Cam Johnson is expected to sit again when the Denver Nuggets meet the Golden State Warriors on Monday, another hit to a Denver rotation that is already running thin.
Johnson missed Saturday’s overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans after spraining his ankle in the Nuggets’ season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On the NBA injury report, he is listed as doubtful for the matchup with Golden State. The veteran forward, who was efficient last season but also disappeared at times, appeared in only 54 games because of lingering knee and ankle injuries.
Denver’s depth chart is already taking damage elsewhere. Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther are both dealing with injuries they picked up before the season, leaving head coach David Adelman with even more pressure on his core players to stay available. Johnson is expected to use another day to recover, with the hope that he can make enough progress to be in better shape for Wednesday’s road game against the Pelicans.
The Nuggets also list free-agent addition Alpha Diallo as doubtful because of a wrist sprain.
Golden State has its own injury questions. Forward Gui Santos is questionable with left knee tendinitis, while guard Brandon Williams and center Charles Bassey are both probable as they deal with low back soreness and right patellar tendinopathy, respectively.
With both teams trying to rebound from disappointing finishes to the 2025-26 season, Adelman and Steve Kerr may need to lean harder on their benches than they’d like in this Mile High matchup. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray give Denver the kind of top-end punch that should help at Ball Arena, but Johnson’s status remains a key piece moving forward.
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Nuggets Bench Battle Already Took A Frustrating Turn
Cam Whitmores first real chance to crack Denvers rotation came sooner than expected, with Cam Johnsons injury opening the door for extra minutes right away. The two-way signee got a look in the home opener against the Pelicans, and for a stretch it was exactly the kind of spot the Nuggets needed him to handle. Instead, the early return was rough, with Whitmore struggling to provide the kind of clean, steady bench minutes that can make a young wing stick in a crowded rotation.
The bigger issue for Denver was that the energy of the second unit came from somewhere else. Rookie Trevon Brazile brought a spark off the bench and helped tilt the mood of the game in a more positive direction, while Whitmores night was marked by mistakes and missed chances. For a team trying to sort out its bench hierarchy early in the season, it was an uneven first impression at a time when every rotation spot matters. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have Found A Roster Answer Bigger Than One Rookie
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Braziles early impact matters because his contract could give the Nuggets more breathing room than a typical rookie deal, which is no small thing for a team trying to keep its core together for as long as possible. If he keeps handling the role well, Denver may have found more than a temporary fill-in. It may have found a cost-controlled piece that helps shape what the rest of the roster can look like down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Fans Have Real Concern After DeMar DeRozans Latest Post
DeMar DeRozans latest social media post quickly set off concern among Nuggets fans, and not just because it was unusual for a player in the middle of the season. The message carried a heavy tone around darkness and silence, a reminder that DeRozan has long been candid about his mental health and has spoken publicly in the past about his struggles with depression, including a disclosure back in 2018 and a memoir released in 2024.
For Denver, the immediate basketball angle is still straightforward: DeRozan is part of the rotation and is expected to be available for the teams next game. But the reaction to his post shows how closely fans follow more than just box scores, especially when a player with DeRozans history sounds like hes carrying something heavier than the usual wear and tear of an NBA season. [Read more 🡒]