On Oct. 19 the Balz brothers argued about the Nuggets and the up coming season. Four games in, it’s time for a Nuggets season update. Denver is 2-2 with two wins over New Orleans, a loss in Oklahoma City and a home blowout that nobody in Denver wants to talk about. Jim thinks the sky is fine. Harry thinks the sky is fine too, he just thinks he’s more right about it. They also covered the league’s early breakouts and set picks for Friday.
Round 1: The Nuggets Season Update at 2-2
JIM: Let’s start with the facts, since Harry gets nervous around them. Last night Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his 200th career triple-double in the regular season, and the Denver Nuggets never trailed in a 104-91 victory over the Pelicans. He’s chasing a record too. Jokic needs 10 more regular season triple-doubles to supplant Russell Westbrook.
HARRY: Nice stat, Jim, but you skipped Monday. The Warriors shot 54.1% from the field, including 22 of 44 from 3-point range, and outrebounded Denver by a 50-36 margin, and Denver allowed 74 points after halftime. I’m the analytical one here, and my analysis is that the defense has me worried.
Ball Arena before the Nuggets hosted the Warriors on Oct. 26, 2026. Photo: MhcL947, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
JIM: “Analytical.” Says the guy who picked Colorado over Utah on Oct. 17. Utah won 27-24, and I had Utah, by the way. Yes, the Golden State game was ugly, but this team is banged up. Before the home opener Denver played without Cam Johnson (ankle) and Alpha Diallo (sprained wrist) and continued to be without Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones.
HARRY: Okay, the injuries are real, I’ll give you that. Here’s what got me, though. In the home opener the fans were booing, and Denver trailed New Orleans by as many as 23, was still down 19 heading into the fourth, and came all the way back to win it in overtime. That’s a city and a team refusing to quit on each other, and it gets me every time.
JIM: Please don’t cry on the mic again. That comeback happened because Jamal Murray scored 42 points, not because of team spirit. He followed it up with 23 in New Orleans last night.
Round 2: The New Faces in Denver
HARRY: Let’s talk about the roster. NBA.com pointed out that the supporting cast will look different, with DeMar DeRozan entering the mix and the departures of Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown. And the first-week revelation is a second-round rookie: Trevon Brazile, the rookie the Nuggets drafted No. 35 out of Arkansas.
JIM: I’ll grudgingly agree with you there, because the kid hits big shots. In his home debut Brazile had seven of his 17 points in overtime, and his corner 3-pointer with 1:25 left in overtime gave the Nuggets a 133-129 lead. DeRozan has delivered too: he added 21 points for Denver in the Warriors loss.
HARRY: And this is why my preseason optimism is holding up. Last night Denver entered the game with several injuries and used just nine players and still won comfortably. A team that can do that will be fine once it’s healthy.
JIM: It was against a team that is 0-4, Harry. Ease up on the victory parade.
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Round 3: NBA Standouts Around the League
JIM: My early standout is Ty Jerome in Memphis. He opened the season with a career-high 45 against Utah and later dropped 31 on Sacramento. I’d call that a breakout.
HARRY: Jerome is great, but you’re missing the scariest player in the league. Over in L.A., Luka Dončić scored a season-high 52 points with eight 3s, 10 assists and seven rebounds against Utah. Also, the Warriors rookie who torched Denver is no fluke. Yaxel Lendeborg had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and he looks like one of the best rookie stories of the first week.
JIM: Fine, I’ll take Lendeborg too. Here’s what should worry the whole West, though: Oklahoma City has already beaten the Spurs and us.
HARRY: Then let me cheer for a comeback story. In Boston, George’s 38 was the most points scored by any Celtics player in their team debut. Old guys can still hoop, Jim. There’s hope for you yet.
A packed Ball Arena for Game 1 of the Nuggets-Clippers playoff series, April 19, 2025. Photo: MhcL947, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nuggets Schedule: Next Week
The NBA Cup starts Friday. The Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, and Jazz will meet in West Group A. Out-of-market fans can also watch on NBA League Pass. Times are subject to change.
Date
Opponent
Time (MT / ET)
TV
Fri., Oct. 30
at Phoenix (NBA Cup)
8 p.m. / 10 p.m.
Altitude, ALT+
Mon., Nov. 2
vs. Portland
7 p.m. / 9 p.m.
Altitude, KTVD, KUSA-NBC, ALT+
Wed., Nov. 4
vs. Toronto
7 p.m. / 9 p.m.
Altitude, ALT+
Next up after that, Denver plays Indiana in Mexico City on Saturday, Nov. 7 (3 p.m. MT, NBA TV and Altitude).
Before Friday, check the injury report. The AP lists Alpha Diallo: day to day (personal), Spencer Jones: day to day (hamstring), Cameron Johnson: day to day (ankle), Julian Strawther: out (knee). Phoenix will be without a big man: Mark Williams: out (shoulder). The opening line has Nuggets -2.5; over/under is 233.5.
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The Verdict
JIM: Here’s my contrarian pick. Denver is beat up and just gave up 74 second-half points at home, so Phoenix steals the Cup opener at home. Jim’s pick: Suns.
HARRY: Sure, keep riding that two-game win streak, Jim, while I sit at a perfect 5-0 in the NFL and lead the season series. The Suns went 0-3 against the Nuggets last season, and Jokic has a triple-double in both of our wins. Harry’s pick: Nuggets.
So whose side are you on: Jim or Harry?
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Your turn: will the Nuggets be above .500 after the Toronto game on Nov. 4, or is 2-2 the start of a slow fall? Make your pick in the comments.
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.
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