The Nuggets’ caution with injuries has become a pattern, and the numbers make it hard to ignore.
Denver lost plenty of manpower last season, and the wear showed up everywhere. The starting five alone missed 136 games because of a wide range of injuries. This season has already brought more of the same: Spencer Jones went down with a hamstring injury before the first preseason game even started, and Julian Strawther was lost in the fourth preseason game.
What stands out most is how long Denver tends to hold players out before bringing them back. No team in the NBA takes longer. The Nuggets wait an average of 16% longer than the league standard after an injury, and that extra patience hasn’t exactly protected them from more problems once players return.
That’s the frustrating part. Last season, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson all came back from injuries and ended up back in street clothes just a few games later with re-aggravations.
The team has already tried to manage Aaron Gordon more carefully this year in hopes of keeping him available. But the broader issue is still there: Denver may need to rethink how it handles recovery timelines and whether its approach is actually getting players back healthier sooner.
Jones has been sidelined since missing practice on October 2nd, and it has now been four weeks. The expectation has been for some time that he was close to returning, but that timeline keeps stretching. Strawther has been out since October 14th with a sprained knee and was supposed to be re-evaluated in six weeks, though the data suggests the Nuggets could end up pushing that back as well.
The goal is obvious - get players back healthy. But right now, Denver’s method is slow, and it hasn’t always kept players on the floor once they do return.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Is Making Denver's Offseason Choice Look Smarter
When Denver moved Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade after contract talks stalled, it was the kind of decision that could have looked risky if the wrong side of the deal got the better end. A player who had flashed enough last season to make the Nuggets think twice was suddenly in Cleveland, and the question for Denver became whether the roster could absorb the loss without creating another hole on the wing.
So far, the early returns have made the Nuggets offseason pivot look more sensible. Watson has not found the same rhythm from deep with the Cavaliers that he showed in Denver, while rookie Trevon Brazile has stepped into a similar role and given the Nuggets a cheaper option to develop. It is still early, but Denver has reason to feel better about the way it handled the situation. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Found The Frontcourt Defender They Desperately Needed
Trevon Brazile has given the Nuggets something they have been searching for early this season: a frontcourt defender who can change possessions with length, activity and athleticism. The rookie has already stood out in Denvers recent games, including a strong showing against the New Orleans Pelicans, where his presence helped make life harder for opposing shooters and added a different kind of energy to the rotation.
What has made Brazile especially intriguing is how quickly his defense has translated to the NBA level. He has been limiting opponents efficiency and giving Denver a sturdier look on that end of the floor, which matters for a team trying to build consistency around its bigger lineups. The bigger question now is whether this early impact is the start of a real role, or just the first glimpse of what he can become. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Braun Is Starting To Quiet A Big Nuggets Concern
Christian Brauns early-season jump is starting to ease one of the Nuggets quieter concerns. After working back from injury, he has looked more active on both ends, giving Denver the kind of perimeter energy it needs while also showing signs that his offense is expanding beyond the basics. The defensive impact has been especially noticeable, with Braun averaging 2.3 steals per game and looking more comfortable sliding into the role the team envisioned for him.
The offensive growth matters just as much for a roster that needs reliable two-way production around its stars. Braun has shown more variety in how he scores, including a willingness to get to mid-range spots and make plays for others, which helps explain why his recent form has stood out. If this is the version of Braun Denver gets consistently, it goes a long way toward making his contract look like a smart bet rather than a lingering question. [Read more 🡒]