Despite it being the Denver Nuggets' first preseason game, a 109-97 loss in Boulder, it had one aspect of the 2025-26 regular season that everyone would rather forget. A hamstring injury forced one of the members of the rotation out of the lineup. But thanks to Nuggets rookie second-round pick Trevon Brazile, we saw that the Nuggets are deeper behind Aaron Gordon on the depth chart this season, and his backups can play defense, too.
First, the hamstring news. If you watched the game, you may have noticed Spencer Jones was missing from the rotation. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post relayed the information that Jones had undergone an MRI on his left hamstring over the weekend which revealed a strain, leaving the Nuggets hoping to have him healthy and ready to go for the season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder October 22nd.
Brazile was the first man up after Gordon took a breather, and that may just continue as long as Jones is out. And the Nuggets will be just fine with Brazile in for Jones.
Brazile has tremendous upside potential
The Nuggets took a chance on the 6-foot-10 power forward with the 35th pick in the draft this summer, and immediately during the Las Vegas Summer League, you could see the upside potential. Brazile had a game of 32 points, hitting an impressive 6 of his 12 three-point attempts. But sure, it was against a bunch of other guys fighting to make the roster, with many from the summer league destined for the G League. But Brazile showed he can still hit the open three against a regular NBA rotation.
Yes, he only hit one. But that's all the Nuggets typically need from their power forward role players off the bench. But what's great is that Brazile can not only knock down the deep three, stretching the defense out, but he's also capable in and around the rim. He finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. One of them was already worthy of a highlight reel.
Brazile is crazy athletic, possessing a 41.5" inch vertical, and used every bit of it when he stuffed the Jazz's Ace Bailey on a dunk attempt. It was one of the major defensive highlights of the night, and it showed exactly why the Nuggets took a chance on Brazile and locked him up to a four-year, $9.5 million contract shortly after he was drafted. Rim protection, especially in recovery on the help side, was one of the highlights of Brazile's repertoire out of college, and one game in, it hasn't disappointed.
You can't teach athleticism, and Brazile has it in droves. With the right development, the rookie could really turn into something special for the Nuggets.
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