The Nuggets Finally Remembered What a Starting Lineup Looks Like

For the first time in what feels like a month, the Denver Nuggets are rolling out a starting five that actually looks like a professional basketball team instead of a random collection of guys who won a radio contest.

According to Underdog NBA, Denver will start Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic on Friday.

"Underdog NBA reported the lineup alert on X."

If you have spent the last two weeks trying to handicap Denver's rotation, this news is a massive relief. Prop bettors and daily fantasy managers can finally project normal minutes without guessing which end-of-bench forward is about to randomly log a 35-minute cardio session.

Getting this specific group on the floor together is a minor miracle given the recent state of the medical report. Gordon has been battling a right hamstring strain, while Braun has been nursing a left ankle sprain that turned the wing rotation into a nightly guessing game.

When the main guys actually play, the results are exactly what you expect. Denver recently dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 and just handled the New Orleans Pelicans 104-91.

Murray is currently cooking defenders to the tune of 25.4 points and 7.1 assists per night. You do not need an advanced analytics degree to know that giving Jokic his actual starting wings and a healthy Murray is a wrap for most opponents.

It is like handing the keys of a sports car back to a professional driver after forcing him to commute on a rusted bicycle for a week.

Denver will take this fully operational lineup into Friday night's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. If this starting five can actually stay off the injury report for more than 48 hours, the Nuggets are primed to remind everyone exactly who runs the West.