Here in Denver, the Mile High Faithful are trepidatious. Their beloved Nuggets enter the new campaign with a waning benefit of the doubt.

They’ll get a chance to author new narratives soon enough. But between now and then, doubt remains, as does the following list of unanswered questions.

Can the Nuggets still count on Aaron Gordon?

Both optimists and cynics agree that Aaron Gordon’s absence has played a massive role in Denver’s backward slide since winning the title. But they’ve drawn different conclusions about what to expect from here on out.

Gordon is the soul of the team and an essential part of each of their half-court operations. They need his interior spacing and the versatility he brings at his size to compete with the best defenses. They’re also borderline hopeless defensively without some of those same qualities.

Casual observers may note that something has just felt off about the Nuggets in the last two seasons. Like something is missing. More often than not, the answer to that question is literally Aaron Gordon.

Hope is not a strategy in the NBA, but the Nuggets don’t have much of a choice after struggling to find a trade partner in the summer. Given his value and contract, they can only hope for greater availability this season.

Will the Nuggets add more ball handlers?

I considered an alternative version of this question: Do the Nuggets have enough ball-handling?

But that would make for a short article. Of course they don’t.

The Timberwolves hounded and pressured Jamal Murray at every turn last spring. And with great success, too.

Near the end of the series, David Adelman essentially lobbied for Tyus Jones to return, reiterating the difference in Denver’s offense with Jones on the floor.

But Jones was only able to play after major injuries changed the complexion of that series.

Without Gordon, and Watson behind him, the Nuggets were strapped for options to get the ball out of Murray’s hands.

How, if at all, would that be different this season?

DeMar DeRozan will make an impact here, as he’s capable of putting the ball on the floor and is an underrated tertiary playmaker. But he won’t be able to hang with a healthy Wolves team on the other end of the floor.

Perhaps the Nuggets find another opportunity at the deadline. Some guards around the league found new homes before the dust settled this offseason. The 76ers, for example, are a different team after the late addition of LeBron James.

Perhaps someone around the league is eager for a change of scenery by the deadline.

Will the Nuggets be any better defensively?

The Nuggets finished with the ninth-worst defensive rating last season, and the third-worst defense in the clutch. Both marks are disappointing, injuries notwithstanding.

The Nuggets have since lost Peyton Watson, a young player with defensive upside, and Bruce Brown, admittedly over the hill but still a gritty veteran whom Murray once called their best perimeter defender.

They have added Alpha Diallo, the reigning EuroLeague DPOY, but we have yet to see if he’ll even crack the rotation.

Most of their significant improvement, if there is any, will come down to the availability of Gordon and Christian Braun.

If those two are healthy, Denver should move closer to the middle of the pack on defense. But more importantly, they should look better in the clutch, where Denver used to clamp down after the offense carried them through three quarters.

Still, building a competitive defense around Denver’s dynamic duo looks increasingly difficult, and greater availability feels like wishful thinking around here.

Perhaps the key is to ease the workload of Denver’s All-NBA tandem during the regular season, so they have more to offer on that end when winning matters most.

If that means giving the ball to Cam Johnson or DeRozan more often, then so be it.

Who is the leader of this team?

Nikola Jokić doesn’t embrace some of the traditional elements of NBA leadership. Jamal Murray’s grown into a veteran presence, but has yet to grab the team by the horns. Aaron Gordon is the natural fit, but injuries have kept him off the floor, and his presence in the locker room has waned as his focus has understandably been strained by personal tragedy.

The answer to this question used to be simple. But Michael Malone is in North Carolina, and David Adelman has yet to fill those particular shoes. Ever practical, Adelman is less inspired by the emotional chords of leadership, and has even vocalized his desire to see the locker room police its own culture.

Christian Braun made waves this summer when he declared himself a leader in the locker room. Where some saw audacity, others saw the ugly truth it reflected.

There’s a vacuum here.

The good news is Gordon played a key role in organizing and facilitating a team workout in Puerto Rico — an early sign, we hope, of Mr. Nugget’s wholehearted return.

Last note on this — Denver benefited greatly from Jeff Green and DeAndre Jordan’s leadership in 2023. They were veterans to the young guys, and willing to hold the core accountable.

Perhaps they can replicate that with another addition by the end of the season.

And as I was about to succumb to a sportswriter cliche, mentioning their need for a “Jeff Green-type,” it occurred to me that he’s still in the league.

Why not Green himself?

Will Nikola Jokić Stay in Denver?

I think he will. The organization thinks he will. And Nikola Jokić insists he will.

But until he does, this is one of the most important questions in all of basketball. And it’s one Jokić will literally have to answer more than once.

Stirring the pot is not my bag. But there’s something equally disingenuous about ignoring this altogether.

The Nuggets have to take Jokić at his word, even if the league-wide precedent suggests he might still change his mind.