The Denver Nuggets will take the court tonight with new expectations and some new faces as they tip -off the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Nuggets were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in last season’s semifinal playoffs, ending a run in which they were poised to win their second championship in three years.
Denver spent much of the offseason revamping its roster. While it lost sharpshooter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to free agency, the team acquired former Los Angeles Clippers guard Russel Westbrook in July. Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 MVP for Oklahoma City was traded for the fifth time in his career.
He will be paired with star MVP Nikola Jokic, which places Denver among the NBA's best to compete for another championship.
The Nuggets also reached a deal this week with star forward Aaron Gordon, keeping him around for another four years.
Denver had a lackluster preseason, stumbling to a 1-4 mark.
Head coach Michael Malone said that despite this, he's confident his team will be ready for tonight's opener.
“We have lots of areas that we can improve upon," said Malone. "But I know that when we are fully healthy, and we have our guys playing, I know what this team is capable of, and it’s my job to help them get there.”
The Nuggets roster also includes some young, promising talent such as rookie guard Trey Alexander.
Alexander, who went undrafted out of Creighton University yet signed a one-year deal in April, is looking forward to learning from the veterans he’ll be playing with.
“I think my biggest thing is continue to grow and continue to be a sponge," said Alexander. "Also, just soaking up everything and being part of the moment.”
Fans will also have the opportunity to watch some Nuggets games on local TV for the first time in five years.
Altitude Sports, the network that broadcasts the team's games, reached an agreement with KUSA-TV and its parent company Tegna, to televise 20 Nuggets games on both 9News and KTVD-TV Channel 20.
The state’s largest cable provider, Comcast, has not carried Altitude Sports since 2019 due to an ongoing contract dispute. The new deal with Altitude will allow games to be available on a new direct-to-consumer streaming service called Altitude Plus which launched earlier this month.
Tip-off between the Nuggets and the Thunder is set for 8 p.m. It will be televised nationally on TNT.
