Short-Handed Clippers Face a Deeper Nuggets Group at Intuit Dome

Denver's better forward depth should matter in this preseason meeting with a thinned-out Clippers wing group.

DEN @ LAC Oct 15, 2026 at 2:30 AM UTC

The Clippers host the Nuggets at Intuit Dome in a preseason game, so the final score will probably reflect depth and rotation experiments more than a regular-season script. On that front, Denver appears to hold the edge.

Los Angeles is dealing with the most significant absences. Max Strus is out with a foot injury, Jordan Miller is out with a shoulder injury, and Brandon Ingram, the team's new acquisition, is rehabbing a partially torn Achilles that will keep him out through the start of the regular season. That is three forwards unavailable, which thins the wing rotation and takes away a major source of scoring. The Clippers will have to find creation and shot-making elsewhere, and a preseason game is often when coaches test unfamiliar lineups, but there are fewer reliable options to test.

Bradley Beal is questionable with a knee injury and could be a game-time decision. If he plays, he gives the Clippers a needed scoring option in the backcourt, though his minutes could well be limited. If he sits, the offense could rely heavily on whoever is left to handle the ball and create shots, which is a difficult task against a settled Denver group.

The Nuggets have their own uncertainty, with forward Spencer Jones questionable with a hamstring injury. His absence would trim Denver's forward depth, but it looks like a smaller problem than the number of players the Clippers are missing. Starters on both sides may see limited minutes, so the bench units could decide the second half.

I expect Denver to lean on its depth and pull away late against a depleted Clippers wing rotation.

Prediction: Nuggets 111, Clippers 104.

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