Training camp is in full swing for the Denver Nuggets in Boulder, and there's already one player who is making a name for himself in the area where the team needed an upgrade the most: defense. Alpha Diallo, the team's 29-year-old rookie who they snagged from across the pond in the EuroLeague, just could be the breakout sleeper that fans had hoped he would be when they signed him.
Sure, it's early, and the Nuggets have only had three practices, but Diallo is already making noise. He earned a compliment, or as close as you'll get to one from head coach David Adelman, and he's also earning praise from his teammates.
"He can guard. He's got a special skill. He doesn't get screened," Adelman said of the rookie defensive phenom. Diallo won the 2025-26 EuroLeague Best Defender Award, the equivalent of the Defensive Player of the Year in the NBA. But the praise didn't stop there. Cameron Johnson also didn't hesitate to say Diallo's name when he was asked who "he's enjoyed competing against" after practice number three.
"I really like Alpha...He's a menace on defense. An absolute menace on defense," Johnson said.
Perfect! It's about time someone on the Nuggets could potentially be classified as a defensive menace.
Diallo could be a game changer for the Nuggets' second unit
Diallo may still be a rookie, but he's been playing professionally for AS Monaco in the EuroLeague for the past six seasons. He'll bring an elite level of defense to the Nuggets this year.
Diallo excels at on-ball coverage and, as Cam said, menacing the point of attack, and he routinely guarded the best player on the other team, no matter whether they were a point guard or power forward. Diallo led the EuroLeague forwards last season in fewest points allowed per possession. And he should see plenty of time on the court for the Nuggets this year if the first couple of days of training camp are any indication.
But it's not just his defense that could put him over the top as the sleeper of camp. Diallo is also a competent scorer who knows his role in the offense. He moves without the ball extremely well, and he knows where to be at the right time thanks to a high basketball IQ. He excels at cutting and finishing strongly at the rim, where he shot 66.7% last year with AS Monaco. Diallo can also knock down an open three, hitting 36.8% of his shots from beyond the arc over his professional career.
Sometimes the flashiest signings don't make the biggest impact. Diallo could fit that bill for the Nuggets in 2026-27, and he could be a game-changer for the Nuggets with the second unit.
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