What to Expect From Nuggets Starters in Final Three Preseason Games

After splitting their first two preseason games against the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets are moving on to face the Chicago Bulls, L.A. Clippers, and Los Angeles Lakers to end their 2026 preseason slate. The preseason is the perfect time for players to get adjusted to game speed after a long offseason, and the Nuggets, especially, are trying to make the most of it.

Ahead of Sunday's game against Chicago, Nuggets head coach David Adelman was asked how he is planning to handle the lineup to finish the preseason. In response, he confirmed that the starters will suit up against the Bulls and said they will choose one of their Los Angeles matchups to give them some rest.

"I think Chicago, we'll play our guys again. Then there will be a discussion about L.A., which of the two games we won't play people," Adelman said. "It's been interesting, though. We're playing our guys because they haven't played together, and they want to play because last year they didn't play."

As Adelman mentions, this Nuggets starting lineup barely played together last season. The group of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic started just 23 games together, winning 18 of them, so it makes sense that they want some extra on-court time to get comfortable.

Of course, the Nuggets do not want to overwork their starters in preseason, but it is important for them to get some low-pressure run together while they can.

One of the NBA's best starting lineups

While they did not share the court last season as much as they would've liked, they proved to be one of the league's best starting lineups when healthy. Their .783 win percentage together would put them on pace for 64 wins in a full 82-game season, while having the league's best offense and an above-average defense.

Tonight's 5️⃣ pic.twitter.com/OaOb7RuTap
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 7, 2026

Adelman admits these players "need" to play together in preseason, even through the risk of injury in a meaningless game.

"They need to play together," he said. "I know there's risk of injury, I'm not an idiot, but I do think this is kind of a unique year. It's almost like a restart from last year. Then, on top of that, the young guys have to play as well, with these older guys to learn, because we need some of them to pop this year with the rotation."

Of course, the Nuggets will be relying heavily on the veterans in their starting lineup, but the new-look bench unit getting adjusted is equally important. Having the whole team available for at least one of these final three preseason games is more vital than some people might realize.

The Nuggets have a much different rotation than they did last season, even with keeping the starting lineup intact, so they need to make the most of these preseason opportunities.

The Nuggets host the Bulls on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. MT on ESPN, and fortunately, we should get more looks at the starting lineup.

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