Two Beat Writers, One Night Apart, on Aaron Gordon
Local coverage split on whether Denver still leans too hard on Aaron Gordon, and one strong box score did not close the question.
Denver beat Chicago 133-128 in a comeback preseason win, with Aaron Gordon scoring 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Outlet coverage of that game sits next to an unresolved rotation question around Alpha Diallo and a payroll built for the Nuggets' current title window.
Reliance, before and after
Nugg Love's Ben Handler wrote Oct. 11, ahead of the Bulls game, that Denver's offense still leans too heavily on Aaron Gordon's health, a fair read after a season in which Gordon appeared in just 36 of Denver's 82 games. A day later, Mile High Sports' Ryan Blackburn called Gordon the standout of the starters in Thursday's comeback win over Chicago, where he hit 9 of 12 shots for 25 points with a plus-8 mark in 23 minutes. Both pieces hold up: Gordon answered the specific question in front of him, but a single preseason game does not retire a concern built over a season in which he missed almost half the schedule.
What the Diallo reports still haven't said
Nugg Love's David Decker wrote Oct. 11 that Denver is still searching for a role that fits Alpha Diallo's versatility, the same name that turned up without further detail in an Oct. 4 rotation report and again in hoopsrumors' Oct. 12 notes column alongside Gordon, DeRozan and Strawther. The facts match the uncertainty: Diallo did not appear in Thursday's box score against Chicago. Decker's Oct. 9 piece on the bench overhaul credited Holmes II, Strawther and Hopkins with carving out distinct jobs — the three combined for 34 of Denver's 52 bench points against the Bulls — and left Diallo's job still undefined.
Spending at the top while values rise across the league
RealGM reported Oct. 9 that NBA franchises are now worth a combined $199 billion, up 21 percent on average. Denver's own commitment reflects the stakes of competing in that market: a $221.1 million payroll that sits above the $200.4 million luxury-tax line and into the first apron, anchored by Jokic's $59.0 million, Murray's $50.1 million, Gordon's $33.7 million, Johnson's $23.1 million and Braun's $21.6 million. That is the bill for keeping the roster that won in 2023 together a little longer.
Is Aaron Gordon's health still a concern for the Nuggets?
It was raised publicly on Oct. 11, after a season in which Gordon played only 36 of 82 games. He answered it on the court the next night with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, though one game does not erase a season of missed time.
What is Alpha Diallo's role on the Nuggets?
It has not been defined. He has appeared in rotation notes from outlets on Oct. 4 and Oct. 12 without specifics, and he did not appear in the box score for Thursday's preseason win over Chicago.
