The Denver Nuggets might’ve dropped their preseason opener to the Utah Jazz 109-97 Saturday night, but honestly, who cares about the scoreboard? What really mattered was seeing the starters healthy and buzzing, especially with Nikola Jokic dishing out 7 assists on just one shot attempt, and the bench unit already looking like they’re finding their rhythm and trying to figure out their roles. Yeah, it’s just Game 1, but getting these guys back on the hardwood was what everyone was waiting for.
Joker’s Vision and Starters Lookin’ Sharp
Even with Jamal Murray sitting out for personal reasons (though he was still right there on the bench), it was classic Jokic running the show early. He wasted no time, dropping a great inside pass to Aaron Gordon for a traditional three-point play, and then a super welcome transition bucket for Christian Braun, who was already showing off those healthy hops. Jokic found AG again on a slick baseline cut for a reverse layup, and then Gordon grabbed a tough defensive board and zipped it to Braun on the baseline for some free throws, even if Braun missed ’em. Jokic kept that wizardry going, finding Braun for another layup later on. Speaking of numbers, Julian Strawther led all Nuggets with 14 points, while Aaron Gordon notched 12. Tyus Jones also got in on the assist action with 6 dimes of his own. These guys look active, and that’s the main thing.
Bench Cohesion and Early Game Grind
The Jazz definitely brought it too, though, with Keyonte George driving the hoop and hitting jumpers, and Markkanen snagging the lead with a three. But the Nuggets’ bench wasn’t just sitting there. DeMar DeRozan was the first guy off the bench just five minutes in, hitting a long 2 and later finishing through contact for a free throw. New backup center Marvin Bagley even had his dunk blocked, but he stayed with it, grabbing the ricochet and getting the putback. Trevon Brazile got a dunk thanks to Braun getting on the floor for a loose ball, cutting the lead to 23-17 at one point. Zeke Nnaji made a couple of free throws that trimmed the deficit to 39-35 as the starters started filtering back in. This team’s just getting started, but you can already see them pushing and trying to mesh.
Look, there’s not a lot of heavy analysis you can drop after just one preseason game. But seeing the squad back out there, getting reps, and showing off some of that chemistry, especially with Jokic doing Jokic things, is enough for now. We’ll be keeping an eye on how these guys keep building that cohesion as they get more minutes under their belts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Denver Stiffs.
Leave a Reply