The Denver Nuggets are set to take the floor Saturday night, and for once, there’s a little less chaos surrounding the injury report. That’s not to say they’re at full strength-far from it-but compared to recent weeks, things are finally trending in the right direction.
Nikola Jokić remains sidelined, along with Jonas Valančiūnas, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun. Braun’s absence is starting to raise some eyebrows, but the encouraging news is that the other three are progressing well in their respective recoveries. And for a team that’s been juggling lineups like a circus act, that’s a welcome development.
Even better? The Nuggets don’t have a single player listed as questionable heading into Saturday night’s matchup.
Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Bruce Brown are all marked as probable and expected to suit up. That trio brings a much-needed boost of stability and experience to a roster that’s been stretched thin.
Earlier this week, there was speculation that Denver might rest some of its core players during the road back-to-back in New Orleans and Dallas. Instead, the Nuggets doubled down.
They went all in and came away with two hard-fought wins-exactly the kind of statement you want to see from a team trying to regain its rhythm. That stretch showed the kind of resolve championship-caliber teams need to tap into during the grind of the regular season.
Now, back at home, the Nuggets face a Washington Wizards squad that’s firmly in rebuilding mode. Let’s be honest: this is a game Denver should control from start to finish. But if you need a reminder of how dangerous a “trap game” can be, just look back to last season when the Nuggets let one slip against a similar opponent.
The Wizards enter Ball Arena with the fewest wins in the NBA and a roster that’s been gutted at the top. After trading away CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in a deal for Trae Young-who’s now out until at least the All-Star break-Washington has shifted fully into development mode. They’ve got a top-eight protected pick owed to the Knicks, and at 10-30, they’re leaning hard into the youth movement.
That means plenty of minutes for promising prospects like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson. There’s talent there, no doubt, but this is still a team that’s figuring out how to play together, how to compete, and most importantly, how to win.
The Wizards are also coming in on the second night of a back-to-back, having dropped a game in Sacramento on Friday. As of now, their injury report hasn’t been finalized, but they were without Khris Middleton, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tristan Vukčević against the Kings. Cam Whitmore has already been ruled out for the season, so the Wizards could be even more short-handed than usual.
They’ve lost five straight and haven’t won a game since the trade that sent McCollum and Kispert packing. That’s the kind of skid that can weigh heavily on a young locker room.
For the Nuggets, this is a golden opportunity to keep building momentum. Get the job done early, lean on your depth, and avoid unnecessary stress in the fourth quarter. With the standings tight and the Western Conference race heating up, these are the games you can’t afford to let slip.
As long as Denver comes in focused and takes care of business, they should walk away with a win-and maybe even a little breathing room in the standings.