Oct 12, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets Head Coach David Adelman talks with Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Nuggets Hit With Disappointing Win-Loss Projection

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 10:25 AM ET

The Denver Nuggets head into the 2025-26 season with similar expectations as they've seen for the past three seasons of 50-plus wins: they're one of the better teams amongst the Western Conference, a top-tier contender, and have a superstar talent in Nikola Jokic that keeps them in play for a deep postseason run on any given season.

And after an offseason where the Nuggets made a few tweaks and additions to their roster, notably in the second unit, some might say that Denver could be on the verge of an improved year on the horizon from their 50-32 output across their 2024-25 campaign.

However, in the eyes of The Athletic's John Hollinger, the Nuggets may not be taking the step forward that many expect them to.

Amid The Athletic's latest Western Conference playoff projections before the season, Hollinger predicted that the Nuggets might actually revert back to their same record and results of last year; 50 wins on the regular season, and 4th in the Western Conference.

"The Nuggets have a high playoff ceiling because of Jokić, but the ability of the bench to carry them through the regular season remains questionable, especially if the Joker misses any time or they have other injuries in the starting five," Hollinger wrote.

"Sorry if this sounds familiar, but the analysis hasn’t changed much over the last few years. The Nuggets have a puncher’s chance of beating anybody in a seven-game series where their starters are healthy and play 280 minutes apiece. But they’re unlikely to emerge from the regular-season grind in a favorable position, and the odds of their season ending in exhaustion against a deeper West foe seem strong."

The Nuggets fall behind three teams: of course, the OKC Thunder top the list with a staggering 66 wins, followed by the 54-win Los Angeles Clippers and the 51-win Golden State Warriors. A bit of a different look ahead of Denver from what was seen last season, and could be a letdown of sorts.

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The additions to the Nuggets' starting lineup, including Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, and Bruce Brown, along with the swap of Cam Johnson into the lineup, filled the necessary priorities for Denver this summer: bring in additional depth and find steps forward on the defensive side of the ball.

The defensive end could still have a few questions to be answered as the season progresses, but the Nuggets' second unit now stacked with a nice combination of veteran experience and youth, looks to be worth a few extra wins on the year, and thus, a slot or two to move up in the conference standings.

Buit in the event the Nuggets' second-unit improvements don't pan out as expected, and Denver's depth woes roll into the months ahead, things could remain stagnant with another year of barely crossing the 50-win mark, and nearly edging out one playoff series with homecourt advantage.

The sky's the limit with Jokic in his prime and on the roster, but maybe the Nuggets' preseason improvements won't be as impactful as once thought.