Smashed nuggets harbor the hungry thunder

The Denver Nuggets, coming off one easy win and three thrilling games this season, host the undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder, who knocked off Denver to open the season at Ball Arena. The hope was that Denver would be ready for an almost immediate rematch after shaking off the rust, but instead Denver will be down two starters and looking to reserves to fill the gaps. Jamal Murray will miss the game with a concussion and Aaron Gordon strained his calf early in Denver's last-second win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, leaving the Nuggets looking for quick answers to big problems. Their starting lineup was one of the best in the league, but without two-fifths of them, the bench will need to come out strong to contend with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the surging Thunder as they try to stay undefeated.

The essentials

WHO: Denver Nuggets (4-3) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (7-0)

When: 7:00 p.m. MST

Where: The tin. Denver, CO

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs doesn't tolerate piracy…unless it's the romanticized 17th century kind. Altitude TV, if available, NBA League Pass, if not available in the Nuggets market. Altitude radio 92.5 FM. Bring an ice pack and say it's for a nugget – they're so broken no one will remember you.

Rivals Blog: Thunderous intentions

Injury report: Vlatko Cancar – doubtful (ankle), DaRon Holmes II – out (hamstring), Aaron Gordon – out (calf), Jamal Murray – out (concussion); Isaiah Hartenstein – out (hand), Nikola Topic – out (knee), Jaylin Williams – out (thigh), Kenrich Williams – out (knee)

The (two) things

What you should pay attention to: Who will replace Aaron Gordon?

The Nuggets have already had a problem replacing Jamal Murray, who is still unavailable due to a concussion. Now they must replace Aaron Gordon, who will be out for at least a few weeks with a calf strain, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Defensively, Gordon is Denver's best overall defender, particularly at big wingers and front linemen, and that responsibility will likely fall to Peyton Watson. But even without Murray, he was a primary ball handler, moving the ball up the field or organizing the offense from the bench, and now someone else has to do that too. Julian Strawther has had time with the ball in his hands and will likely add to that improvement, as will Christian Braun. It will be all hands on deck to replace Gordon's contributions by committee, but AG has very big shoes to fill in the next few games – and especially this one against a Thunder team that easily throttled the Nuggets on opening night and for Reckless ball can provide pressure on careless guards and wings.

Here's what you should remember: It's still very early in a long season – look for progress, not perfection.

The Thunder have come out of the gate on a sprint, while Denver has mostly managed a winning record through seven games. No, it wouldn't be good to lose 2-0 to the Thunder this season, as both losses would come on Denver's home court. However, Denver isn't competing with the Thunder right now – that will happen in the playoffs when they meet. The goal the Nuggets need to focus on is getting better, finding the right pieces for their rotation, figuring out how to deal with injuries like that and missing players… all the little things that get you into the home playoffs bring in the first round. Nikola Jokic is playing like an MVP again, but Denver absolutely needs to find a way to reduce the workload he has to put in to get these wins. As Nikola said after the last game in Toronto, “I want to win all my games for the rest of my life, like we won against Utah.” He didn't have to play that fourth quarter at all.

If he sits out the fourth quarter in this game, it will most likely be because Denver is out once again because the type of performance I would expect from him to win is a masterful performance of the entire game. Regardless of whether you win or lose tonight, pay attention to spacing and that substitutes need more time to adjust and find their roles. There are no moral victories in the NBA, but Denver is currently at a point where the growth they receive from their non-starters is a more important metric than just the win column. However, a win would also go a long way towards easing concerns, so let's hope for that.

The return of the Nuggets season also means the return of Stiffs Night Out at #38 in Rino! Join us on November 8th to watch the Nuggets take on the Miami Heat. There are live podcasts, prize draws, drink specials, great food and the best Nuggets fans in town! Number 38 offers a wide selection of beers as well as numerous other drink options. The meeting point is at 7:00 p.m. and there is enough space for everyone. However, come early to get the best seats on the terrace (weather permitting). I can't wait to see everyone there at 3560 Chestnut Pl.