Phoenix and Denver, two teams looking to find form and develop new faces are about to clash. What can we expect in this one?
Who: Phoenix Suns (2-1) vs. Denver Nuggets (0-2)
When: 5:30PM Arizona Time
Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Watch: ESPN
Looking somewhat pedestrian in their first preseason loss to the Detroit Pistons at home—admittedly, the Suns were missing key players Devin Booker, Jusuf Nurkic, and Grayson Allen—a trip up the Colorado mountains into Denver offers an opportunity for Phoenix to build on the positive signs already on offer.
Denver has yet to win in the preseason, playing two straight against the defending Boston Celtics (who look every bit in regular season form). So, the timing is ripe to build on the good things we’ve seen so far with Beal, Durant, Tyus Jones, and the rookies—Dunn and Oso.
We should look forward to more of this tonight!
Ryan Dunn just disrupts everything.
He is everywhere. pic.twitter.com/rcH0EOO7A0
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) October 12, 2024
Can the Suns keep the Nuggets winless?
Will we see the bench mob have a breakout game?
Was the disconnected signs we saw defensively and intensity-wise just a pre-season blip?
Who will Royce O’Neale wrestle with next for possession and a jump ball?
Royce O’Neale refused to let the rookie win this jump ball pic.twitter.com/ZUZPUFZaN6
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) October 12, 2024
Starting lineups
Injury Report
Suns
Jusuf Nurkic — OUT (Middle Finger)
Grayson Allen — OUT (Achilles)
Devin Booker — OUT (Ankle Soreness)
Josh Okogie — OUT (Hamstring Soreness)
Nuggets
DaRon Holmes II — OUT (Achilles)
Peyton Watson — OUT (Hamstring)
What to Watch For
While Phoenix has missed key players’ services, the Denver Nuggets are experiencing growing pains of their own throughout this preseason stage. Key guys such as KCP—Kentavious Caldwell Pope—leave a starting-shooting-guard-sized hole in the lineup.
For further background reading, note the tone Denver fans and others reveal regarding the deterioration of their roster and the apparent disconnect between the coach and ownership here: Michael Malone, Nuggets brass not ‘seeing eye to eye.’
We can undoubtedly monitor any disharmony that may be building in Denver, starting with this preseason match-up!
Keys to a Suns Win
Ultimately, both the Suns and Denver are trying to build for a successful regular season and making a push deep into the playoffs in April 2025. A win here, though? It will come down to getting comfortable early and stopping Denver from developing a dynamic offense through Nurkic.
On paper, the Suns look like the better team, but with homecourt and a familiarity with the altitude, this could turn into a preseason rock fight. I’m hoping that when both teams go to their bench, we will experience a rejuvenated Suns squad digging in and gutting it out.
Prediction
Suns win in modest fashion—Denver continues to struggle with personnel problems:
Suns 113, Nuggets 102
Royce O’Neals goes 2-0 in jump ball wrestling, taking one away from Christian Braun.