The Denver Nuggets’ 2026-27 season is going to come down to one thing above all else: staying healthy.
That’s not just a convenient talking point after the fact. It’s the clearest lesson from a 54-28 regular season that somehow ended with Denver in third place in the Western Conference despite the lineup chaos around it.
Nikola Jokic missed 18 games. Aaron Gordon missed 46.
Cameron Johnson missed 28. Christian Braun missed 38.
Peyton Watson missed 28. Somehow, the Nuggets still stacked up 54 wins.
A big part of that survival act came from first-year head coach David Adelman and a group of role players who kept the machine moving. Tim Hardaway Jr. played 80 games.
Bruce Brown played all 82. But Denver has moved on from both of those backup guards, and that’s where the concern starts to set in.
Right now, the Nuggets’ backup guard group is thin: Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, and two-way KJ Simpson. Lonnie Walker IV is on a training camp deal and could add help if he earns a spot, but there’s no way around the fact that the depth chart looks vulnerable.
The frontcourt has at least been reinforced. Denver added Marvin Bagley and Trevon Brazile, giving the team some cover if Jokic or Gordon misses time.
DaRon Holmes could also factor in as he continues to develop, at least in short bursts. But even with those additions, the reality doesn’t change much: any injury to the core chips away at what this team can be.
Josh Kroenke said as much after last season, making the case that the Nuggets could have won 60-65 games if they had stayed healthy. The numbers back up the optimism. Denver’s starting lineup went 18-5 when fully available, a pace that pointed toward 64 wins.
"I thought that if this group was healthy, that this could be a 60-65 win team to a certain level, but we never got a chance to fully show it," Kroenke said. "... I do really believe in the group of people who were assembled in there this year."
"I thought that if this group was healthy that this could be a 60-65 win team, but we never got a chance to fully show it.""That's why I say everything has to be on the table, including running it back. I really do believe in the group..."- Josh Kroenke pic.twitter.com/z7MdsVxVle
That belief hasn’t exactly calmed everyone down. After a first-round playoff exit, plenty of fans wanted major changes, and the idea that Denver might mostly run it back rubbed some people the wrong way. Still, the case for this group is straightforward: when the starters are on the floor, the Nuggets have one of the best lineups in the NBA.
The problem is what happens after that. The second unit remains the worry, and that makes health even more important than usual.
Re-signing Peyton Watson would help, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue. If the Nuggets get hit with the injury bug again, the season could wobble fast.
If they stay intact, they have championship aspirations. If even one or two key pieces miss extended time, the whole thing gets a lot harder, a lot quicker.
In Other News...
Nuggets Draft Record Is Raising A Tough Question About Their Depth
The Nuggets spent the 2026 NBA Draft trying to shore up the frontcourt, taking Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins in the second round as part of a broader push to add forward depth. That move fit a pattern that has defined Denvers recent draft nights, when the team has been active in trades and talent grabs that brought in players such as DaRon Holmes, Jalen Pickett, Julian Strawther and Hunter Tyson, with mixed results along the way.
Even with those additions, the bigger question hovering over Denver is how much depth has actually been preserved as the roster continues to churn. Recent moves have only sharpened that debate, with one young guard finding a new path elsewhere and a former Nuggets forward moving on after a quick stop in Brooklyn, leaving Denver to keep searching for draft-day help that can stick. [Read more 🡒]