Denver Gazette beat writer Vinny Benedetto takes you around the NBA and inside the Nuggets:

NBA Insider

Peyton Watson’s time as a starter soon will end, at least for now, but he’s taking a lesson from the games where he’s replaced Aaron Gordon.

“My biggest takeaway as a starter has definitely just been that you’ve got to bring the energy night in, night out, set the tone in a lot of games,” Watson said last weekend ahead of his 10th start of the season. “I feel like the games where we set the tone and the tempo defensively and offensively are the games you saw us win. I think that’s definitely something that I learned as a starter.”

The Nuggets host the Golden State Warriors at 8 p.m. Tuesday (TNT/Altitude TV).

In Watson’s 11 starts while Gordon dealt with a right calf strain, he scored in double figures and grabbed five rebounds eight times. He shot below 50% from the field just twice. The 22-year-old has already made more starts this season than he did in his first two seasons combined. He’s on pace to set new career-highs in minutes (26.1), points (9.9), rebounds (3.6), assists (1.3) and steals (.8) per game.

Gordon returned to Denver’s rotation Sunday, but did so in a reserve role as he ramps up. As soon as his minutes restriction is lifted, Denver’s regular starting five will be whole for the first time since Denver’s Nov. 1 game in Minnesota, the Nuggets’ fifth game of the season. That means Watson will head back to the bench sooner than later, but he’ll do so with valuable experience and added confidence.

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“Since AG’s been gone, it’s definitely just given me a glimpse of what it’s like to, one, start in this league and two, just be relied heavily upon. That’s something that’s going to continue regardless of if I start or not,” Watson said. “I see myself as big of a defensive presence to this team as — almost — Nikola is offensively. I feel like I really anchor our defense. That’s something that I take seriously. That’s just my niche on this team. I’m glad to be able to contribute.”

What I’m Thinking

It’s time for the Nuggets to change the narrative, but it’s not going to be easy.

Heading into Tuesday’s slate of games, Denver is firmly in the play-in picture with a 10-8 record with the next two games coming against teams that have overachieved — the Warriors and a Cavaliers team with the league’s best record.

Things get easier from there, but winnable games against the Wizards and Hawks are both on the road. Assuming the Nuggets don’t win the Western Conference’s wild card and advance to the NBA Cup quarterfinals, Denver will have two more games against to-be-determined opponents before heading back on the road to play Portland and New Orleans.

With Gordon rejoining the rotation, Denver’s next six scheduled games all look winnable before a three-game stretch that features two contests against the Suns and Cleveland’s lone trip to Denver this season.

If the Nuggets don’t take advantage of the next two weeks, they’ll give themselves a lot of work to do in 2025. After fatigue appeared to catch up with the Nuggets last postseason, doing their work as soon as possible is Denver’s best bet to be in position to contend come the playoffs.

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What They’re Saying

It’s been an interesting start to the season for Hunter Tyson. When the Nuggets are healthy, the second-year forward looks like the first man out of the regular rotation. Other nights, he has played as many as 25 minutes in a bench role. 

“Just treat every game like I’m going to be out there 20 to 30 minutes,” Tyson said of his approach. “You kind of get an idea during shootaround. Even if I’m not … in the second grouping it’s still going through my routine, preparing just like I would if I knew I was playing. I think that’s the only way to stay ready, because there are a few times I’ve been thrown out there when maybe I wasn’t in the shootaround. My job is to be ready, so I’ll never use that as an excuse, never act surprised by getting thrown in there. … As long as I just go through my routine, treat every game the same, I’ll be ready.”

What I’m Following

—Jokic and 361 Degrees hosted a pop up Monday at Ball Arena. Fans were able to purchase Jokic’s first signature shoe, the “Joker 1.” Two lucky fans who found a poker chip in their shoebox were able to meet Jokic at the event.

Checking out the 361 Degrees x Nikola Jokic popup at Ball Arena. Fans are able to purchase Jokic’s first signature shoe, The Joker 1, and earn a chance to meet the three-time MVP. pic.twitter.com/IlFV9xTJ5I

— Vinny Benedetto (@VBenedetto) December 2, 2024

—If the Nuggets hope to advance to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup, Denver must beat Golden State by 16 Tuesday night. The Nuggets will also need some help from other teams to earn a Western Conference wild card.

—Michael Porter Jr.’s younger brother Jevon is making his mark in his first season at Loyola Marymount. After transferring from Pepperdine, the 6-foot-11 junior was named West Coast Conference player of the week after helping the Lions win the Cancun Challenge Riviera Division Trophy by dropping 29 points against Wyoming.

—Jokic had some fun at DeAndre Jordan’s expense at a practice last week. Denver’s three-time Most Valuable Player tipped off the team’s videographers before sneaking behind Jordan’s back and dunking over the veteran rim protector.

Watch your back @DeAndre 👀🎥 @AltitudeTV pic.twitter.com/fL7wdnk0AL

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 30, 2024

The List

Through 18 games, the Nuggets’ top 3-point shooters feature some interesting names.

Here are the team’s five most efficient shooters who are taking at least one attempt per game:

1. Aaron Gordon – 54.2%

2. Nikola Jokic – 50.8%

3. Christian Braun – 47.9%

4. Julian Strawther – 41%

5. Michael Porter Jr. – 40.9%