3 Takeaways From Nuggets' Season Opener Loss vs. Warriors

Gordon, a San Jose. seems to love playing against the Warriors in Chase Center. This is the third consecutive season that Gordon has scored at least 30 points while visiting the Warriors, headlined by dropping a season-high 38 points in San Francisco last year.

Gordon, 30, seems to keep getting better every year, and while he is not expected to play like this every night, this performance is an incredible indicator that he has made another leap. The Nuggets likely wish they could play in San Francisco every game for Gordon's sake, but hopefully, he can use this momentum to help lead Denver to more wins, regardless of where they are playing.

Christian Braun's rocky first game after $125 million deal

The Nuggets signed Christian Braun to a huge five-year contract extension worth $125 million, but the 24-year-old guard was not as impressive as the team likely would have hoped. Braun finished with six points and four rebounds on 3-7 shooting through 38 minutes of action.

Of course, Braun's impact goes well beyond the stat sheet as a strong defender and overall glue guy, but his presence in Thursday's season opener was not felt. While Steph Curry is arguably the toughest defensive assignment for any opposing guard, Braun made a minimal impact on the legendary point guard.

There is no reason to overreact to Braun's shaky season opener, as he will undoubtedly bounce back, but it is not the performance the franchise wants to see right after giving him a $125 million deal.

Mixed reviews for the new guys

The Nuggets made a few huge offseason acquisitions, including Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, and Tim Hardaway Jr., and each of the key additions made their debut on Thursday night. However, it was not all positive for the new guys.

Johnson got the starting nod for Denver in his Nuggets debut, but dropped just five points on 2-8 shooting from the field and 1-6 from beyond the arc, putting together an underwhelming performance.

However, it was a much different story for Hardaway Jr. and Valanciunas off the bench. Thursday's game would have been much worse for the Nuggets if they did not have those two leading their bench unit, as they combined for 18 points on 8-13 shooting, providing a much-needed spark in relief of Denver's stars.

Regardless of the loss, the Nuggets had some bright spots in Thursday's season opener, prominently Aaron Gordon, that they can build on moving forward. The Warriors proved to be a very good team and will be a legitimate title contender this season, giving the Nuggets a good test to kick things off. Of course, they would have liked to see a different result, but they should not hang their heads too much over this loss.

More Denver Nuggets Content

• David Adelman Explains How Warriors Stars Will Challenge Nikola Jokic
  
• Cam Johnson Reveals How Nuggets Can Find Success This Season
  
• Jonas Valanciunas Could Become the X-Factor for the Nuggets This Season
• Nuggets Receive Major Boost With Clean Injury Report vs. Warriors
  
• LeBron James Applauds Denver Nuggets’ Offseason Roster Upgrades