The Nuggets have spent years trying to survive the minutes Nikola Jokic sits, and the results have been ugly. Over the past five seasons, Denver has posted a net rating of -7.5 without Jokic on the floor, a stretch that has too often meant leads slipping away and second units stalling out.
Marvin Bagley III might be the first backup center in a long time who actually changes that equation.
The No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA draft brings a different kind of profile to Denver’s bench. He’s more mobile, quicker in space, and already showing signs in training camp that his athleticism can give the Nuggets something they haven’t had in that role. On day one, his quick hands and speed stood out right away, and that was enough to separate him from the centers who filled the spot before him.
Harrison Wind even shared a clip of Bagley with the second unit, reaching in on Cameron Johnson, forcing the turnover, then racing the other way for a dunk. For a team that has been searching for a backup five who can do more than just survive, that kind of play jumps off the screen.
Bagley’s defensive value goes beyond one highlight, too. He’s become an above-average rim defender inside six feet, and opponents shot 6.8% worse with him as the primary defender at the basket, a mark that placed him in the 79th percentile.
In Denver’s first scrimmage, he even gave Jokic real resistance, something head coach David Adelman noticed immediately. "I think Marvin pushed Nikola, which is good," Adelman said.
The offensive fit is just as intriguing.
Bagley can work in the pick-and-roll, and last season he added a perimeter wrinkle that could matter in Denver’s second unit. With the Dallas Mavericks in the second half of last season, he hit 48.5% from three on 1.5 attempts per game over 22 games.
He also shot 64.1% from two last year. That kind of three-point rate is not something anyone should expect to last forever, but even being respected out there changes the geometry.
It pulls a defender out of the paint and opens up more room for scoring and playmaking.
He also put up 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in just 21.4 minutes with the Mavs, which is enough to make him a real option for Denver’s bench.
The Nuggets have been waiting a long time for a backup center who can actually help in Jokic’s absence. Bagley may finally be that guy, and if he can shrink that non-Jokic net-rating gap, it could matter a lot for Denver in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Peyton Watson Sounds Ready To Be Exactly What The Cavs Need
Peyton Watsons arrival in Cleveland gives the Cavaliers a different kind of swing on the wing, one built around upside, length and the hope that his two-way game can keep climbing. The Nuggets sent him out in a five-team deal that also brought Denver Dennis Schrder, Max Strus and a 2031 first-round pick, a reminder that this was the sort of move with real roster consequences on both sides.
For Watson, the appeal of landing with the Cavaliers seems to go beyond opportunity alone. He has made it clear he views Cleveland as the best basketball and culture fit for where he wants to go next, and that matters for a team trying to push past its previous Eastern Conference Finals finish. The Cavs are banking on his scoring and defensive potential to help them get there, and Watson sounds like he expects to grow right along with them. [Read more 🡒]
3 Nuggets With Something Real To Prove In Denver's Preseason Opener
The Nuggets open their preseason Wednesday against the Jazz, and the first exhibition already comes with a few roster storylines worth watching. Christian Braun is looking to turn the page after an injury-plagued year, while the front end of camp has also put a spotlight on a couple of players trying to carve out real minutes rather than simply survive the preseason grind.
Alpha Diallo is getting his first NBA chance after a long run in Europe, and his path to Denver comes with the kind of defensive reputation that can make a late-blooming rookie interesting right away. DaRon Holmes also enters the opener with a chance to expand his role, especially with the rotation picture still taking shape and Denver needing answers as it sorts out which young pieces can help once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Strawther Suddenly Has A Huge Nuggets Opportunity
David Adelman has made it clear that Denvers starting group is staying intact, but the bench is where the Nuggets are going to look different this season. With new faces coming in and others moving on, the second unit is opening up in a way that creates a real chance for Julian Strawther, a fourth-year wing now playing on the final year of his rookie deal, to carve out a bigger place in the rotation.
Strawther already showed he could help in a limited role last season, averaging 7.2 points in 15 minutes a night, and the path to more responsibility is suddenly much cleaner. The Nuggets need wing production off the bench, and Strawther is in position to absorb those minutes and prove he can be a dependable piece rather than just another option on a reshuffled second unit. [Read more 🡒]