It feels almost like a broken record at this point. The Denver Nuggets don't look like the Nuggets we've come to expect to see over these last two games against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Golden State Warriors. The three-point shot has strangely faded, and the overall energy has been lacking outside of the furious fourth-quarter comeback against the Pelicans. One of the mounting concerns about energy corresponds with the team's hustle to get rebounds, normally a bright spot for the team. But they're not even snagging defensive rebounds like we've come to expect.
The Nuggets are currently ranked just 21st in defensive rebounding after three games, averaging 31.0. However, 2024-25 saw the Nuggets pull down 34.5 rebounds and finish 3rd, while 2025-26 saw the Nuggets snag 34.2 and finish the season 5th. It's a stark contrast.
What's even more concerning is that the Nuggets lost the rebounding edge, 50-36, against a much smaller Warriors team. Unfortunately, rebounding comes from intensity and energy, and the Nuggets haven't exactly been bringing the energy.
Nikola Jokic has been inconsistent on the boards
Jokic's been off to a slow start on the glass this year. While he did have 15 against the Pelicans, 7 of them came in the final 5 minutes of overtime. He only had 7 rebounds against the Thunder and 7 rebounds against the undersized Warriors. Jokic led the league with 12.9 rebounds last year, and his lower numbers are definitely part of the problem.
But you could see against the Warriors that the Nuggets were just getting out hustled to the loose ball. The Warriors didn't have a player over 6-foot-9 who saw significant minutes. Jokic should have had a field day on the glass, yet he didn't.
The Nuggets have improved on the offensive glass
And what's strange about the Nuggets' defensive rebounding problem is that they've actually made a solid improvement on the offensive side of the glass. They were just 26th in offensive rebounding in 2025-26, and have improved to 5th over the first three games. And a major reason for that is the crashing of the glass that head coach David Adelman has called for as a way to help improve the transition defense. The players got that message, but they've failed to put that same energy forth on the defensive side.
Sure, the sample size is small, only three games. But the Nuggets could be 0-3 very easily. It's a cause for concern because the stats back up the eye test for a lack of energy. If that energy doesn't return, it's going to be a long season in Denver.
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