Coming into the start of the preseason, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Denver Nuggets was the health of two of their more hobbled players last year, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. It took only one preseason game to answer that question emphatically. Yep, they're back.
Both stars had been fielding questions about their health in the lead-up to the start of training camp, and both had been telling the media that they were "ready to go." They certainly looked it. And with both stars looking "explosive" and having a burst that definitely wasn't present during the disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nuggets' ceiling to start the year looks high.
Braun's "explosiveness" is back
Earlier in the week, head coach David Adelman had said that he thought Braun's "explosiveness" was back. He was certainly right. One of the things missing from Braun last year was him bursting down the floor to catch a John Elway bullet from Nikola Jokic on the outlet for an easy transition bucket. Check that off the list already. The pair did just that in the second quarter, with Braun giving us a flashback to two seasons ago.
It's great to see. Braun led the NBA in fast-break points in 2024-25 at 5.1 per game, and his transition points were in the 92nd percentile. But because of his injuries last year, that number fell to the 45th percentile. Braun even showed a quick burst by diving on the floor for a loose ball, which he gathered up and found rookie Trevon Brazile for a dunk.
Gordon looked like he was moving fluidly
The first points of the 109-97 loss to the Utah Jazz in the preseason opener were scored by Gordon on a powerful reverse layup for an and-one. Gordon later fought for a loose ball and put it back up strongly for a dunk, and he was fired up afterward.
More importantly, he looked like the healthy version of AG that the Nuggets missed in the first round against the Timberwolves. Gordon finished the game with 12 points, and he showed his range by hitting 1 of his 3 three-point attempts. The Nuggets missed his extra spacing in the playoffs, too.
Gordon and Braun's health will boost the defense
Even more important than the offensive side of the ball are the defensive bursts that both players will have back in their arsenal. Braun's defense fell off a cliff while his ankle was still hurt, and Gordon never looked right in the three games he played against the Timberwolves.
With both of the Nuggets' stars looking and feeling good, the ceiling already feels higher for the 2026-27 season.
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