The Denver Nuggets lost their season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it was an overall disappointing performance. After controlling the first half, the Nuggets collapsed, being outscored by 16 points in the second half. Now, they are 0-1 and heading into their home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans with a favorable chance to earn their first win of the season.
The Nuggets obviously want to avoid consecutive losses to start the season, especially against a Pelicans team on the second night of a back-to-back. In order for them to win, though, here are three things we need to see from this Nuggets team that they failed to show against the Thunder.
More offense
Against the Thunder, the Nuggets scored just 84 points, which is their lowest mark in a game since January 2024. Last season, they were held to under 100 points twice, so scoring just 84 points in their season opener was obviously unexpected.
The Thunder just held the Nuggets to their fewest points in a regular-season game (84) since Jan. 25, 2024 against the Knicks.
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 23, 2026
The Nuggets had the league's top offense last season. Against the Pelicans, we need to see that high-powered offense we are used to. There is a huge difference between the Thunder's defense and the Pelicans', and the Nuggets should be able to take advantage of that. The Pelicans have allowed 120+ points in each of their first two games, so we should see Denver get close to that mark.
Granted, in their season opener, the Nuggets simply could not hit their shots. They shot 38% from the field, 27% from beyond the arc, and even just 64% from the free-throw line. This was an obvious outlier for the Nuggets, and they should be able to bounce back against New Orleans.
The stars stepping up
In the season opener, Denver's stars struggled to make an impact. Nikola Jokic finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 5-19 shooting from the field and 1-7 from deep. Jamal Murray finished with six points, ten rebounds, three assists, and six turnovers on 2-11 shooting.
The Nuggets are not used to both Jokic and Murray having an off-night, but that is exactly what happened in Oklahoma City. They shot a combined 7-30 (23.3%) from the field with as many turnovers as assists (8). To beat the Pelicans and build some much-needed momentum, the Nuggets need Jokic and Murray to show up.
It would be surprising if the All-Star duo did not have a bounceback game on Saturday, but we will feel much better once we actually see them make the most of a favorable matchup against the Pelicans.
The young guys
The Nuggets are set to play without Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones, and Julian Strawther, with Alpha Diallo listed as questionable. With the rotation in flux, we should see the young guys get extra opportunities against New Orleans.
On Thursday, we already saw what second-round rookie Trevon Brazile was capable of. He had 12 rebounds in 18 minutes, and his spot in the rotation is safe for Saturday's matchup. The bigger question marks are the two-way guys in Bryce Hopkins and Cam Whitmore, who we might see against the Pelicans.
If Diallo is sidelined, the Nuggets could even turn to Hopkins or Whitmore to start on Saturday. Obviously, starting a two-way player in the second game of the season is atypical, but it would be great to see what they can do given the added responsibility. Regardless, this is a great opportunity for these young guys to earn more minutes than usual, and they have all proven capable of making a positive impact.
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