Three Biggest Questions the Nuggets Must Answer This Season

With the 2026-27 season quickly approaching and training camp just a couple of weeks away, we can start to think more seriously about what the Denver Nuggets have in store. It has been a weird offseason for Denver, overshadowed by Peyton Watson's free agency that resulted in a sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With Watson gone and DeMar DeRozan entering the fold, we now have a clear look at what the Nuggets' rotation will look like for the upcoming season. Of course, though, this new-look team will still have to answer a few questions this season before we can feel confident in their chances of competing for a championship in 2027.

Can they stay healthy?

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) on the floor after a play during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season, the injury bug got the best of the Nuggets. Let's take a quick look at how injuries impacted some of Denver's top players:

Nuggets Player	Games Missed
Aaron Gordon	46
Christian Braun	38
Cameron Johnson	28
Peyton Watson	28
Nikola Jokic	17

Heading into the 2026-27 season, health should be the Nuggets' top priority. Sure, they still won 54 games to finish third in the Western Conference, but they cannot sustain that degree of injury concern again.

Especially eyeing starters like Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun, who all missed significant chunks of the 2025-26 season, the Nuggets need them to stay healthy. Gordon is one of Denver's most important players, yet he has missed 77 games over the past two regular seasons and even missed three playoff games this year.

A fully healthy Nuggets team should not have much trouble competing with the best teams in the West, but their depth is not promising enough to keep them afloat if the injury bug gets them again.

Can the defense improve?

Mar 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) defends New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season, the Nuggets had the NBA's best offense, but the 21st-ranked defense. Obviously, despite having such an incredible offense, you cannot win a championship with a subpar effort on the other end.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, most of their defensive concerns are due to personnel. The Nuggets do not have many impressive individual defenders, so it will fall on head coach David Adelman to string together an improved team defense.

This offseason, the Nuggets made a few defensive-minded moves by re-signing Spencer Jones, bringing in EuroLeague Best Defender winner Alpha Diallo, and drafting Trevon Brazile, but at the same time, losing high-energy guys like Peyton Watson and Bruce Brown could sting.

If the Nuggets can at least have a top-half defense in the league this season, they would be in a much better spot than before.

Will the guard depth be good enough?

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

One of the biggest concerns for Denver after last season was a lack of ball-handling in the second unit. However, they did nothing this summer to fix that. As it stands, the Nuggets' backup backcourt consists only of Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, two-way KJ Simpson, and potentially Lonnie Walker IV if he makes the final roster.

Jones is not the ideal backup point guard for the Nuggets, and Strawther is far from a reliable enough ball-handler to take any pressure off him. Realistically, most of the ball-handling duties in the second unit will likely fall on 37-year-old forward DeMar DeRozan, but even that addition will not completely help their lack of guard depth.

I already stressed the importance of staying healthy, but if either Jamal Murray or Christian Braun goes down, Denver's guard room would be in serious trouble. There is clear concern about whether the Nuggets' guard depth can hold up for an entire season, especially if they do not keep Walker IV on the roster.

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