The Denver Nuggets ended their 2026 preseason on a high note. After splitting their first four games, the Nuggets looked like the championship contender we all know they are capable of being on Friday night.
The Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Crypto.com Arena, 121-106, with both teams playing near full strength. Denver had four of its five starters available, with Aaron Gordon resting, while the Lakers were only missing a few key bench players. Overall, this was exactly what the Nuggets wanted to do in their preseason finale, so let's take a deeper look at which players "won" on Friday night and who "lost."
Winner: Christian Braun
The Nuggets finally got a glimpse of the Christian Braun they knew two years ago. In 28 minutes on Friday night, Braun finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and two steals on 5-10 shooting from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc.
Braun had a complete game on both sides of the ball, and that is exactly what the Nuggets needed to see. Coming off a down year, and now with his $125 million contract kicking in, the Nuggets need more from Braun. If he brought this energy every game, the Nuggets would be a much better team.
The starting lineup as a whole had an impressive outing, but Braun finished with a team-high plus/minus (+18) and had his best performance in a long time. We need Braun to rebuild his confidence, and this is the perfect way to build some momentum ahead of the regular season.
Winner: Trevon Brazile
The Nuggets took Trevon Brazile early in the second round of this summer's draft, and fans immediately got excited because he has elite length and athleticism, two things Denver can always use more of. Throughout preseason, he has shown that there is much more to his game than just physical traits.
On Friday night, Brazile got the starting nod with Aaron Gordon and Spencer Jones sidelined, and he proved why he belongs. In 27 minutes, he finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks on 5-7 shooting from the field and 2-3 from deep.
Brazile has emerged as a reliable backup forward for the Nuggets, and it will be hard for David Adelman to keep him out of the rotation. When the team is fully healthy, we do not expect Brazile to play much, but he has proven very useful when given the chance. After a couple of strong preseason performances, he has likely cemented his spot as the "next man up" whenever injuries plague Denver's frontcourt.
Winner: The bench
There is always a concern for the Nuggets whenver three-time MVP Nikola Jokic is off the floor. However, their bench unit might not be as bad as some people expected. Even with Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones sidelined, the Nuggets' bench unit stepped up.
DeMar DeRozan had his best game of the preseason, finishing with 14 points, five assists, and two blocks on 6-9 shooting, and even turned back the clock to throw down a reverse jam over two Lakers defenders.
Year 18, still got it 😤 pic.twitter.com/63ed16lcBo
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 17, 2026
DeRozan's scoring and playmaking will be key for the Nuggets' bench unit this season, but he cannot do it alone. Marvin Bagley III also had a strong performance, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks on 6-10 shooting, showing that he has the tools to be an impactful backup center for Denver.
Outside of the Nuggets' two biggest offseason additions, backup guards Tyus Jones and Alpha Diallo stepped up big time, while young guys Cam Whitmore and Bryce Hopkins got some run in the fourth quarter to showcase the team's depth.
Losers: Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes
In a game where the Nuggets were missing Aaron Gordon and Spencer Jones, you would assume Adelman would at least experiment with Zeke Nnaji or DaRon Holmes off the bench. On Friday night in Los Angeles, both backup big men logged DNP-CDs.
This was an obvious dress rehearsal for the Nuggets' regular season rotation, and seeing Nnaji and Holmes stay on the bench made it clear they will not play much this year.
With Nnaji already viewed as a trade candidate and Holmes potentially in his last season with the franchise, pending a 2027-28 team option, this is not what either of them wanted to see in the preseason finale. The Nuggets have more trust in rookie forward Brazile than either Nnaji or Holmes, and after what we've seen, nobody can blame them.
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