Nuggets Have Clear Advantage vs. Pelicans With Positive Injury Report

The Denver Nuggets are nearly at full strength against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Oct 24, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) works in the post against New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) during the second half at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Denver Nuggets won six of their first ten games of the 2026-27 season, and while fans expected things would be going better, it could be worse. The Nuggets sit in ninth place in the Western Conference, but there are still a lot of games to be played. There is no need to panic about the Nuggets just yet, especially heading into a favorable matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Nuggets have had two days of rest since beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday and are now facing the Pelicans, who are on the second night of a back-to-back. On Friday, the Pelicans got crushed by the Grizzlies 142-111, and they have now lost their last three games by an average of 38.7 points.

This is already an extremely lopsided matchup, as the Nuggets face a Pelicans team that has lost three straight games by 30+ points, and to make matters worse for New Orleans, Denver also has a health advantage.

Nuggets injury report

Apr 12, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther warms up before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nuggets started the season with some significant health concerns, but things have been trending in the right direction. Now, they have just one player with an injury designation: Julian Strawther. The Nuggets' full injury report:

Julian Strawther - OUT (left knee sprain)

Strawther has yet to suit up for the Nuggets this season, and it will be interesting to see what their bench unit looks like once he's good to go. His three-point shooting will undoubtedly help this Nuggets team, which has struggled from deep, but it might still be a couple of weeks until he's ready to return.

The good thing, though, is that the rest of the team is healthy. Denver has its full starting lineup available, and against a struggling Pelicans team, their mostly healthy bench unit should be serviceable.

The Nuggets have also ruled out DaRon Holmes, Ryan Nembhard, and Cam Whitmore on G League assignments.

Pelicans injury report

Oct 29, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III warms up before a game against the Sacramento Kings at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Pelicans are dealing with a couple of key injuries, as they have ruled out two starters for Saturday's game against the Nuggets. New Orleans' full injury report:

Yves Missi - PROBABLE (left knee contusion / bone bruise)

Trey Murphy III - OUT (bilateral patellar tendinopathy)

Dejounte Murray - OUT (left ankle sprain)

Bryce McGowens - OUT (left elbow infection)

With both Murphy and Murray sidelined, the Pelicans will be concerningly shorthanded against the Nuggets. They still have talented players like Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey, and Jeremiah Fears to give the Nuggets some trouble, but we can expect Denver to leave with a win.

The Nuggets have already beaten the Pelicans twice this season, both by single digits, but New Orleans' recent cold stretch obviously casts some doubt on Saturday's matchup for them. The Nuggets have some clear advantages over the Pelicans in this game, so hopefully they can make the most of it.

The Nuggets and Pelicans are set to tip off at 5:00 p.m. MT in New Orleans on Saturday.

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