The Denver Nuggets came into the offseason with a bench problem that looked obvious enough. Last year’s second unit had holes, and with two of the more dependable reserve pieces gone, it was easy to assume the depth chart was headed for trouble.
That’s not quite how this has played out.
The Nuggets’ depth has turned out to be better than expected, and that’s created a different kind of headache for David Adelman and his staff. The issue now isn’t whether Denver has enough bodies. It’s figuring out which ones actually fit into a tight regular-season rotation.
Adelman has been clear about the direction he wants to go. He’s aiming to open the year with a ten-man group, then trim things down as the season wears on.
“The perfect world is ten to start, even ten and a half, which we had a little bit last year,” Adelman said. “But I think, to start the season, the goal's going to be ten.
We go from there. Obviously, by the end of the year, it's like eight and a half.
I'd like to play ten, especially with the veteran group that we have.”
That sounds straightforward in theory. In practice, it’s been anything but.
After the first two preseason games against the Utah Jazz, Denver’s coaching staff has a real sorting job on its hands. The Nuggets are using these games to sort out the rotation, but the competition for those last spots looks tighter than it did before camp opened.
The first eight rotation pieces seem set. The real debate is over the final two names, and that’s where things get messy. Adelman’s “ten-and-a-half” idea matters here, because the Nuggets may end up leaning on different combinations depending on the matchup and what they need on a given night.
That’s especially true in the backcourt. The Nuggets could rotate between Strawther, Diallo, and Jones for backup guard minutes, and each brings something Denver needs.
Diallo gives them ball pressure and screen navigation. Strawther offers spacing and paint penetration off the bounce.
Tyus Jones brings ball-handling relief. The catch is that none of them is known as a complete all-around package.
Up front, the picture looks a little clearer. Backup forwards like Brazile, DaRon Holmes II, and Zeke Nnaji are not expected to be in the regular rotation.
Even so, Brazile has already made a case to be the first call if injuries hit, and the rookie’s athleticism has flashed enough to keep him in the conversation. A strong preseason finish could help him even more.
Still, the most interesting battle is happening with the guards. At the start of camp, the expectation was that Jones and Strawther would make up the second unit backcourt. Now, Diallo may have moved ahead of both of them because of his defense.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the other two are out. To begin the season, Adelman will probably find ways to use all three. But once the games start counting, the player who gives Denver the least could be the one left on the outside.
In Other News...
Nuggets Bench Wings Are Making Denvers Rotation Battle Harder To Ignore
The Nuggets second preseason win over Utah offered another look at a bench group that is starting to make the back end of the rotation feel a little less settled. Denver beat the Jazz 117-106, and the wing depth was a major part of why the game had a different feel than a typical exhibition tune-up. Alpha Diallo brought energy on both ends, Cam Whitmore flashed the kind of impact the Nuggets want to see from reserve wings, and the second unit again looked like it can change the tone of a game.
Julian Strawther, meanwhile, kept building on an encouraging start to the preseason after another productive outing. For a team trying to sort out roles before the games count, those performances matter because they are happening in the right places: on the wing, in lineups where defense, spacing and shot-making all carry extra weight. Denver still has more decisions to make, and the bench wings are making those calls harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Bruce Brown's Knicks Deal Says A Lot About Denver's New Reality
Bruce Brown is back in the kind of summer roster squeeze that has become common around the league, this time with the Knicks, who have signed several players to Exhibit 9 training camp deals as they sort through a crowded field for limited openings. New York values Brown for the same reasons many teams once did: versatility, experience and the ability to plug holes in a rotation without needing much time to adjust.
For Denver fans, the more telling part is the backdrop around his market. Brown said the teams interested in him "weren't many," and pointed to the second-apron salary cap rule as a frequent explanation, a reminder of how much the leagues spending limits can shape even familiar names. The Nuggets had room to add a veteran, but Brown never became a serious target there, a quiet sign of how different the roster-building reality is now compared with the one that once made him such a fit in Denver. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets May Already Be Settling Their Biggest Bench Question
With Jonas Valanciunas headed overseas, the Nuggets entered the preseason with a familiar roster puzzle tucked into the middle of their depth chart: who backs up Nikola Jokic when the games start to matter? The answer may already be taking shape. Marvin Bagley III, a recent offseason addition, has logged significant minutes in exhibition play and has quickly emerged as the player most often getting that look at backup center.
DaRon Holmes and Zeke Nnaji are still part of the conversation, and Denvers rotation can always shift once the games count, but the early usage has been telling. Bagley has been positioned as the primary option behind Jokic so far, which matters for a team that depends so heavily on stability at the five. The Nuggets still have time to change course, but the preseason signs suggest this particular bench battle may be trending toward a resolution sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]