3 studs and 1 dud from Sunday night's Nuggets preseason game

The Nuggets finally played a game on US soil on Sunday night, losing to the Phoenix Suns 118-114 in Denver. This was the team’s third preseason, but the first two were part of the NBA’s Global Games, played in Abu Dhabi against the Celtics. They fall to 0-3 in the preseason, but these games are far more about the process than the results.

There were definitely some reasons for optimism in this game, but also some reasons for concern. They got typically great play out of Nikola Jokic who looks like he’s already in midseason form. The starters were all able to play and it appears the team will be fully healthy to start the season. There is also clearly some growing chemistry coming along with some of the new additions to the squad and young players.

But there were also some clear issues with fatigue and stamina; Michael Malone even commented after the game that the team was winded - which is a bit of a red flag at this point. They also look like they still haven’t solved their three-point shooting issues as the volume and efficiency are both too low.

There will be time to dig into those specific issues and what the team can do to change things as the grind of the regular season begins. But for now, let’s focus on four specific performances from Sunday night; 3 that were good and 1 that was not so good.

Stud #1: Julian Strawther

Other than Jokic, Strawther may be having the most promising offseason of anyone on the roster. He looked great in summer league and has continued that into training camp and preseason. Last night, he came off the bench and put up 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7/12 shooting and 3/5 from three.

Unlike summer league, Strawther was playing alongside the Nuggets’ actual rotation players and facing off against some of the Suns’ best lineups. And yet, not only did he look like he belonged, he looked like one of the best players on the court.

Strawther’s ascension and ability to provide scoring and shooting off the bench is one of the biggest keys to the Nuggets’ season. If he can step up and score like this off the bench, the team should be in really good shape.

It’s still just preseason, but Strawther is passing the eye test with flying colors. He looks like a legitimate NBA player and he brings a skill set that the Nuggets are desperately lacking. His ability to shoot and score like this in Denver immediately would be a massive development.