The Denver Nuggets did not start their 2026-27 season on the high note they had hoped for. With a clear opportunity to walk out with a statement road win over back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Nuggets fell flat in the second half, ultimately losing 96-84.
This was the Nuggets' lowest-scoring game since January 2024, as the league's top offense from last year rarely struggles this much on that end of the court. It was an obvious outlier game, so we should not overreact too much until we see more, but we can at least monitor the stocks of a few players. Let's take a look at two risers and two fallers from Thursday night's loss.
Riser: Trevon Brazile
The obvious riser from the season opener loss is Trevon Brazile. The second-round rookie filled in for an injured Spencer Jones in Denver's bench unit, and he stepped up big time in his NBA debut.
There will obviously be ways Brazile can improve from his first real NBA action, but it seemed like he did exactly what the coaching staff wanted. Brazile checked into the game and immediately made a difference by crashing the glass. The 23-year-old rookie grabbed eight rebounds in just five first-quarter minutes, and it was a sight to see as he used his length and athleticism to fight for boards.
Brazile also took some open shots that didn't fall, finishing 1-6 from the floor and 0-4 from beyond the arc, but that will come with time. When Jones returns from injury, David Adelman and his staff might at least have to think twice about their rotation and how to include Brazile.
Faller: Jamal Murray
This was far from the Jamal Murray game the Nuggets wanted. After a rough first-round playoff series that ended his All-Star and All-NBA 2025-26 campaign, we had hoped Murray would come out firing this season.
Murray finished the game with as many points as turnovers (6), while shooting 2-11 from the field. Sure, he grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out a few assists, but this was a game where Oklahoma City's defense clearly got the better of him.
Murray has had some very strong performances against the Thunder in the past, so this was a real disappointment. In a game where the Nuggets could not find anything to work offensively, it seemed like his time to step up, but he could not get it going.
Riser: Aaron Gordon
In a game where the Nuggets' offense could not find its rhythm, Aaron Gordon was a bright spot. In 29 minutes, Gordon finished with a team-high 20 points on 6-9 shooting from the field and 3-4 from three-point range.
With Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Christian Braun shooting a combined 10-40 from the field and 2-13 from beyond the arc, and Cameron Johnson leaving the game before halftime, they needed at least one starter to step up.
Don't forget, Gordon erupted for 50 points with 10 made three-pointers in last year's season opener, so we know exactly what he is capable of when he gets hot. Obviously, he did not catch fire that extreme on Thursday night, but he was one of the lone bright spots for this team. We might not want to place All-Star expectations on him, but if he stays healthy, he could be heading into the best season of his career.
Faller: DeMar DeRozan
I don't want to overreact about this, but there was not much to like about the Nuggets' offense when DeMar DeRozan was on the floor. Denver's bench unit as a whole actually looked better than many were expecting, but DeRozan's Nuggets debut showed exactly what many fans feared: he does not find Denver's offense.
DeRozan finished with 13 points and five turnovers on 5-9 shooting, but things seemed to stall when he touched the ball. Of course, this is exactly what fans were warning would happen with DeRozan joining the team, but maybe with more time to get adjusted, the second-unit offense will flow better with him leading the charge.
We can't be too hard on DeRozan, considering he was tied for the second-most points on the team and shot efficiently in a loss where nearly the entire group struggled. There is no need to panic just yet, but how DeRozan fits with this team should be monitored as the season progresses.
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