The Nuggets have one last preseason tune-up before things start counting, and Friday night against the Lakers feels like the final checkpoint before Denver opens the regular season on October 22 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For head coach David Adelman, this game is about more than just getting through the night. It’s the last chance to sort through the messier parts of the roster picture and get a cleaner read on where things stand. With the regular season nearly here, two issues stand out above the rest: who’s actually in the opening-night rotation, and whether the three-point shooting is ready to look like Denver basketball again.
The rotation question has only gotten more complicated as the preseason has gone on. Adelman has been committed to a 10-man group, but the number of players making a case for minutes keeps growing. The starters are expected to remain unchanged, yet the bench is where things start to get crowded.
DeMar DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, and Spencer Jones appear to be the safest names for the second unit, while Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, and Alpha Diallo are competing for the two guard spots. But the picture gets shakier from here, because the Nuggets are dealing with injuries that could change the look of the group on Friday and possibly even into the season opener.
Strawther and Spencer Jones are injured, and if they end up unavailable, Denver would likely turn to a bench group of Tyus Jones, Diallo, DeRozan, Trevon Brazile, and Bagley. That’s the unit the Nuggets could roll out in Los Angeles, with two-way wing Cam Whitmore mixed in for added offense.
The hope is that Friday gives Adelman a clearer answer about who belongs where. He may already know more than he’s letting on, but this is the final live run before the games start to matter.
The other major concern is the shot-making. Denver led the NBA in three-point percentage last season at 39.6%, a big reason its offense sat at the top of the league.
That kind of accuracy was always likely to dip after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. (40.7%) and Peyton Watson (41.1%), but the preseason results have been rougher than expected.
Through four preseason games, the Nuggets are hitting just 34.9% from deep, which ranks 19th in the league. For a team that gets so much of its offense from creating open looks, that number has to climb.
Strawther’s injury makes the concern even louder. He shot 43.5% from three through four preseason games and has been Denver’s only major bench threat from long range. If his leg issue keeps him out for a while, the margin gets thinner fast.
There were at least a couple of encouraging signs. Cameron Johnson is at 50% from deep in preseason, and Aaron Gordon is also at 50%. Still, that may not be enough if the rest of the group can’t find its touch.
Last season, Denver had 11 players shoot 38% or better from three-point range, and there’s some worry that performance was an outlier. Friday won’t settle everything, but if the Nuggets can start finding more rhythm against the Lakers, they’ll walk into the regular season with a lot more confidence.
In Other News...
Nuggets Rotation Squeeze Could Force Two Young Surprises Into Bigger Roles
David Adelman has never been shy about trimming a roster down to something manageable, and that preference is creating an early-season logjam for the Nuggets. With at least 13 players making a real case during the preseason, Denver suddenly has more worthy candidates than spots in a rotation that Adelman typically keeps to no more than ten. That kind of squeeze is exactly the sort of problem contenders like to have, but it also means some promising names could start the season on the outside looking in.
Cam Whitmore and Trevon Brazile have both flashed enough to keep the conversation going, even if neither is assured of cracking the main group right away. Still, the door may not stay closed for long. Injuries to Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther have already added another layer to the decision-making, and those absences could create an opening for Whitmore and Brazile to see the floor earlier than expected if Denver needs fresh legs and extra depth. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Suddenly Have A Bench Scoring Problem To Figure Out
Julian Strawthers preseason had been giving Denver a much-needed glimpse of what its second unit could look like on the scoring end, with the wing providing steady punch off the bench and spacing the floor in a way the Nuggets can use. Through the exhibition slate, he was averaging 13.3 points per game while hitting 43.5% of his threes, a useful early sign for a team trying to keep the offense humming whenever the starters sit.
The concern now is that Strawther exited the Nuggets fourth preseason game against the Clippers with a leg or knee issue, and the team is waiting on MRI results to learn more. Until there is clarity, Denver may need to lean more on DeMar DeRozan to carry more of the second-unit scoring load, which only adds another layer to a bench rotation already under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Have An Unexpected Answer Behind Jamal Murray
The search for a steadier answer behind Jamal Murray has a new wrinkle, with Memphis now looking at trade possibilities for Walter Clayton Jr. after originally treating him as a key part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. deal. For Denver, that kind of name is worth tracking because the Nuggets have spent time trying to firm up the point guard spot when Murray is off the floor, and a young ballhandler with real passing instincts can fit that conversation quickly.
Claytons first NBA season showed why teams still see something to work with. He flashed playmaking as a rookie, but the shooting efficiency never matched the promise, which is exactly the sort of uneven profile that can create both opportunity and hesitation on the trade market. If Denver decides to circle back, the appeal would be obvious, but so would the questions about how much immediate reliability he can provide in a backup role. [Read more 🡒]