Nuggets Nightly

The injury report has one real problem. Julian Strawther sprained his left knee during the preseason, had an MRI after injuring his leg on October 15, and on October 17 the team said he would miss at least six weeks. His estimated return is November 29. That takes a 24-year-old guard off the wing rotation for the first month-plus. Spencer Jones is day-to-day with a hamstring and has an estimated return of October 22, so he could be available for the opener. Jones played 64 games last season at 22.1 minutes and hit 39.6 percent from three. His availability matters more than usual with Strawther out, since the two were part of the same wing depth chart.

Last season Denver finished 54-28 with an offensive rating of 121.2, a defensive rating of 116.0 and a net rating of 5.2. The team scored 122.1 points per game at a 99.5 pace, with an effective field goal percentage of 57.7 and a true shooting mark of 61.6. Jamal Murray led the scoring at 25.4 points in 75 games with 7.1 assists and 43.5 percent from three. Nikola Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists in 65 games at 38.0 percent from deep, with a plus-minus of 8.5. Both are 29 and 31 now, and both are the reason the offense was where it was. Aaron Gordon added 16.2 points in 36 games, and Cameron Johnson gave 12.2 points on 43.0 percent from three.

The lineup of Gordon, Jokic, Murray, Johnson and Braun played 23 games together last season for 360.0 minutes with a net rating of 13.5. That is the group most likely to start Thursday. The second-best unit, Jokic, Murray, Johnson, Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, posted a net of 20.1 in 171.0 minutes, but Watson is gone to Cleveland. A third group with Strawther in Braun's spot ran 119.0 minutes at a net of 6.3, and Strawther is out. Two other lineups from last season included Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, and both have left. Hardaway is in Miami. Brown is unsigned. The bench minutes that used to go to those four now fall to DeMar DeRozan, Tyus Jones, Cam Whitmore and the rookies.

DeMar DeRozan is 37 and entering his 17th season. Last season he played 77 games and averaged 18.4 points and 4.1 assists at 32.0 percent from three, with a plus-minus of minus 7.6. Cam Whitmore is 22 and played only 21 games last season, averaging 9.2 points in 16.9 minutes. Marvin Bagley III gave 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in 60 games. Ryan Nembhard, 23, handled backup point guard duties with 5.3 assists in 19.5 minutes over 60 games. Tyus Jones, 30, is the veteran option at that spot. The rookies are Alpha Diallo, a 29-year-old guard, forward Bryce Hopkins and forward Trevon Brazile. Brazile drew mention in an October 17 Nuggets notes roundup alongside DeRozan and Jones. DaRon Holmes II, 24, is in his second season at forward. Zeke Nnaji returns at forward-center.

Six players from last season are gone. Peyton Watson signed with the Cavaliers, Tim Hardaway Jr. went to the Heat and Jalen Pickett landed with the Clippers. Bruce Brown, David Roddy and KJ Simpson are unsigned free agents. The front office also waived its Exhibit 10 players on October 17, per a league roundup that grouped Denver with Cleveland and Detroit. Watson's departure is the one that shows up in the lineup data. He was part of the second-best five-man group last season and one of the two Hardaway-Brown units that posted a net of 17.5 and 11.9. Johnson, now 30 with seven years of experience, and Braun, 25, are the wings who absorb those minutes while Strawther recovers.