The Denver Nuggets just dropped to 14-6, which sounds fine when you’re looking at a baker’s dozen of teams in the NBA who have a losing record, but this team is capable of so much more.
Monday night, the Nuggets coughed up 131 points at home to a floundering 7-15 Dallas Mavericks team lugging around the NBA’s worst offensive rating. Denver has now lost four straight at Ball Arena and sits at a very un-Nuggety, fool’s gold-like 6-4 at home.
Yes, they’re banged up. Yes, the schedule has had some unforeseen landmines. Plus, the constant pressure and expectations from the media and fans alike are impractical at best. But this stretch of tenacious-less D is nigh unbearable to watch and has David Adelman searching for answers.
Yet still, ’tis the season to be jolly, right? So, in the spirit of post-Thanksgiving gratitude and pre-Christmas cheer, here are three things Nuggets fans can be thankful for looking back on November and looking ahead to the New Year, despite an odd losing streak at home.
Cam Johnson is figuring things out
Nov 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
October Cam Johnson looked like a gun-shy kid unable to enjoy playing with planet Earth’s greatest teammate.
November Cam Johnson, on the other hand, looked like a grown man legitimately capable of capitalizing on Joker’s brilliance with 12.4 points a night on 49.6% shooting, 43.9% from deep, and 83.3% at the line in 29.5 minutes per game. Over one recent four-game stretch, he bumped that to 15.5 points, 4.3 boards, and 3.3 assists on ridiculous 56.8/57.9/81.8 splits.
The Nuggets brought Johnson in to stretch defenses “like taffy,” as I’ve written before, and he’s finally tugging on the right corners while building confidence. With Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun sidelined, Johnson’s improvement is less a luxury at this point and more a lifeline.
Denver’s Offense is Flowing Freely.
Denver Nuggets Top Ball Movement/Dimes from the Season so Far
Check out some of the Denver Nuggets’ best ball movement plays! pic.twitter.com/9taeh6Fl3r
— Basketball Action (@bball_mania) November 13, 2025
Whatever’s happening on the defensive end, the Nuggets are still lighting up the scoreboards night in and night out. They lead the NBA in scoring at 124.6 points per game and rank near the top in field-goal percentage at 50.9%.
Denver’s prolific, proliferative, and proliferous offense doesn’t just flow like the South Platte River flows through the Mile High City; it furiously cuts through opposing defenses like the mighty Colorado River cuts through the treacherous Rocky Mountains—and, frankly, it’s the only thing keeping them alive right now. Mark my words, Denver’s scoring doesn’t look like it will dry up anytime soon.
Jokic will be Jokic
Nov 29, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Player of the decade, Nikola Jokic, just got named Western Conference Player of the Month, averaging 28.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.9 assists while leading Denver to a 14–5 start over that span.
On the season, he’s averaging a triple-double at 29.0/12.8/11.1 on 62.1% shooting, leading the league in rebounds and assists, and sitting in the top tier in scoring and true shooting. What else can be said that hasn’t already been said?
If Denver can somehow keep Jamal Murray (23.3 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds) on the floor and get Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon back out there just in time for the New Year, then this recent defensive disaster can be forgotten and forgiven. And who knows, with a steadily climbing Cam Johnson, an offensive firehose, and a defensive boost for Jokic, we might just witness a Christmas miracle.
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