There's been a lot of talk about the Denver Nuggets signing DeMar DeRozan, both in a positive and negative light. And some have even speculated that he could get a starting role alongside Nikola Jokic in the league's top offense. But Nuggets fans have been under the impression that DeRozan would be coming off the bench as the sixth man to bolster the scoring load left behind by Tim Hardaway Jr. There is now clarity showing that the fans were right, unless, of course, some injuries get in the way.
In an interview conducted by Bruno Feliks of Basketball Network, Nuggets assistant coach Ognjen Stojakovic, mostly confirmed that the Nuggets will be keeping their starting five together and that DeRozan will be coming off the bench. Which is exactly how it should be.
"Bringing a player like that, a talented scorer who can score, brings some points, especially off the bench. It’s a valuable asset for sure," Stojakovic said.
DeRozan will be one of the top bench players in the NBA
There's no question that coming off the bench will be an adjustment for DeRozan. The 17-year veteran has started 1.187 consecutive games. But DeRozan is flexible, and he can make the adjustment, just like he made the adjustment during his first year with the San Antonio Spurs to be a distributor at the request of legendary coach Gregg Popovich.
One reason the transition should be easy for DeRozan is his basketball IQ. Former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan had glowing things to say about his IQ and his desire to win after a Bulls win in 2022.
"The only thing that matters to him is winning. Also his detail, the way he works out and studies the game and puts the work in and his IQ and calmness and demeanor in those moments. He really is a special player on a lot of different levels," Donovan said
The desire to win and the IQ combo is exactly why DeRozan will excel in his new role. He's never been to an NBA Finals, and this may be his last chance to get there. DeRozan won't mess that up and, given his track record, will make the adjustments that the Nuggets coaching staff asks of him to make the fit work.
There's no denying the Nuggets needed the scoring punch
The departure of Hardaway and his 13.5 points as the Nuggets' sixth man last season needed to be replaced by someone with scoring punch. It was compounded when the Nuggets lost Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers after failing to reach an agreement on his new contract extension.
DeRozan averaged more than 20 points for 12 consecutive seasons until last year with the Sacramento Kings, and one would think he should be able to match what Hardaway did, minus the three-point shooting. But DeRozan should have plenty of chances to get his mid-range jumper going as the leader of the second unit. The Nuggets bench may be lacking depth, but it would be in a terrible spot without the addition of DeRozan.
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