The Nuggets opened up the season with a marquee matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game in which their offense didn’t show up and they got humbled on national television. The ensuing panic over the team got a little out of control as they struggled in their next few games, but they’ve largely righted the ship with a 5-3 record early in the season.
But due to the way the schedule has fallen and some injury luck, Denver hasn’t gotten a real test since that opening night debacle.
They’ve scored two bizarre wins over an equally bizarre Pelicans team that hadn’t quite figured out what they wanted to do and who they want to be. They got embarrassed by the Warriors just as they were starting a hot streak, and before anybody knew what they were. They smoked a bad Suns team, then lost to a pesky Blazers team.
Nuggets haven't faced a true contender since OKC
And then they got to beat up on the Raptors without Kawhi Leonard and the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton. That brings us to Monday night, when the Nuggets will finally face another potential contender in the Houston Rockets.
Houston has been one of the most impressive teams in the league early in the season, with wins over the Spurs, Thunder, and Celtics already under their belt. Alperen Sengun is playing some great basketball, Fred VanVleet is back to hold down the point guard position, and Amen Thompson and Kevin Durant are causing chaos on the wing.
The Rockets have the 10th-best defense in the league, and perhaps more surprisingly, the second-best offense in the league. They’re also 4-1 at home, with their only loss coming to the Timberwolves.
Rockets have emerged as early West favorites along with Spurs
With OKC’s injury issues, the Rockets have emerged as a legitimate threat to win the Western Conference, which is an honor the Nuggets are also fighting for. These teams both have proud veterans used to winning and expecting to do so, and there’s a good chance they’re going to have to face each other to get where they want to be.
It’s a great early-season test for the Nuggets to see where they stack up with elite competition within the conference, with both teams nearly at full strength.
The only real shame in it all is the tough travel situation for the Nuggets, as they had some serious trouble getting out of Mexico City. But the team made it there, and everyone is available to play. Neither team is on a back-to-back, and we should be treated to a high-level basketball game between two excellent teams. In a few hours, we should have a much better idea of exactly where the Nuggets stand.
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