The NBA is back and not like pseudo NBA preseason back where you get only tastes of a team’s true rotation. No, tonight the Denver Nuggets play a game that counts…and what a game it will be. To open their season Denver drew division rival, and reigning #1 seed in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Widely considered to be the most talented roster in the West after OKC went out an added more pieces to their puzzle in the offseason (Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein), the Thunder come into this year with expectations higher than they’ve ever been since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both graced the roster. The Nuggets meanwhile have perhaps slightly muted expectations in comparison to last year now that they are no longer on a title defense, but they are sure to have their hands full with a Thunder team who is unlikely to overlook them.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (0-0) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0)
When: 8:00 PM MDT
Where: The Can. Denver, CO.
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy…unless it’s the romanticized 17th century type. TNT. 92.5 FM Altitude Radio.
Rival blog: Thunderous Intentions
The Matchup
| Position | Nuggets | Thunder | Advantage |
| PG | Jamal Murray | Cason Wallace | Nuggets |
| SG | Christian Braun | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder |
| SF | Michael Porter Jr. | Jalen Williams | Even |
| PF | Aaron Gordon | Lu Dort | Nuggets |
| C | Nikola Jokic | Chet Holmgren | Nuggets |
| Bench | Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Dario Saric | Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, Ousmane Dieng, Isaiah Joe | Thunder |
Injury report: DaRon Holmes II – out (achilles); Isaiah Hartenstein – out (hand), Jaylin Williams – out (hamstring), Kenrich Williams – out (knee), Nikola Topic – out (knee)
The Three Things
The thing to watch for: Thunder rotation
The Thunder lost Hartenstein to a broken hand in their preseason contest against Denver and played only one more game after that. In that game, Cason Wallace got the start with the team going small. That’s the struggle OKC has with their roster. They are flush with depth everywhere except when it comes to big men. Mark Daigneault may truly plan to have Wallace in his starting group, or he may have just been trying out some combinations in light of the Hartenstein injury and we could see a totally different person with the normal four Thunder starters tonight. Who knows. I do expect to see Ousmane Dieng get more minutes as he’s really the only other notable player on the Thunder with any length to speak of and I do expect it to be a tough night for Chet Holmgren who will get the vast majority of the “attempt but fail miserably to contain Nikola Jokic” duties.
The thing to remember: healthy Denver was pretty good against OKC last season
Denver went just 1-3 against the Thunder last year and I know what you’re thinking, “you call 1-3 pretty good?” The answer is, when we take into account the context, yes I do call it that. The Nuggets lone win against the Thunder was very early in the year (the Thunder’s home opener in fact) when Denver ran OKC out of the gym on their way to a 33 point blowout. They were well on their way to winning the second game against the Thunder in December but snatched a loss from the jaws of victory by crumbling in the last two minutes of the game. Next they got blown out in a game right before the All-Star break where Denver was missing Aaron Gordon and the final contest against OKC ended in a five point defeat with the Nuggets sans Jokic. With Hartenstein out the Thunder basically run it back with their roster tonight and color me among those who are optimistic about the Nuggets chances given their relative clean bill of health.
The thing to bet: Jamal Murray first field goal (+550)
Since it’s opening night let’s get a little wacky with the thing to bet. Nothing really jumped out at me as great value in this game anyways. Here’s my thoughts on this: Jokic wins the majority of tip-offs he’s involved with (though caveat here, only one for three against Chet Holmgren last season) so there’s a decent chance Denver gets the first shot of the game. Add to that the chatter about Jamal all offseason and I have a hunch Michael Malone will want to get his starting point guard going early. The first play of the game being drawn up to get an easy bucket for Jamal would not surprise me at all. +550 obviously indicates this is a long shot bet as all first FG bets are, but if we’re having fun then Jamal’s my go to guy to cash in big for the Stiffs tonight.
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The return of the Nuggets season also means the return of the Stiffs Night Out at Number 38 in Rino! Come join us on November 8th to watch the Nuggets take on the Miami Heat. There will be live podcasts, prize giveaways, drink specials, great food, and the best Nuggets fans in town! Number 38 boasts a robust beer selection with plenty of other drink options as well. Tip off is at 7PM and there’s plenty of space for everyone but make sure to come early to get the best seats out on the patio (weather permitting). Can’t wait to see everyone there at 3560 Chestnut Pl.
