Denver once again puts it to a team that they should beat, and Jamal Murray leads the charge. Murray gets separation on his stepback, finishes tough dunks, and shows why he is such a phenomenal player in his best game since his return from injury. Nikola Jokic plays aggressive enough while getting others involved, everybody hits shots including Aaron Gordon, and Malone gets to the rotation he wants. Plus, a look at the defense and the complicated question of how to get the point-of-attack energy the team needs, and the complication of Bones with the second unit staggers.

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The Nuggets are 4-3 but everyone has a list of reasons why they're in trouble. We talk practice, coaching, getting through the season, the expectations on Michael Malone, what the bench's identity is or the lack thereof, the situations in San Antonio and Brooklyn, and preview the Thunder game.

As one person on our YouTube page said, "Rollercoaster of an episode." Accurate.

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The Nuggets lose to the Lakers as injuries and foul trouble lead Michael Malone to an all-bench lineup which gets destroyed. Matt doesn't think the starters played well, but they won their minutes, so what does that say? The bench unit has no flow, identity or connectivity, and that's a problem. Jokic is easing into the season and it's getting to be a problem on both ends. Jamal Murray flashes a bit of the old Blue Arrow and lapses let a bad offense get going.

A bad loss in a bad spot.

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No pressure, no stress, a fun game for a home crowd and a light night of work for the starters. The Nuggets got an ideal win Friday vs. the tired Jazz, as the bench took a starter lead to 20-plus and never looked back. A look at why these games matter, why the starters' push in the first overshadowed their bad two other stints, and why wins like these matter. Bones Hyland shoots from deep again and again, and Christian Braun is the rookie every team dreams of for a playoff contender. A look at the Lakers game and why Jokic's numbers won't be MVP-level this season.

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Nikola Jokic smashes the Lakers in the second half and the Nuggets cruise to a victory. Adam and Matt can't believe how bad the Lakers are, but the Nuggets also showed a lot of good things. Christian Braun makes things happen. The bench plays a little bit better when they're not matched vs. LeBron. KCP and MPJ's injuries aren't serious. A whole segment on Bruce Brown who Matt cannot rave enough about. Should he start? How do you play him with the starters enough? Plus, the defense might be as bad as we think... but maybe not quite as bad.

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The Denver Nuggets get blitzed by the Portland Trail Blazers in a road loss to a division opponent, and give up 135 points in the loss. What's the key problem with the defense? Is it execution? Scheme? Personnel? Nikola Jokic shoots four times. Have we seen the return of Emotional Funk Jokic? A reminder that problems are real if they continue but overall assertions this early are dangerous.

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*Adam's connection improves in segments 2 and 3.*

Denver not only gets its first win of the season, but gets it in Golden State over the champs. Denver puts together a cohesive performance and the new additions look great so far. Christian Braun earns his minutes and looks like a guy with a long career ahead of him. MPJ has put in the work and his comments reflect a change in approach as well. Jamal returns, the crowd goes wild, KCP makes plays, Bruce Brown is a connector, and Denver looks like the team we thought they might be. What could go wrong? (KNOCK ON WOOD.)

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Will the Nuggets trade for LeBron?

OK, not really, but we do talk about short-term, long-term, and maybe not problems at all from Game 1, including the bench, three-point shooting, pick and roll offense, overall drop defense, and more. We preview the Warriors game with an eye towards whether Jamal Murray plays or not, and look around the NBA for first impressions.

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The most anticipated Nuggets season in history predictably started with a resounding thud as the Nuggets get outhustled, out-shot, and out-executed in Utah. The bench made the gap unrecoverable, but the starters played their part in the struggles. Matt does not believe two specific players can be on the court together. Adam has concerns about Jokic's defense. Bones gets bullied, Jamal Murray is back but not back back, and Denver faces questions after Game 1. All this and more on Locked on Nuggets.

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Matt Moore previews Game 1 for the Denver Nuggets vs. the Utah Jazz in SLC as the 2022-23 season begins. What to expect from the offense and defense, the keys to the game, can the Nuggets curtail their turnovers, is Bones ready for the leap, and the emotional journey of Jamal Murray and MPJ in their returns take one more step tonight as they return to the floor.

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BetOnline

BetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!

LinkedIn

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