It was a summer of nothing and everything all at once for the Nuggets.
There was no blockbuster deal. But, athletic forward Peyton Watson was traded. DeMar DeRozan was signed. Trevon Brazile was drafted and then shined in summer league. Multiple veterans were signed to 1-year deals. An unprotected first-round pick was procured.
And now?
Now, we close in on training camp, which will begin at the end of the month. With that in mind, let’s answer some burning questions looming with the team as the season approaches.
Question #1: How hungry will the Nuggets be to claw back to the top of the NBA?
In a postseason press conference in May, Vice Chairman of KSE, Josh Kroenke, acknowledged that while some things might change, the desire to win another NBA title still burns bright within the organization.
“I can compare and contrast with other organizations that have that genuine championship culture. And I think the Denver Nuggets absolutely still have that," Kroenke said. "Winning is a lifestyle, and I think that group has it.”
He did also admit not everything was copacetic.
“I think we've made really strong strides in certain areas,” Kroenke said. “I think there are other areas where we've been complacent."
And yet, this is mostly a question of how bright the fire burns within the players on the court. They’ve been at this for three seasons now, trying to make it back to the NBA Finals, and now the road looks tougher than ever.
This remains one of the central questions with this team. How badly do they want to win again? In the last couple of seasons the answer has been: Not badly enough. Will that change this season? It must if the Nuggets are to ever hoist another Larry O’Brien trophy.
Question #2: Will the Nuggets get at least 65 games and every single playoff game from Aaron Gordon?
Surrounded by media at his late summer basketball camp in Denver, the inevitable question of health came up in the scrum. What has Aaron Gordon done to help himself stay on the court more often this season?
“I did a lot of soul-searching and training,” Gordon said. “So, I got my mind right and my body right. I’m ready to go.”
After playing at least 68 games in each of his first three full seasons in Denver, Gordon has played just 51 and then 36 in the last two.
The nagging issue has been soft-tissue injuries. Last season it was mainly hamstring injuries, which caused him to miss almost the entire season when it was all said and done. In the 2024-25 season it was calf injuries and then a hamstring issue in the playoffs.
It cannot be understated how important AG is to the Nuggets winning games. The Nuggets were 27-9 when he played at all last season. That’s a win percentage of 75 percent. They were 26-7 when he started, a win percentage of 78 percent.
His ability to do a little bit of everything on both ends of the court makes him as indispensable as nearly any player on the team. Especially when you’re talking about what the Nuggets need to do in order to get to, and win, an NBA title.
I think this summer he was more motivated than ever to diagnose the problem leading to all of the soft tissue injuries and to take the proper steps to correct it. I’ll predict he plays 65-70 games this season.
Question #3: Can Christian Braun bounce back?
This one is easy for me. Yes. Christian Braun will bounce back.
Injuries were the root cause of his struggles last season, end of story. Now fully healthy, we should get the Braun of two seasons ago the led the league in fast break points and was a menace on defense.
And the Nuggets need him to be at his best.
He’s got to provide spacing for Joker and Jamal, meaning he’s got to shoot the ball confidently and to a high percentage from the 3-point line so defenses can’t just hone in on the stars. And he’s got to add the ability to get his own shot to his bag, so that on nights where long-range shots aren’t falling and his cutting action is being shut down, he can remain effective on the offensive end.
Question #4: Who, along with DeMar DeRozan, will solve bench scoring?
This is one of the more pressing questions leading up to the season. DeMar DeRozan will come off the bench as a full-time reserve for the first time in his career. And he’ll still get all the buckets. The man can score, and that’s not changing even if his usage rate does.
But who else can be counted on?
This is a tough answer because I believe the Nuggets will play Tyus Jones, Spencer Jones, and Marvin Bagley III along with DeRozan off the bench. None of the other three are volume shooters/scorers, and now you’ve already played nine players, which leaves limited minutes for anyone else.
The hope is Tyus Jones can regain some of the form he had two seasons ago — when he shot 45 percent overall and nearly 42 percent from the arc — and add to the bench scoring. Otherwise? Julian Strawther is the next most natural scorer off the bench after DeRozan. But coach David Adelman just hasn’t felt compelled to put him on the court regularly.
And then there is Alpha Diallo, Zeke Nnaji, DaRon Holmes and Trevon Brazile, also not high volume shooters/scorers.
Keep an eye on this. Could be that Adelman has to significantly stagger starters in with reserves.
Question #5: Can new lead assistant Dave Joerger help push the Nuggets defense into the top half of the league?
With players like Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo, Cameron Johnson and Trevon Brazile, the Nuggets, personnel-wise, could put some fun defensive lineups on the court.
But can Dave Joerger get them all playing on a string?
Joerger has had a lot of success crafting tough defensive teams in the past, and he’ll have his hands full with a Nuggets team that finished 21st in defense last season.
A large part of this is just having the players available. The Nuggets defense is vastly improved when Gordon plays his normal minutes and Braun isn’t hobbled by injuries. And it gives them the ability to get creative if they want with the schemes on that end.
My prediction? Health to the most important defenders permitting, the Nuggets finish in the top half of the league defensively.