The Nuggets are heading into Monday night with a little more bounce in their step. Denver has won two straight, climbed back over .500 after taking down the Phoenix Suns over the weekend, and now gets a Portland Trail Blazers team that has looked sharp early.
That doesn’t mean this one comes with any breathing room. Portland is 4-1 through five games, and its only loss came against the undefeated Memphis Grizzlies. The Blazers have also put up 124 or more points in three of those five games and carry the league’s fourth-ranked offensive rating, so Denver is walking into a real test.
The good news for the Nuggets is that the injury picture is improving. Cameron Johnson, who missed three straight games with a right ankle sprain, returned in the win over Phoenix and is now off the injury report entirely. That’s a major step forward for Denver.
Backup wing Alpha Diallo is still questionable, while Spencer Jones is out with bilateral hamstring injury management. The Nuggets are still waiting on Jones and Strawther, but the overall trend is moving the right way.
Diallo’s status matters here because Denver could use the defensive lift. Against a Portland group that has been scoring in bunches, any extra resistance on the wing would help. If Diallo is available, he could give the Nuggets’ bench unit a needed jolt.
Portland, meanwhile, is dealing with its own injury hit. Ja Morant, who the Trail Blazers surprisingly acquired in the offseason, is out for at least the next four weeks with a hamstring strain. The Blazers have also ruled out two standout guards against Denver.
Even with Morant sidelined, Portland still has plenty to work with. Scoot Henderson stepped into the starting lineup in his place, joining Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan in a group that gives the Blazers plenty of firepower and size. They also sit atop the Northwest Division, which tells you how well they’ve started.
For Denver, this is a chance to keep the momentum rolling and stack a third straight win. The Nuggets will have their hands full, but Monday night also gives them an opportunity to make a statement early in the season.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. MT in Denver.
In Other News...
Nuggets May Already Have A Better Answer Behind Jamal Murray
The Nuggets search for a steadier answer behind Jamal Murray may already be shifting toward a new name. Denver has added two-way guard Ryan Nembhard and is weighing whether he deserves a larger role in the minutes when Murray sits, a stretch that has been a little too quiet offensively for a team trying to keep its second unit moving. Tyus Jones has held that spot for now, but the early look has left the Nuggets with reason to keep searching.
Nembhard has offered a different profile, one built around offense, ball control and the kind of pace Denver has been trying to find in those non-Murray stretches. Head coach David Adelman has made it clear the team is still evaluating the fit, and the decision may come down to whether Nembhard can translate what he has shown into real game minutes. For a Nuggets team with bigger goals, even a small upgrade in those backup guard possessions could matter. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Need Murray And Braun To Answer One Early Concern
With the Trail Blazers coming to Denver amid a stretch where both teams are dealing with absences from injuries and trades, the Nuggets are again leaning on the kind of perimeter scoring that has helped stabilize their early season. Jamal Murray has been the headliner in that regard, and Christian Braun has quietly given Denver another dependable option when defenses load up elsewhere.
Murrays shot-making has been central to how the Nuggets have started games and closed them, while Brauns expanded role has made him more than just a complementary piece. Against a Portland group that may not have all of its usual answers available, Denvers backcourt has a chance to set the tone early, and the bigger question is whether that scoring balance can keep holding up once the game starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Is Giving The Nuggets Something They Desperately Need
The Nuggets have spent much of this season trying to find a steadier defensive identity, and Jamal Murray has become part of the answer. Denver still sits 21st in defensive rating, but Murrays effort on that end has drawn notice inside the locker room, where Cameron Johnson has singled out the guards increased aggressiveness in recent games and practices. At the same time, Murray continues to carry a major load offensively, giving Denver a two-way presence it badly needs as the team tries to clean up its overall play.
Johnsons praise has centered on the way Murray has been showing up in game action and on the practice floor, where his energy has stood out in a way that wasnt always there before. For a Nuggets team trying to climb out of the middle on defense without losing its scoring punch, Murrays growth matters because it changes the tone of the group, even if the bigger defensive fix is still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]