Part of the Denver Nuggets' branding proudly displays the Mile High City's elevation of 5,280 feet above sea level. The Nuggets have a distinct cardio advantage over any other team in the league by training at the highest altitude of any NBA city. They should lean on that advantage to push the pace back into the fast break and wear their opponents down.
Some of the Nuggets were out training at Red Rocks as they get ready for the start of training camp, which opens on Sept. 29th, and it definitely doesn't look like it was a light workout. The Nuggets who attended the team-building training wore weighted vests, which added to the difficulty of the workout and the cardio load. Notably, veterans Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun were in attendance, and Braun looked healthy running the stairs.
A beautiful day at Red Rocks pic.twitter.com/rROebt2nlb
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 5, 2026
The Nuggets need to push the tempo when they can
Braun is getting back into the explosive running shape that propelled him to lead the NBA in fast-break points in 2024-25. The Nuggets were also the number-one fast-break scoring team that season, averaging 20.2 points per game. Having Braun regain that extra burst to get out in front of the defenders so Nikola Jokic can find him with a John Elway-esque outlet pass is a step in the right direction for the Nuggets to regain their edge over their opponents.
Injuries certainly didn't help, but the Nuggets slipped from first to 13th in 2025-26, averaging only 15.2 points on the break. Coincidentally, the Nuggets also slipped during crunch time, and their clutch performances were worse than in years past. A clutch game is within five points with five minutes or less to play in the fourth quarter or overtime. The Nuggets still finished with a 23-19 record in clutch games, but that was fueled by a 5-0 clutch record in the final 10 games of the year, some to tanking teams.
The Nuggets need to push the tempo when they can to wear down their opponents later in games, making the clutch easier to navigate. Wear the opponent out. Take advantage of the advantage.
Pace doesn't have to change for fast-break points
The Nuggets don't have to change their overall pace to take advantage of the fast break. They just need to take advantage of it when it presents itself. During the Nuggets' title-winning season of 2022-23, they were ranked 23rd in pace while ranking 5th in fast-break points.
But the Nuggets should be looking to break out on just about any rebound or steal coming from Jokic. He's the best passer in the game, and getting back out on the break is a great way to get some easy points and perhaps avoid more close games.
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