Denver also has a game first. The Nuggets host the Golden State Warriors on October 26, then fly to New Orleans. So their legs, Johnson's ankle and whatever shape Denver is in by the time it lands all get settled before tipoff at 7:00 PM CT. The Pelicans have nothing on the schedule in between. They get the week at home to fix what went wrong in the 2nd half.
The fix got harder with one injury. Starting center Yves Missi hyperextended his left knee in the loss at Utah when Zion Williamson fell into his leg, and the MRI showed a bone bruise. He's expected to miss an extended stretch and there's no timeline for his return. Missi was averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 rebounds through 2 games. Without him, Derik Queen and Zion have to handle the paint, and that's a lot to ask against Jokic, who controlled the glass in the comeback.
Don't read the 0-3 start as a team that's getting run over. New Orleans lost to Indiana by 3, at Utah by 1, and in Denver by 6 in overtime, so all 3 losses add up to 10 points. Trey Murphy III (26) and Dejounte Murray (22) led the way in Denver, and the offense under 1st-year coach Jamahl Mosley clearly has some juice. The problem is closing. A team that blows a 23-point lead and drops 2 more games by a combined 4 points has a 4th-quarter problem, not a talent problem.
That's how this one sets up. Denver has the 2 best players on the floor and a habit of not panicking, but it's banged up on the wings and coming in off a home game against Golden State. New Orleans is rested, at home and has already shown it can score on this team for 3 quarters. The open question is whether the Pelicans can hold up at the rim without Missi for the 12 minutes that have been beating them.