The Denver Nuggets have gotten a few early sparks to open the 2026-27 season, but the one that’s really caught the fan base’s attention is Trevon Brazile.
Jamal Murray has come out scorching, averaging 25.8 points and knocking down 53.5% of his threes after going 7-for-9 against the Phoenix Suns. Christian Braun matched that 7-for-9 three-point output and has been strong at both ends. Still, for a lot of Nuggets fans, the rookie second-rounder has become the main attraction.
Brazile has already shown exactly why. Against the Suns, Braun sent up a high lob and Brazile went and got it for a dunk that only he was finishing. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a 41.5" vertical leap, he looks built for those plays, and he’s made it clear the Nuggets can trust him to finish anything thrown near the rim.
"He [Braun] threw it high enough, but I want like, a little wider you know? So I can actually throw something crazy down.
They all know I like my passes real high. You know, you can throw it anywhere at the rim, I'm going to get it," Brazile said after Nuggets practice in preparation to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
The comparisons are easy to see. Brazile’s leaping and finishing bring back memories of Chris "Birdman" Andersen, the longtime Nuggets fan favorite from the Carmelo Anthony years. But Brazile may bring even more athleticism to the table, along with better shooting and rebounding.
He’s not just living above the rim, either. Brazile has been a force on defense, where his length and activity have made life miserable for opponents.
Per HoopsJunkie, he ranks number one in eFG% vs. expectation and 3P% vs. expectation. With him on the floor, the Nuggets are posting a defensive rating of 106.4 per 100 possessions, a mark that would place them fifth overall if it held over a full game.
On the other end, Brazile is giving Denver real value as a floor-spacer. He’s hitting 35.3% of his threes, shooting 51.6% overall, and stretching defenses as a backup small forward. He’s also a constant lob threat in the dunker spot as the backup four to Aaron Gordon.
The rebounding has been just as eye-catching. Brazile is pulling down 6.6 boards per game, including a 12-rebound debut against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
There will be rookie mistakes along the way, and he’ll be out of position at times. But the Nuggets can live with some of that when the athleticism is this loud, and his basketball IQ appears to be growing with every game.
In Other News...
Nuggets May Already Have A Better Answer Behind Jamal Murray
The Nuggets search for a steadier answer behind Jamal Murray may already be shifting toward a new name. Denver has added two-way guard Ryan Nembhard and is weighing whether he deserves a larger role in the minutes when Murray sits, a stretch that has been a little too quiet offensively for a team trying to keep its second unit moving. Tyus Jones has held that spot for now, but the early look has left the Nuggets with reason to keep searching.
Nembhard has offered a different profile, one built around offense, ball control and the kind of pace Denver has been trying to find in those non-Murray stretches. Head coach David Adelman has made it clear the team is still evaluating the fit, and the decision may come down to whether Nembhard can translate what he has shown into real game minutes. For a Nuggets team with bigger goals, even a small upgrade in those backup guard possessions could matter. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Need Murray And Braun To Answer One Early Concern
With the Trail Blazers coming to Denver amid a stretch where both teams are dealing with absences from injuries and trades, the Nuggets are again leaning on the kind of perimeter scoring that has helped stabilize their early season. Jamal Murray has been the headliner in that regard, and Christian Braun has quietly given Denver another dependable option when defenses load up elsewhere.
Murrays shot-making has been central to how the Nuggets have started games and closed them, while Brauns expanded role has made him more than just a complementary piece. Against a Portland group that may not have all of its usual answers available, Denvers backcourt has a chance to set the tone early, and the bigger question is whether that scoring balance can keep holding up once the game starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Get Timely Boost Ahead Of Early Test Against Hot Blazers
The Nuggets head into a 7:00 p.m. MT meeting with Portland carrying a two-game winning streak and a healthier-looking roster, a welcome development as the schedule starts to tighten. Denver has been waiting for reinforcements, and Cameron Johnson is back in the mix after missing time with a right ankle sprain, giving the rotation a timely lift before an early-season test against one of the Wests hotter teams.
Portland arrives with momentum of its own behind Deni Avdija and Damian Lillard, so this is not the kind of matchup Denver can treat lightly just because it has recent wins in hand. The injury picture still matters, though, with Alpha Diallo questionable and Spencer Jones out, which leaves the Nuggets balancing improved depth against the reality of an opponent that has started fast and figures to make this one uncomfortable in Denver. [Read more 🡒]