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.
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.
Stud #3: Michael Porter Jr.
Beyond the obvious great play of Jokic and the progression of Strawther, the brightest sign for the Nuggets has been the play of MPJ. He looks bigger, stronger, and more polished as an all-around player. He has said that he’s in the best shape of his life and based on what we’ve seen, it’s not hard to believe.
Porter Jr. has been a fixture in the starting lineup for years but has plateaued as a shooting specialist. But given his contract, age, and the players lost in recent years, the Nuggets need more out of him. This year, it looks like he’s finally ready to take that leap.
Mike looks extremely confident out there with the ball and is moving decisively. The team is running a lot of designed actions for MPJ, and for the most part, he’s making good on them. Sunday night, he played 25 minutes and finished with 21 points on 8/13 shootings and 3/6 threes, adding 3 steals on the defensive end.
He looks like he’s ready to take on a lot more responsibility and become a bigger part of the offense. This is a welcome sight in Denver and something the Nuggets desperately need. All offseason there was talk of trading MPJ and turning that contract into something more useful. But if he is going to take a big leap, maybe the best solution is just keeping him in town. Early returns look excellent.
Dud #1: Jamal Murray
Unfortunately, part of the reason that the Nuggets need MPJ to step up is because Jamal Murray continues to look off. He was unhealthy all offseason and had a brutal showing in the Olympics. But he showed up early to training camp, signed a new contract extension, and there was hope that he was ready to hit the ground running.
But that hasn’t been the case at all. Murray was only able to play half the game on Sunday and didn’t look very good out there. In 18 minutes, he scored just 2 points on 1/6 shooting and missed all three of his three-point attempts.
Furthermore, it seemed Malone was upset about the conditioning and fitness of the team, and based on what we saw, that was likely referring to Murray. We’re barely a week away from the start of the NBA’s regular season and Murray doesn’t look close to himself.
The Nuggets need Murray more than ever this season to step up and be a true, reliable number two option and second star alongside Jokic. They paid him the max contract he wanted for the next four years and they need him to live up to that.
At this point, it’s unclear if the issue is health, fitness, or just poor play. But either way, it’s not good. And the time to get this figured out is running low. The Nuggets are focused on winning a title and want to be clicking on all cylinders in April, May, and June.
They know as well as anyone that it’s a long season and they don’t need to push too hard in October. But at the same time, they need to get to the postseason and need to be in a position to win. The West is as competitive as ever this season and the Nuggets can’t afford to coast through the regular season.
This doesn’t all fall on Murray, but he has the biggest contract and expectations of guys who aren’t showing out right now. Again, we don’t need playoff Murray for 82 games, but we certainly can’t get this preseason version of Jamal either; he needs to pick it up.