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

Stud #2: Zeke Nnaji

The bar for Nnaji has been set pretty low after his brutal season in 2023-24. He got a nice four-year extension last offseason and immediately played his way into the doghouse and out of Michael Malone’s rotation. 

Despite the Nuggets’ need in the frontcourt, Nnaji appeared unplayable. Once the team drafted DaRon Holmes, then signed Dario Saric, it appeared that Nnaji’s time in Denver may be coming to an end. In fact, most of the discourse around Zeke had turned into trade rumors and finding a way to move his contract.

But that deal is going to be hard to move - especially if Nnaji is buried on the Nuggets’ bench - and Holmes is out for the season after tearing his achilles. Nnaji being able to give the team anything this season would be a huge boost and last night he looked the part.

Nnaji came in for 12 minutes off the bench and held his own on both ends. He finished with 11 points and pulled down 2 boards, adding a steal and a block. Perhaps most notably, Zeke knocked down 4/5 shots from the floor and even connected on 2/3 three-point attempts.

The Nuggets are dying for a stretch big that can open up their offense. If this shooting from Nnaji is real that would be an incredible sign for his future. Just turning into a solid bench player who can come in and hold his own on defense while spacing the floor on offense would be extremely helpful.

Even if this doesn’t lead to Nnaji getting into the rotation in Denver, showings like this can at least show that some of these skills are in there and may be enough to interest potential trade partners down the road. Whether he ends up helping the Nuggets or another team, Nnaji putting good efforts on tape is great news for Denver.