returns have also made clear how narrow his path is if the offense does not come along.
David Adelman has leaned toward rookie Bryce Hopkins in the recent stretch, and that choice has pushed Diallo further toward a specialists role than a two-way one. With minutes already hard to come by, the Nuggets are now weighing whether Diallo can stay on the floor long enough to matter, or whether his value will remain tied almost entirely to what he does on defense. [Read more 🡒]