What to Expect from the Denver Nuggets in the 26-27 Season
If I could use one word to describe how the upcoming season should go for the Denver Nuggets, I’d pick aspirations. After all, the 2023 NBA Champions still have their Batman and their Robin from the last time they won a title. Pairing up Nikola Jokić with Jamal Murray seems like a match made in heaven, given how well the 10-year teammates complement each other. Just a few days ago, the team further bolstered their squad by adding six-time all-star DeMar DeRozan. Now that we know their core players, and as the rest of their roster shapes up before the new campaign, let’s talk about what an NBA enthusiast can expect from this organization.
The Nuggets finished third in a jam-packed Western Conference last year, with an impressive 54-28 record. Their first season without former head coach Mike Malone ended prematurely after a loss in an enthralling six-game first-round series to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Throughout the season, Denver was one of the teams many thought could win the 2026 NBA Championship. However, it still remains to be seen how Malone’s successor, former assistant coach Dave Adelman, will respond to increased pressure during the playoffs. In the time period of 26-27, Denver will attempt to prove to themselves that 25-26 was just a setback, and not the closing of their championship window.
As far as roster turnover goes, the Nuggets have set themselves up for a season with much chemistry. This group’s primary players remain the same as 2023, with the bench marking the area that’s had more significant changes. Speaking of positive differences, the internal player development of Bruce Brown and Christian Braun has given the team a much-improved defensive identity. While Aaron Gordon remains the catalyst of that department, having athletic wings like Brown and Braun can tremendously help in containing guard-heavy teams. What’s worth mentioning is that Denver took a hit in this area of their game by losing Peyton Watson this offseason. The fifth-year pro offered defensive relief and versatility, while taking a giant leap to 14.6 points per game as he improved his attacking toolkit. I believe that’s the hole the organization tries to fill with DeRozan, who had a somewhat similar profile but is much older and a few clicks slower than he once was.
The upcoming season’s schedule fell more kindly to the Nuggets than it did last year. While their first tipoff comes against the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder, their next four games are all against teams that either didn’t make the playoffs last year or got swept in the first round. The league also selected them to be in 28 nationally televised contests, and I believe that happened for two reasons. Sure, most people want to see Jokić in action because of how talented the Serbian is. However, I’d argue that even though someone like LaMelo Ball is fun to watch, with the exception of last year, the Charlotte Hornets weren’t the center of many nationally televised games. That’s because expectations in Charlotte are different, and Adam Silver has leveraged this part of the schedule because he anticipates the Nuggets to be a formidable contender for the 2027 NBA Championship.
After taking everything into consideration, I believe that Denver is well set up to have another successful season. I would guess that the team finishes very close to where they ended up last year, not too far behind the Thunder and the Spurs. I’d expect them to be at least 15 games above the .500 mark, and for them to possibly reach the Western Conference Finals. However, until I watch some 26-27 Denver Nuggets ball, I cannot confidently say that their ceiling is beyond that.
