The Denver Nuggets have won two straight preseason games and now head to Los Angeles for another useful test, this time against the new-look Clippers on Wednesday night. It’s the first half of a two-game stretch in L.A., with the Lakers waiting on Friday to close out Denver’s exhibition schedule.
With only two preseason games left to get live reps before the regular season, these next two outings matter. Head coach David Adelman has made the point throughout camp that practice helps, but it still can’t fully match what happens in an actual game.
That leaves a few Nuggets with real stakes attached to Wednesday night.
One of them is DaRon Holmes, who still has a path to carve out a better depth role even if Denver’s frontcourt picture looks mostly settled. Spencer Jones and Marvin Bagley III are expected to handle most of the backup minutes, but Holmes is still in the mix for a more valuable spot behind them.
After Tuesday’s practice, Holmes said he feels much improved from a year ago and sees these preseason games as his chance to show it.
"Opportunity. I think that's a big thing, not only for myself, but for some of the other players," Holmes said.
"This is the time to showcase what we've been working on this summer. ... I know for me, I'm already feeling a lot more comfortable from where I was last year to now.
I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger. I feel like I'm understanding the game a lot better."
Holmes also said, "This is the time for us to showcase what we've been working on this summer. To show that were about the team, we're about winning, we're about playing the right way.""
I'm already feeling a lot more comfortable from where I was last year to now. I feel like…"
The 24-year-old big man has had a rough early run in the league because of injuries, including a torn Achilles that wiped out his entire rookie season. More than two years removed from that injury, he’s healthier and more comfortable now, but the climb for minutes is still steep.
He hasn’t fully separated himself in preseason play so far, but Denver has already seen a flash of what he can do. In the Nuggets’ last game, Holmes finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Now that he’s officially the team’s third-string center, every preseason minute carries extra weight.
Ryan Nembhard is in a similar spot. Adelman has praised the two-way guard throughout training camp and preseason, but praise only goes so far. The 23-year-old still has to prove he can force his way higher on the depth chart.
When Denver signed him, plenty of fans immediately wondered whether he could be a better option than Tyus Jones. So far, Jones has been the one standing out, while Nembhard hasn’t yet made a move up the ladder.
Even with Denver’s need for more ball-handling, the veteran Jones has been useful in the role Adelman wants from the bench unit. Nembhard, meanwhile, still needs to show he can be steady as a handler and distributor while also bringing hard defense. If he keeps doing that, he could at least earn more chances once the regular season starts.
The Nuggets’ rookies also have something to gain from these final preseason reps. Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins both bring upside, and Hopkins already got a taste of a bigger role last game when Adelman trusted him enough to play alongside the starters.
Brazile saw a healthy run in Denver’s first game, working as the backup power forward when Spencer Jones was out. Neither rookie is likely to break into the rotation easily, but both can keep pushing their case with another strong performance.
Hopkins, who is on a two-way contract, should see extra time with the G League this season. Brazile, for his part, will likely spend most of his time at the end of the Nuggets’ bench.
A good showing from either rookie would at least force Adelman and his staff to take a longer look at them, especially because of what they can bring defensively.
The Nuggets and Clippers tip off in Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday night, with the game available on NBA TV.
In Other News...
Nuggets Suddenly Have A Julian Strawther Problem They Didn't Want
The Nuggets preseason loss to the Clippers was already the kind of October result teams mostly file away and move past, but the sight of Julian Strawther leaving after a third-quarter knee injury changed the tone quickly. Strawther has been part of Denvers effort to build out its depth, and any issue involving a rotation player this early in camp tends to land harder because it interrupts the work of sorting out roles and finding rhythm.
Trevon Brazile gave Denver something more encouraging off the bench in the same game, which is a small preseason bright spot the Nuggets can point to while they wait for clarity on Strawther. For now, though, the injury is the part hanging over everything, and the lack of an official report only adds to the uncertainty as Denver moves deeper into preseason without a clear read on how serious it might be. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Strawther Injury Scare Clouds A Crucial Nuggets Opportunity
Julian Strawthers night against the Clippers had an encouraging start before it turned tense, with the second-year wing leaving Denvers preseason game after a lower-body injury and not returning. Strawther had given the Nuggets useful minutes before the exit, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds and two turnovers in 19 minutes as Denver fell 122-110.
For a team trying to sort out its rotation and lean on young depth, any setback in the preseason carries extra weight. Strawther has been in the mix for a more meaningful role, and the Nuggets will now be waiting to see how serious the injury is before they can know whether this was just a scare or something that could slow his push for a bigger opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Rookie Is Suddenly Forcing A Real Bench Debate
The Nuggets may have found a little more summer intrigue than they expected in Trevon Brazile, the rookie second-round pick who looked anything but tentative in a preseason game against the Clippers. He was the first man off the bench, played with obvious confidence, and brought the kind of athletic pop Denver can always use, finishing with 22 points while flashing impact on both ends of the floor.
There were still the usual rookie rough edges, especially a few defensive lapses, but Braziles overall showing gave the Nuggets something to think about as the rotation starts to take shape. For head coach David Adelman, the question is no longer just whether Brazile can hold his own in preseason minutes, but whether a real bench role is beginning to open up in front of him. [Read more 🡒]