Nuggets season preview: the court at Ball Arena (then Pepsi Center), home of the Denver Nuggets, before a playoff game

Nuggets Season Preview 2026: The Preseason Report Card and Why the Northwest Is a Knife Fight

ByJim Balz
Nuggets season preview: the court at Ball Arena (then Pepsi Center), home of the Denver Nuggets, before a playoff game
Ball Arena, then called Pepsi Center, before a 2009 Nuggets playoff game. Photo: David Herrera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Tuesday, Oct. 20 is NBA opening night: Celtics at Pistons at 3 p.m. ET, then 76ers at Knicks and Thunder at Spurs, all on NBC and Peacock. The Nuggets have to wait until Thursday, Oct. 22, when they open at Oklahoma City at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. MT) on ESPN. That’s Nikola Jokic against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the last two players to win MVP, on night one. So consider this your Nuggets season preview 2026, with two extra days to get your nerves in order. My brother Harry already got his in order by eating a whole plate of nachos and calling it “film study.”

The Preseason: Slow Start, Loud Finish

Denver went 3-2 in exhibition play, and the arc tells the story better than the record. The opener in Boulder was ugly. Mile High Sports said the final score didn’t really matter, though Denver losing 109-97 and struggling to keep up in the first half wasn’t exactly encouraging. Two nights later they flipped it, beating Utah 117-106 in Salt Lake City, with Julian Strawther scoring 15 off the bench.

Then came the finale, and that’s where I got excited. After splitting their first four games, the Nuggets looked like the championship contender we all know they are capable of being, beating the Lakers in Crypto.com Arena, 121-106. The box score: Jamal Murray: 21 PTS, 6 AST; Christian Braun: 16 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL; Marvin Bagley III: 13 PTS, 8 REB, 2 BLK; Trevon Brazile: 12 PTS, 8 REB. Luka Doncic sat the second half, so let’s not hang a banner yet.

The fine print, because I’m a professional: Cam Johnson got tossed with a Flagrant 2 for an elbow on Austin Reaves. Keep the preseason energy in the preseason, Cam. You don’t get away with that against Oklahoma City.

Team Chemistry: The Starters Are Fine. The Bench Is the Question.

My take on the chemistry: the core five are fine and the questions all come off the bench. Yahoo Sports said the preseason has been a reminder of how good Denver’s starting lineup can be and the push and pull the Nuggets will have to navigate this season. The upside is obvious. Last year the Nuggets won 54 games with Nikola Jokić appearing in 65 games, Cam Johnson in 54 games, Christian Braun in 44 games, and Aaron Gordon in 36 games. That record came with the roster held together by tape. Imagine it healthy.

The bench looked better than I expected. Even with Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones sidelined, the Nuggets’ bench unit stepped up, and with Gordon resting in the finale, Trevon Brazile shined in Gordon’s place. The big variable is DeMar DeRozan. NBA.com notes he ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and asks the right question: at 37, is he up for the sixth-man role? My opinion: yes, as long as David Adelman keeps his minutes reasonable.

The other thing to watch is defense. Veteran coach Dave Joerger, the former head coach in Memphis and Sacramento, joins Adelman’s staff with an eye on defensive improvement. Good hire. The Joker needs help. Field Level Media points out that counting the postseason, Jokic accumulated 51.0% of all Nuggets points, rebounds and assists last season. That isn’t a team stat, that’s one guy carrying the whole roster. They also noted Jokic hasn’t agreed to a contract extension. I’ll leave that as reported and not speculate.

Where Denver Stands in the Northwest

This division is brutal. NBA.com asks if it’s the deepest division in the NBA, and says it appears so, with the Timberwolves adding LaMelo Ball and solving a long-standing point guard crisis and perhaps giving Oklahoma City and Denver, neither of whom made major additions, reason for concern.

Last year in the West, Oklahoma City went 64-18, Denver 54-28, Minnesota 49-33 and Portland 42-40. And the part that still hurts: Denver lost to Timberwolves in Western Conference first round. Field Level Media has Denver third in its division capsules, behind the Thunder and the Wolves.

Teams to watch:

  • Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off back-to-back MVPs, though they traded key rotation pieces Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe to remain financially responsible.
  • Timberwolves: Their additions include LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, while Julius Randle and Naz Reid are gone. They also just beat Denver in the playoffs.
  • Trail Blazers: A playoff team last season that just added Ja Morant, with Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara giving them a pair of outstanding wings.
  • Jazz: The weakest team in the division, but they’ve got guard creation to like with Keyonte George and newcomer Darryn Peterson. They also already beat Denver once this month.

My opinion, full volume: Denver finishes second in the Northwest, ahead of Minnesota, because a healthy Jokic-Murray duo is better than any one offseason signing. Murray became an All-Star for the first time last year. If he plays like he did in that finale, OKC should be worried.

Nuggets Schedule: The Next 10 Days

All times Eastern, per Sports Media Watch:

DateOpponentTime (ET)TV
Thu, Oct. 22at Thunder9:30 p.m.ESPN
Sat, Oct. 24vs. Pelicans9:00 p.m.Altitude, KTVD, Altitude+
Mon, Oct. 26vs. Warriors10:00 p.m.NBCSN, Peacock (Altitude locally)
Wed, Oct. 28at Pelicans8:00 p.m.Altitude 2, KTVD, Altitude+

Sources: Sports Media Watch’s Nuggets TV schedule. One more just outside the window: Fri, Oct. 30: at Suns, 10 p.m. (NBA Cup). Out-of-market fans, note that League Pass blacks out locally televised Nuggets games, and those unlock three days after they are played.

Picks for the Opener

Time to put it on the scorecard. Harry leads the season series 7-6 to my 7-9, and he’s a perfect 4-0 in the NFL, which he brings up every time someone says the word “football.” He’s also lost two straight, including picking Colorado over Utah on Saturday. Utah won 27-24. I had Utah. I’m on a one-game winning streak and I’ll take it.

  • Jim’s pick: Nuggets at Thunder. The finale showed me Jokic and Murray are in rhythm, and OKC’s depth took a real hit this offseason.
  • Harry’s pick: Thunder. In his words, “back-to-back MVP, home floor, Jim’s picking it.” Rude, but I’ll allow it.

So, Nuggets fans, where do you land? Does Denver finish ahead of LaMelo’s Timberwolves in the Northwest this year, yes or no? Tell me in the comments, and if you agree with Harry, keep it to yourself.

Your turn: Think Jim or Harry got it wrong? Make your case in the comments (join the Balz Fan Club free to comment and like the best takes). Want the bigger picture beyond the box score? Read The Hairy Times, our sister paper.

Sources we checked (20)

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