This was quite a surprise given the pessimistic expectations many had for the team when the Nets got off to a 4-4 start this season.
Some of the early phenomenal players pushed the powerhouse Nuggets to the brink before losing in overtime in October.
When the teams meet again on Friday, the Nets will look little like that team.
Dennis Schroder played well enough to earn a trade early on, followed by Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Among the parade of injured players, the names on the backs of their jerseys are noticeably different.
And the results show it. Brooklyn has lost three straight and six of its past seven games.
Due to a rash of injuries, the Nets may be down to eight players again, as they were in Wednesday's 113-98 loss to the Pistons.
Things won't get any easier for a depleted team as they face the Nuggets (21-15), the fourth-ranked team in the West Division. MVP candidate Nikola Jokic will be waiting for the first of the Nets' six-game, 10-day West Coast trip.
The Nets' fourth game of the season was on October 29th against the Nuggets.
Despite the presence of Schroder and Finney Smith, three-time MVP Jokic had a triple-double of 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists as the Nets lost 144-139 in overtime.
Jokic is averaging a career-high 31.5 points this season, but has been sidelined for the past two games due to illness. Even without him, the Nets will have a tough time against the 2022-23 champions.
But coach Jordi Fernandes remains unfazed.
“I feel good because I care about my group,” he said. “And like I said, if I can learn from today and get one percent better…I'm not worried about things that I can't control. I'm worried about my group, so I'm going to go out there and get better.” We're going to play a very good team, a team that won the championship and a team that has the best players in the world at the moment. It's going to be a good challenge and it should be exciting.”
The Nets also expect Cam Johnson, who sprained his right ankle against the Bucks on Jan. 2, to return to action at some point on the road.
He has missed three games so far.
Johnson, the team's second-leading scorer, will be a big boost against the Nuggets. He is averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting 49 percent from the field.
The Nets blew a 17-point lead against the Nuggets earlier this season.
Missed shots late in the game and a clear 47-27 difference in free throws contributed significantly to Fernandes' disappointment in overtime against his old team.
Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) and Ben Simmons (calf strain and lower back injury management) have missed three games, pending evaluation of Thomas after the trip.
D'Angelo Russell played half of the 76ers' game before suffering a bruised shin and has missed two consecutive games since then. Dayron Sharpe missed Wednesday's game due to illness.
