The Denver Nuggets didn’t just preserve their starting five this offseason. They also spent training camp sorting out a bench that looks very different from the one they had last spring.
Denver lost most of its second unit from last season - Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas are all gone - and then went to work rebuilding it. The headline addition was six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan, but he wasn’t the only new face brought in to reshape the rotation. By the second day of camp, David Adelman had already shown the group he wanted to see together.
In a starters-versus-bench five-on-five scrimmage, the second unit featured DeRozan, Julian Strawther, Alpha Diallo, Spencer Jones and Marvin Bagley III. That doesn’t lock in a permanent bench five, but it does say plenty about which combination Adelman wanted to test first.
Adelman also offered a clearer read on two of the newer names in the mix, and both could matter more than expected.
Diallo entered camp as something of a mystery to most Nuggets fans. The 29-year-old wing spent his post-college career overseas, and his reputation came with one obvious calling card: defense. He was the reigning EuroLeague Best Defender award winner, so the baseline expectation was simple - he could guard.
After a couple days of work, Adelman sounds convinced of that and then some.
"He can guard. I mean, he's got special skill," Adelman said about Diallo on Wednesday.
"He doesn't get screened. You can tell he played overseas; the physicality of what that is.
Honestly, I think offensively he's been impressive, in a sense of, kind of like Spencer [Jones], he knows where to be at the right time. That's big for him.
If he can be a guy who guards and knows how to cut and move, play in space, he has a chance to play."
The Nuggets ranked 21st on defense last season, so a wing who can defend and fit cleanly on offense has obvious appeal. Adelman’s comments, paired with Diallo showing up in that scrimmage group, point to a player who may carve out a bigger role than many expected when Denver signed him.
Bagley’s fit is looking clearer, too. The former second overall pick was brought in to help the frontcourt, and one of the early questions around him was whether he would back up Nikola Jokic at center or spend time at power forward. Adelman settled that pretty quickly.
"As a five right now," Adelman said about Bagley's position. "I was really impressed with Spencer [Jones] as a four last year. ...
I want to keep [Bagley] there and get him comfortable at [center]. In a pinch, obviously, he could do it, but he's a traditional five to me."
Adelman also referenced Jones and rookie Trevon Brazile as power forwards, which makes the picture even cleaner: Bagley at center, Jones at the four. That setup helps avoid crowding the same spot and suggests Denver wants Bagley to settle in as the backup five rather than drifting between positions. He can play both big-man spots, but the Nuggets likely need him most as a center unless they decide to get creative with a two-big look next to Jokic.
That leaves the second unit starting to come into focus. Bagley appears lined up as the backup center, Jones as the backup power forward, and Diallo may be pushing his way into a more meaningful role than anyone might have projected a few days ago.
Tyus Jones and DaRon Holmes weren’t mentioned in this particular look, but they should still get their share of second-unit minutes as camp moves forward.
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Nuggets Guard Rotation Just Got More Interesting Behind Jamal Murray
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Nembhard arrived with some momentum after a notable rookie season with the Dallas Mavericks, and he has already been around the Nuggets' camp with an eye on broadening his game. He has talked about sharpening his defense and shooting, while veteran forward Cameron Johnson has pointed to the way Nembhard can create for others and bring another dimension to the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
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Sanders also singled out Nikola Jokic during the visit, praising the star centers performance and reliability in the biggest moments. For the Nuggets, hearing that kind of respect from one of Colorados most recognizable coaches only adds to the sense that Jokics reputation reaches well beyond basketball, even as Adelman and company continue building toward the season with those outside voices floating through the gym. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nembhard Already Has A Sneaky Important Role For Denver
Ryan Nembhard may not be in Denver for the sort of headline-grabbing role that turns heads in October, but he already has a clear job in camp. Coach David Adelman said the guard will be used in practice as a quick, pesky test case, the kind of smaller ballhandler the Nuggets need to handle better as they sharpen their pick-and-roll defense. It is the sort of behind-the-scenes assignment that can matter in a league where so many problems start with a guard getting downhill too easily.
The fit makes plenty of sense after Nembhards performance against Denver last season with Dallas, when he gave the Nuggets trouble as a playmaker and scorer. Denver has been looking closely at how to defend faster guards, and rookie Alpha Diallo has been part of the defensive example the staff wants to lean on. Nembhards role may be temporary and mostly internal, but for a team trying to get sturdier at the point of attack, those reps can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]