Denver Can't Buy a Defense, So the Offense Has to Come Back
The cap sheet and the draft cupboard leave Denver no way to buy a better defense, so its season depends on getting a league-best offense back.
Through three games Denver scores 109.7 points per 100 possessions and allows 119.3. The fix has to come from players already on the roster, and the first of them may return tonight in New Orleans.
Which half is broken?
The case against the defense is easy to make. New Orleans scored 135 on Denver and still lost, Golden State scored 134 and won by 20, and the defense allows 119.3 per 100 possessions. A No. 21 defense was already the biggest obstacle last season. The offense is the bigger surprise. A unit that ranked first now sits at 109.7 and managed 84 points at Oklahoma City. Murray is shooting 47.8 percent from three. Nobody else is keeping up: Braun is at 15.4 percent across 35.7 minutes a night, Jokic at 21.7 and DeRozan at 25.0.
Why the defense can't be bought
Denver's payroll is $217.8 million, about $17 million over the $200.4 million tax line and close to the $221.7 million second apron. Its 2028, 2029 and 2030 first-round picks are protected to Oklahoma City. The one outside move on record went nowhere, with the Bucks declining a Porter deal on October 24. A defensive upgrade would have to fit inside those limits, and so far none has.
The five already on the roster
Gordon, Jokic, Murray, Johnson and Braun were +13.5 together in 2025-26. That group won because of spacing and timing, not stops. Johnson is the shooter whose absence David Decker of Nugg Love tied to Denver's missing three-point touch. He is day-to-day with a right ankle issue and listed to return today. Spencer Jones is out until November 2, Diallo until October 30 and Strawther until November 29. Johnson is the only one of the four who could be back for the Pelicans.
The answer
Denver will not suddenly defend like Oklahoma City, and it doesn't have to. Last season it won 54 games with a No. 21 defense because the offense was the best in the league. The real question is whether the offense can get back to that level, and the evidence points to a shooting slump and a thin wing group more than lost chemistry. Jokic is still averaging 8.7 assists. When Johnson's shot returns and Braun's starts falling, Jokic's passes get easier to finish. New Orleans plays at 104.4 possessions and has already put 135 on this team. Tonight shows how close the offense is to the version that made a middling defense good enough.
Why are the Nuggets 1-2 to start the 2026-27 season?
Denver allows 119.3 points per 100 possessions and scores only 109.7, with poor three-point shooting outside Murray. Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo and Julian Strawther have all missed time.
Can the Nuggets trade for a defender?
It's hard. Payroll is $217.8 million, well over the tax line, and the 2028 through 2030 first-round picks are protected to Oklahoma City. The one reported attempt, for Porter, was rejected by Milwaukee.
