Is Continuity Enough for Denver When the Five Who Built It Are Hurt?
Denver's chemistry is real, but it only counts when the players who built it are on the floor together.
The Nuggets return home at 0-1, with the core of last season's 54-28 team intact and two of its forwards out. The question is whether familiarity can carry an offense that lost its shooting around Nikola Jokic.
What is Denver really asking?
Denver is 0-1 after an 84-96 loss at Oklahoma City. The score matters less than the question under it. The core is the same one that won 54 games last season. Cameron Johnson and Spencer Jones are both out, and Julian Strawther is out with a knee sprain. If continuity is the asset, it has to survive when the rotation changes.
What does continuity buy?
Quite a lot. Denver had the league's No. 1 offense last season, 121.2 points per 100 possessions, at a deliberate pace of 99.5. Jokic averaged 10.7 assists and Murray 7.1, and Murray made 43.5 percent of his threes. The five of Aaron Gordon, Jokic, Murray, Johnson and Christian Braun posted a +13.5 net rating, though the sample is small. Players who know where each other will be make passing look easy. That is the case for patience.
What does it not buy?
Shooting. Johnson hit 43.0 percent from three last season and is out. Braun made 30.1 and DeRozan 32.0, so the guards and wings on the floor give defenses less to fear. Jordanna Clark of Nugg Love argued after the loss that Gordon cannot replace Johnson's shooting. Gordon played only 36 games last season, so leaning on him is its own risk. Passing needs someone to pass to, and 84 points suggests Oklahoma City dared Denver to prove it.
Does Saturday settle anything?
Not by itself. New Orleans is 0-2, playing the second night of a back-to-back, and went 26-56 last season. Yves Missi is listed with a knee issue. Denver has had one day more rest. A win would be welcome but would not answer the question. Johnson and Jones are projected back Monday against Golden State, and that is when Denver can find out whether its familiar groups still work. Continuity is worth a great deal, but it belongs to specific players, not to a roster. Until the right five share the floor, the answer is unfinished.
Who is out for the Nuggets against the Pelicans?
Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther are out. Alpha Diallo is listed as day-to-day with a wrist issue and was projected back Saturday.
When are Cameron Johnson and Spencer Jones expected back?
Both are projected to return October 26, when Denver hosts the Warriors. That is an estimate, not a confirmed date.
