The Denver Nuggets are now four games into their 2026-27 campaign, and two wins over the New Orleans Pelicans have propelled them to a 2-2 record, with losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors.

The Nuggets obviously hoped for a better start to the season, as defense, three-point shooting, and rebounding have headlined some of their biggest concerns. However, they still have 78 games left on the schedule and plenty of time to find a rhythm, so we should try not to overreact. We can still look at some individual performances, though, to assess who is rising and falling after the first week of the season.

Riser: Trevon Brazile

The biggest riser in the Nuggets locker room is undoubtedly Trevon Brazile. The second-round rookie has been exceptional to start his NBA career, vastly exceeding expectations as he fills in for an injured Spencer Jones. It is wild to think Brazile would still be on the outside of the rotation if not for Jones' absence, as the 23-year-old rookie has made the most of the opportunity to prove why he deserves a full-time spot.

Through his first four NBA games, Brazile is averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game, while shooting 50% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Brazile is even co-leading the team in offensive rebounds per game (2.3), tied with Nikola Jokic, one of the league's best rebounders.

Brazile made his first start of his career on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, and he looked comfortable playing in a veteran-led starting lineup. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the rotation once Jones returns, but he has done more than enough to show the coaching staff he deserves minutes regardless.

Faller: DaRon Holmes

Going into the season, we were hoping for big things out of DaRon Holmes. With some questions about Denver's depth, it felt like they'd need Holmes to step into a larger role. However, he has logged just total minutes in four games, including two DNP-CDs.

Holmes missed his entire rookie season with an injury, but bounced back to play in 25 games for the Nuggets last year. He has shown plenty of promise, but it is clear he has no role on this Nuggets team.

Maybe we'll see more of Holmes if the Nuggets ever have to play without Nikola Jokic or Marvin Bagley III due to injuries, but even then, it is unclear whether they trust the 24-year-old big man. Could he be a trade candidate later this season? Regardless, he has a team option for the 2027-28 season, and at this rate, the Nuggets will have no reason to keep him under contract.

Riser: Christian Braun

Christian Braun has been far from perfect this season, but he already looks much better than what we saw last year. Braun's 2025-26 season was plagued by injuries, and he now looks much healthier and more comfortable as he tries to make an impact for Denver early on.

So far this season, he is averaging 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and a team-high 2.3 steals per game, while shooting 46.5% from the field and 23.8% from beyond the arc. Obviously, we need to see better efficiency on the offensive end, but he has at least been more comfortable on that side of the ball and has been an impactful defender.

Once he finds his rhythm offensively, he will look much more like the Braun we know from his breakout 2024-25 season. However, now that he is on a five-year, $125 million contract, the expectations are higher, and he needs to live up to them.

Faller: Aaron Gordon

This is obviously one that feels like more of an overreaction, but we cannot deny that Aaron Gordon has struggled to start the season. Sure, we are confident he will bounce back, but with what many fans were hoping would be an All-Star-caliber season for him, he has fallen a tad short.

After being the lone bright spot for the Nuggets offense in their season opener, dropping a team-high 20 points on 3-4 shooting from deep, he has lost his touch. In the last three games, he is averaging 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 24.1% from the field and 21.4% from deep.

Again, we can expect Gordon to piece things together moving forward, but he has been disappointing so far. He looked better in Denver's win over the Pelicans on Wednesday, but we need to see him string together a good stretch. Not to mention, the Nuggets need him to find his rhythm, as he is arguably their second-most important player at times.