David Adelman’s biggest challenge this season may not be finding talent. It may be finding the right combinations.
The Nuggets reshaped their bench this offseason, and the result is a second unit that gives Denver more options - and more moving parts. That should make Adelman’s job interesting, but it also means he’ll have to be sharp with his rotations from the start.
Last season was already a grind. Injuries forced Adelman to juggle lineups all year, with the starters missing 136 games because of injury.
Even with that chaos, Denver still won 54 games and used 28 different starting lineups. The roster now has a different look, but the same basic reality remains: Adelman will be asked to make a lot of pieces fit.
Some of the new faces bring obvious appeal, but they also come with questions. Julian Strawther can step into the minutes Tim Hardaway Jr. left behind, but it’s not a simple swap.
Strawther should fit the offense, yet his defense creates a need for help next to him. Alpha Diallo arrives as a 29-year-old rookie defensive specialist, though he has never played in the NBA.
Trevon Brazile, Denver’s rookie second-round pick, may not see much run if he follows the pattern of recent Nuggets rookies. And Tyus Jones, now the backup point guard behind Jamal Murray, offers elite ball security but could slow the offense if he isn’t paired correctly.
Marvin Bagley III may be the cleanest fit of the bunch. As the backup center in place of the departed Jonas Valanciunas, he looks like the most straightforward plug-and-play option.
The real key for Adelman is figuring out how to use these pieces together. Diallo’s on-ball defense could be used to take on stronger wings, which would let Strawther focus more on scoring. When Jones is running the second unit, the simplest way to keep the offense moving may be to keep Nikola Jokic on the floor too, so Jokic can help with the distribution.
Brazile, if he gets time at backup center, would make the most sense alongside Aaron Gordon. That gives Denver a reliable defender next to him in the frontcourt and helps cover the toughest matchup on the other side.
Denver also added former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger to the bench, which at least gives Adelman another voice when it comes to making adjustments. The Nuggets didn’t always show that kind of flexibility in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, at least not to the degree fans wanted to see. Joerger should help there.
Adelman already proved last season that he can steer the team through adversity during the regular season. Now he gets a bench with more depth, more variety and plenty of puzzle pieces to sort through.
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