The Denver Nuggets’ 118-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers left a lot to pick apart, but Aaron Gordon stood out for all the wrong reasons. He didn’t look like the same player Denver has leaned on, and the performance raised a simple question: is it already time to give him a breather and let Trevon Brazile take some of those minutes?
Gordon opened the preseason in strong form, leading the Nuggets with 59 points in 59 minutes, which worked out to 14.8 points per game. Since then, though, the production has cooled off. Against Portland, he finished with just 5 points and 6 rebounds in 30 minutes, and over the first six games he’s averaging 11.5 points, well below last year’s 16.2.
The numbers are one thing. The eye test is another, and that’s where the concern really starts.
Gordon isn’t getting downhill the way he usually does. He’s settling for jumpers more often, and defensively he hasn’t looked sharp either.
At one point, he even just straight up fell down guarding Jrue Holiday on the perimeter.
If he’s healthy, the Nuggets still may need to manage him differently and give him some nights off.
That’s where Brazile comes in, and he’s making a strong case for more run. The second-round pick has been one of the bright spots early, especially on defense, where he’s been a tough cover after his first six games. Against the Blazers, he made his presence felt with a steal and dunk to close the first quarter, another example of how quickly he’s becoming a fan favorite.
Brazile’s game fits the role too. His athleticism gives Denver a natural replacement in the dunker spot, and he’s already shown he can be a lob threat around the rim. He’s also been productive on the glass, averaging 6.3 rebounds off the bench, and he’s spacing the floor as well, hitting 35.3% from three.
The tricky part is that Denver may not have much flexibility if Cameron Johnson’s hamstring issue keeps him out. Johnson grabbed at his hamstring, and Brazile came in for him late against Portland. Even so, the bigger picture seems clear: Gordon at least looks like he could use a breather.
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The early-season concern in Denver is not hard to spot: the Nuggets are giving away too many possessions on the glass, and Nikola Jokic is absorbing more of the burden than he should have to this soon. Through the first six games, their defensive rebounding has slipped badly, with Jokic pulling down fewer boards than he typically has in previous seasons while the team sits near the bottom of the league in that category.
A recent loss to Portland only sharpened the issue, as the Blazers repeatedly extended trips and exposed a problem that has become impossible to ignore. Jamal Murray addressed it afterward and made clear the fix has to come from the whole roster, because if Denver keeps asking Jokic to clean up everything around the rim, the rest of the season could start looking a lot harder than it needs to be. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Already Face A Tough Cam Johnson Question
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For a team that has already seen him miss time earlier this season with a sprained ankle, the concern is less about one isolated absence than the larger pattern around his health. The Nuggets have not officially announced the extent of the injury, which leaves them in the familiar spot of trying to plan around a key piece without knowing how soon he can be counted on again. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Is Already Giving Nuggets Fans Another Reason To Feel Better
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Watson has appeared in six games since the deal, and the early returns have been uneven enough that Cleveland still needs a clearer read on what he can become in that role. The injury only adds another layer of uncertainty for a team that believed it was getting help for a title push, and until he is back on the floor, the question around his fit remains just as important as the one around his health. [Read more 🡒]