<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/exclusive-how-nuggets-knew-overlooked-spencer-jones-ready-starting-role-nba');   ga('set', 'title', 'Exclusive: How Nuggets knew ‘overlooked’ Spencer Jones was ready for starting role');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/How-Nuggets-knew-overlooked-Spencer-Jones-was-ready-for-starting-role-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Exclusive: How Nuggets knew ‘overlooked’ Spencer Jones was ready for starting role</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T16:30:09-08:00">December 11th, 4:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T16:32:38-08:00">December 11th, 4:32pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is hard for Spencer Jones not to chuckle when he pauses to consider what his 10-year-old self would think of his life today. The 24-year-old is now a certified NBA starter, yet the concept of life in the league didn’t even cross his mind until late in his college career. There was no red carpet, no televised Draft Day call, and no guarantee of success with the Grand Rapids Gold. Instead, the Roeland Park, Kansas native <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-david-adelman-pushes-back-outside-noise-concerns">arrived with the Denver Nuggets</a> via a path paved with commercial flights, G-League bus rides, and a relentless focus on the work others avoided.</p><p>Now in his second season with the Nuggets, Jones has appeared in 19 games with eight starts, carving out a vital niche on a true title contender. These successes are not built on flash, but on a realization he had as an upperclassman at Stanford. The mantra was simple, Jones told ClutchPoints.</p><p>“Trust the process,” Jones laughed. “I didn’t know until late in my college career that I even had a chance to make it here. From then on, I got here by doing the dirty work and other overlooked stuff that other guys don’t really focus on. Defense is the main reason I’m getting a lot of minutes, so although I was allowed to do stuff offensively in college (Stanford), doing things that other guys don’t want to do is where I find opportunity.”</p><p>Drawing inspiration from sidekick legends, the 6-foot-7 swingman is a blueprint for aspiring pros navigating the league’s less glamorous pathways. Jones recognized early that on a roster featuring offensive juggernauts in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-rumors-active-trade-market-injury">Nuggets did not need another primary scorer</a>; they needed a shield.</p><p>“I really embraced the 3-and-D role early in my career and always watched players who were in that situation,” explained Jones. “Guys like Klay Thompson, Tony Allen with Memphis. It works on a team like this, where we are so prolific on offense, defense is the next step when it comes to competing for ‘chips. That’s where I can come in and give the most help, get a chance at a ring.”</p><p>Winning those NBA minutes started with surviving the relentless grind of the G-League.</p><h2><b>Nuggets unearth gemstone</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Jones-dribbles-Nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, Jones bounced between the Nuggets and the Grand Rapids Gold nine times, enduring the physical and mental toll of constant travel and uncertainty.</p><p>“It takes a lot, especially playing mostly in the G-League last year. It’s tough bouncing up and down like nine times,” Jones joked. “My first opportunity came on a back-to-back with the G-League, then I was flown up here (to the Nuggets). That was the first real shot.”</p><p>That one moment mattered as a personal accomplishment, yet what came after mattered more for career staying power.</p><p>“Then it was all about not worrying about if I’m up in the NBA or down in the G, it’s more about taking things slow,” noted Jones. “It’s a long season, 82 games give people plenty of shots. You’ll get your opportunity if you’re staying ready.”</p><p>Jones didn’t just stay ready, he stayed committed. Grand Rapids became more than an assignment; it became a lab. That freedom to fail with the Grand Rapids Gold creates pressure-tested players ready for high-stakes moments. Jones understands the difference between developing in the minors and performing for a franchise with championship expectations.</p><p>“Grand Rapids is a great place to build yourself up. You go there, you’re getting an opportunity to develop, to get better,” Jones stressed. “You’re not sitting around, just on the bench. Everything is about being up, learning, and implementing what they’re doing in Denver. And you’ll make mistakes while learning. You’re supposed to make mistakes in the G-League.”</p><p>The Nuggets did not make many mistakes developing their newest starter.</p><h2><b>Spencer Jones soldiers on</b></h2><p>An opportunity to learn, stumble, and improve without the weight of playoff expectations is something Jones will never take for granted.</p><p>“With the Nuggets, with any winning team, you don’t have the luxury to make mistakes because you’re trying to win as many games as possible for the playoffs,” Jones added. “Going down to the G-League and embracing the fact that you can go make those mistakes there means you’ll be ready to contribute when you get to an NBA situation.”</p><p>Two-way players do not qualify for postseason rosters, but that’s not anything Jones can worry about right now. The front office will make the best decision for the organization’s championship aims. Still, Jones moves with the calm certainty of someone who long ago accepted that his path would be slower, heavier, more demanding. From late-blooming college prospect to defensive specialist on a title contender, he has built his NBA dream one possession, one shuttle flight, one opportunity at a time.</p><p>All signs point to a guaranteed, standard, NBA Playoffs-eligible contract coming soon enough; just do not mention that too loudly in the locker room. So when he thinks back to that 10-year-old kid who hadn’t yet imagined this life, Spencer Jones can’t help but smile. The journey wasn’t what he expected, but it’s exactly what he needed to gain a better perspective on what truly matters: the process and relationships built along the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Exclusive: How Nuggets knew ‘overlooked’ Spencer Jones was ready for starting role

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-hits-insane-pass-of-year-favorite-spencer-jones-layup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hits insane Pass of the Year favorite on Spencer Jones layup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jokic_fd7fa3.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hits insane Pass of the Year favorite on Spencer Jones layup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-28T22:13:15-08:00">November 28th, 10:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-28T22:13:15-08:00">November 28th, 10:13pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Nikola Jokic put his passing talent on full display during the Denver <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-may-be-best-player-all-time-stan-van-gundy-says">Nuggets’ NBA Cup matchup against the San Antonio Spurs</a> on Friday night.</p><p>Jokic is going through the 11th year of his NBA career, all with the Nuggets. He rose into superstardom with his elite offensive skillset, including his marvelous passing that draws viral clips on social media.</p><p>The Nuggets big man was back at it again with the flashy distribution. The highlight took place in the final minutes of the first half. Jokic <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1994617727424905642" rel="noopener">pulled off a behind the back pass</a> to Spencer Jones, who was inside the paint as he caught the ball and placed the layup perfectly to complete the play.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">HOW DOES HE DO IT!</p><p>Nikola Jokic with a CRAZY pass for the Spencer Jones score 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/yZ8dIDIG8F">pic.twitter.com/yZ8dIDIG8F</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1994617727424905642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Nikola Jokic, Nuggets played against Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jokic-2.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Nikola Jokic’s remarkable passing highlight, the Nuggets were unable to conclude NBA Cup group play with a win. They lost in a 139-136 nailbiter to the Spurs.</p><p>Denver had the momentum to start the game, boasting a 74-59 lead at halftime. However, they suffered multiple defensive breakdowns in the second half as they conceded 80 points in the last 24 minutes of regulation.</p><p>Free throws, steals and turnovers made the difference in this matchup. The Spurs prevailed in all three categories by making 30 shots at the line, having 10 steals and limiting their turnovers to just nine. It wasn’t the same for the Nuggets as they converted 24 free throws, made five steals and turned the ball over 17 times.</p><p>Five players scored in double-digits for Denver, including Jokic. He finished with a stat line of 21 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds, one steal, and a block. He shot 7-of-10 from the field, including 1-of-1 from three, and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. Jamal Murray torched the nets with 37 points and seven assists, Cameron Johnson came next with 28 points and six rebounds, while Peyton Watson put up 15 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Tim Hardaway Jr. produced 15 points off the bench.</p><p>Denver fell to a 13-5 record on the season, holding the fifth spot of the Western Conference standings. They are two games above the Phoenix Suns and three games above the Minnesota Timberwolves while being even with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets for third place.</p><p>The Nuggets will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being on the road. They face the Suns on Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
1.6	0.8	0.5	0.1	0.6

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
1.6	0.8	0.5	0.1	0.6

Spencer Jones

Latest Spencer Jones News

Exclusive: How Nuggets knew ‘overlooked’ Spencer Jones was ready for starting role

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic hits insane Pass of the Year favorite on Spencer Jones layup

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