3 Winners, 1 Loser From Nuggets' Preseason Loss vs. Clippers

To snap their two-game preseason win streak, the Denver Nuggets lost to the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday night, 122-110. The Nuggets have looked solid throughout the preseason so far, but Wednesday's performance was certainly not the best. Obviously, it is just a preseason matchup, so the result does not truly matter, but they are running out of time to get ready for the regular season.

With just one more preseason game left following this defeat in L.A., here are three of the Nuggets' biggest winners and one significant loser, and spoiler alert: it is not a player.

Winner: Trevon Brazile

Sep 28, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Trevon Brazile (7) during media day at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most obvious winner from Wednesday's game is rookie forward Trevon Brazile. The 23-year-old's elite athleticism was on full display, but he also showed the Nuggets that he can make an all-around impact when given the chance.

Brazile played a team-high 25 minutes off the bench and finished with 22 points, two rebounds, one steal, and one block on efficient 8-10 shooting from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc.

Trevon Brazile for 3 then gets the block on Garland in isolation https://t.co/WmZmNUC8Vu pic.twitter.com/vwwBoqcVmF
— Adam Mares (@Adam_Mares) October 15, 2026

Brazile's mix of athleticism and length immediately makes him stand out whenever he is on the floor, but he also has a good feel for the game. His three-point shot is surprisingly clean, he is an exceptional lob threat, and he moves his feet well on defense.

It is hard not to want David Adelman and his staff to give Brazile some minutes in the regular season, and he proved exactly why he deserves it on Wednesday.

Winner: Jamal Murray and the starters

Oct 14, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into the season, the Nuggets know they have one of the best starting lineups in the league. However, after playing just 23 games together last season, these preseason games have become valuable for them.

In Wednesday's loss, the Nuggets' starters only played in the first half, but all finished with a positive plus/minus, led by All-Star point guard Jamal Murray. After an offseason of questions, especially coming off a disappointing playoff series, Murray showed he still has All-NBA juice this season.

Jamal Murray closes the 1H with a BANG 💥

He's got 14 points in 17 minutes for the @nuggets! pic.twitter.com/RUoKSCmWnM
— NBA (@NBA) October 15, 2026

In 17 minutes of action, Murray had 14 points and four rebounds on 6-8 shooting from the field and 2-3 from deep with zero turnovers. After shooting just 5-15 from the field and 1-6 from deep in his first two preseason appearances, Murray finally found his rhythm against the Clippers. With an overall lack of three-point threats, the Nuggets need Murray to be comfortable offensively this season.

The Nuggets as a team are much better when Murray is playing at his best, and while they still have some things to clean up before these games become meaningful, the starting lineup is looking about as we imagined.

Winner: Cam Whitmore

Oct 6, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cam Whitmore (00) drives against Utah Jazz guard Josh Okogie (21) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This has been a common trend for the Nuggets through their preseason action, but two-way wing Cam Whitmore continues to impress. It was an obvious win when the Nuggets were able to sign the former first-round pick to a two-way deal, and he is already proving to be on one of the best-value contracts in the NBA.

In the loss to L.A., Whitmore dropped 17 points off the bench with four rebounds on 7-13 shooting from the field. The Nuggets recently waived Lonnie Walker IV, and it is clear why: they trust Whitmore to fill their bench scoring void.

While it remains unclear how much Whitmore will play in the regular season, it might be hard for Adelman to keep him off the floor. The 22-year-old brings athleticism, rim pressure, scoring, and the potential to be a high-energy defender. Sure, there are things he can work on, but given he is the youngest player on the roster, it could be worth it to give him some extra opportunities when it matters.

Loser: Nuggets health

Oct 14, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Julian Strawther (1) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Julian Strawther has arguably had the best preseason of any Nuggets player, but it was a scary sight on Wednesday night. Strawther went down with what looked like a serious leg injury in the third quarter against the Clippers and did not return to the game.

Stratwher was in serious pain as he was helped to the locker room, and the Nuggets will have more details on the severity of the injury after he undergoes an MRI on Thursday.

This sucks.
Expecting big things out of Julian Strawther this season. Hate to see this.
He’ll undergo an MRI today. Injury bug hits the @nuggets early this year. pic.twitter.com/I0qaoEDBZn
— Vic Lombardi (@VicLombardi) October 15, 2026

After the Nuggets got hit with the injury plague last season, this was obviously not what they wanted ot see. Strawther will be a vital player for the Nuggets this season, and he has shown that he is ready for his increased role throughout the preseason.

In 19 minutes before the injury, Strawther dropped 11 points with a trio of three-pointers, extending his double-digit scoring streak to four games as the only Nuggets player to score 10 or more in every preseason game so far. Through four games, he has averaged 13.3 points on 43.5% shooting from deep.

If Strawther has to miss extended time, guys like Whitmore and Alpha Diallo could fill in the rotation, but the Nuggets certainly hope this injury is not as serious as it looked.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google