The Denver Nuggets host the Golden State Warriors this Monday, entering the contest as 7.5-point favorites. while Denver seeks its first winning record of the season, Golden State struggles with a winless start to the 2026-27 campaign .

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Nikola Jokic's 17.5 Rebound Chances per Game

The Denver Nuggets are leaning heavily on Nikola Jokic to carry their offensive and defensive loads, a strategy that appears highly viable against the current state of the Golden State Warriors. According to the report, Jokic is currently averaging 17.5 rebound chances per game this season, coming off a dominant 35-point, 15-rebound, and 10-assist triple-double in a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

This matchup is particularly favorable for the three-time MVP because the Golden State Warriors are missing Kristaps Porzingis. Without Porzingis to provide interior resistance , the Warriors have plummeted to 19th in the league in rebound percentage and 15th in opponent rebounds per game. For a player like Nikola Jokic, who has historically feasted on Golden State, the lack of size in the paint is a glaring vulnerability.

Golden State's 29th-Ranked Defensive Rating

The Golden State Warriors are facing a systemic collapse in their early-season form, ranking 29th in the league in defensive rating and 26th in net rating through their first three games. As the report says, the team has yet to secure a single win in the 2026-27 season, while allowing a volume of points that places them 22nd in opponent points per game.

While the Denver Nuggets have had their own struggles—including a failure to reach 90 points in a recent contest before an overtime win—their core remains intact. With Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon available to complement Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets possess a level of offensive creation that the current Golden State Warriors roster simply cannot match.

The Absence of Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis

The depth chart for the Golden State Warriors has become a liability, with key contributors Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis all sidelined. This attrition has forced the team to rely on younger, less experienced players like Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg, who, while intriguing, lack the veteran presence required to stifle a high-powered Denver offense.

The instability extends to the team's superstars. although Stephen Curry is not currently listed on the injury report for the Monday game, he, along with Draymond Green and Brandin Podziemski, sat out a Saturday matchup against the Phoenix Suns. this pattern of resting key players on the second night of back-to-backs suggests a team struggling to manage its health and fatigue early in the season.

A Repeat of Jokic's 30.5 Point Average Against Golden State

This Monday's game is not an isolated event but part of a broader trend of Denver's dominance over the Bay Area.. Nikola Jokic has averaged 30.5 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game over his last 10 meetings with the Golden State Warriors, proving that the Warriors' defensive schemes have historically struggled to contain him.

The historical data suggests that the Golden State Warriors are psychologically and tactically ill-equipped for this matchup. Jokic has recorded 12 or more rebounds in seven of those last 10 games, and with the Warriors currently lacking any viable option to slow him down in the paint, the trend is likely to continue.

Will Stephen Curry Suit Up for Monday's Tip-off?

Despite the looming matchup, several critical questions remain regarding the Golden State Warriors' availability. The most pressing is whether Stephen Curry will actually play, given his recent absence against the Phoenix Suns. If Curry is unavailable, the Warriors are left with virtually no proven offensive creation to counter the Denver Nuggets.

Additionally, the status of Denver's own supporting cast remains murky, with Alpha Diallo and Cameron Johnson listed as doubtful and Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther officially ruled out. It remains to be seen if these absences will force the Denver Nuggets to rely even more exclusively on Nikola Jokic than they already do.