Nuggets Need One Player to Step Up After Ruling Out Spencer Jones vs. Thunder

The Denver Nuggets are heading into their 2026-27 season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, but they will be shorthanded. They already knew they'd be playing without Julian Strawther, and now their bench unit takes another hit.

After being listed as questionable due to bilateral hamstring injury management, the Nuggets have ruled out Spencer Jones with less than two hours until tip-off.

Now, with both Strawther and Jones unavailable, the Nuggets will need other players to step up to save their second unit. Their wing depth is deep enough to cover Strawther's absence, with Alpha Diallo and Cam Whitmore likely getting the bulk of the opportunities. But they will likely have to lean on second-round rookie Trevon Brazile to fill in for Jones.

Brazile needs to step up

Obviously, this is not the ideal opponent for Brazile to make his NBA debut against. Not only are the Thunder looking like the best team in the league, but they are also the deepest, with their bench unit expected to outplay Denver's.

Based on what we saw in preseason, though, he is ready for the moment. In five preseason games, he averaged 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 79.2% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. He is a versatile defender, a steady three-point shooter, and an incredible two-way athlete. He will obviously make an impact for the Nuggets, but they will be throwing him to the wolves in his debut.

Head coach David Adelman was quick to lean on Brazile with Jones missing all of preseason, and we should expect that to stay the same in Thursday's opener.

This could be Brazile's chance to show the NBA what he is capable of and to prove to the Nuggets that he should be a long-term piece in the rotation, even when Jones returns from injury.

Denver's new-look second unit

With Brazile expected to fill in for Jones, and Diallo likely to be Strawther's immediate replacement, the Nuggets have a much different bench unit than they are used to. In fact, they have just one returner from last season expected to come off the bench on Thursday night: Tyus Jones, who played just 11 games for Denver last season.

We should expect a second unit of Tyus Jones, Diallo, DeMar DeRozan, Brazile, and Marvin Bagley III. While there are obvious strengths in this group, they will have their hands full against the Thunder's bench.

On Tuesday's opening night, the Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs, and their bench unit is what ultimately won the game. Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, Aday Mara, and Jaylin Williams lead Oklahoma City's bench, and they are more than enough to give the Nuggets' second unit some trouble.

Hopefully, the Nuggets can get good NBA debuts out of Diallo and Brazile alongside veterans Jones, DeRozan, and Bagley, but they will obviously be leaning on their proven starting lineup to walk out of Oklahoma City with a win.

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