Day one of Denver Nuggets training camp in San Diego seemingly delivered something Nuggets fans haven’t seen in a while: genuine optimism about the bench.
Bruce Brown didn’t mince words when describing the reserve unit's performance. “It was good today. We (were) rolling. Me, Tim, P-Wat, Julian, and Val. We were playing really well, just playing through Val. Kind of like the first unit playing through Jok.”
And that comparison matters more than it might seem on the surface.
Big Val is a Legitimate Backup Big
For years — several of them — the Nuggets have watched their offense crater whenever Nikola Jokic hits the bench. The drop-off has been painfully brutal. From the Bones Hyland-Boogie Cousins pick-and-roll action to last year’s Russell Westbrook experiment, they’ve cycled through stopgaps and projects, none of whom could maintain even a fraction of Denver’s offensive identity when the Serbian superstar rested.
Enter Jonas Valanciunas.
Val represents (likely) the most impactful backup big the Nuggets have rostered since Mason Plumlee patrolled the paint. This isn’t hyperbole. Valanciunas is a legitimate post presence who demands attention and can punish opponents who disrespect his scoring ability. He averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds last season while shooting 55% from the floor.
What makes Big Val’s addition transformative is how he allows Denver to retain parts of its central identity. Unlike most teams leaguewide, the Nuggets play through their center. That’s who they are. When Joker sits, that philosophy has historically evaporated, replaced by heliocentric guard play or chaotic improvisation. With Valanciunas anchoring the second unit, the Nuggets can still play their style of basketball. The offense still flows through the post. The reads still come from the middle of the floor.
And then there’s the screening. Val is a big body, a genuine physical presence who sets solid screens that free up perimeter players. That matters enormously for Jamal Murray when he shares the floor with the bench unit. Murray thrives off movement, and Val's screens will create the separation Murray needs to get downhill or rise up from three or mid-range. The same goes for other ball handlers looking to create off the bounce.
Different player. Different skill set. But a similar identity is the hope.
More Versatility on the Court
What Brown highlighted in his post-practice comments was the versatility and completeness of this new-look bench group.
"“I think we can do everything. We’ve got shooters, we’ve got defenders. Me and P-Wat can pick up full, put pressure on the ball. And then we can play through Val in the post, and he can score with the best of them.”"Bruce Brown
- Shooting: Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Julian Strawther all provide legitimate floor spacing. THJ is a career 36.1% three-point shooter who can torch opposing benches when he gets hot. Strawther showed flashes last year and should take another leap in year three in the Mile High City. And Brown’s willingness to let it fly keeps defenses honest.
- Defense: Brown and Peyton Watson form a suffocating perimeter tandem. Like Brucey B said, both can pick up full court. They can switch across multiple positions, working to blow up actions before they even develop. Watson, in particular, has All-Defense upside if he hones in on that end.
- Creation: Brown, Watson and Strawther all possess the ability to attack closeouts and make plays off the bounce. The ability to create something from nothing matters when the defense collapses on Big Val or when the shot clock is winding down and someone needs to manufacture a look at the basket.
- Anchor: Valanciunas doesn’t play like Jokic — no one does — but he plays a complementary style that could maximize this group’s collective strengths. He’s physical and can play as the roll man in pick and roll. A burly post scorer, screener, rebounder. Everything a bench big should be, if you ask me.
The Nuggets’ remade bench unit has balance, an apparent identity and the tools to survive — and potentially thrive — against opposing second units.
Coach Adelman Took Note
New head coach David Adelman noticed the energy and execution from the reserves immediately. “They brought it today,” Adelman said after day one in San Diego. “And they pushed the starters early. As usual, the starters, in the end, come out ahead.”
To me, that last line is telling. The starters still won out (as they should), but the bench pushed them. Is that the sound of internal competition I hear? Hopefully, the raised level of competitiveness creates the kind of practice intensity that translates to regular season success.
Can This Bench Carry Denver Back to the NBA Mountaintop?
Let’s be honest: the Nuggets’ bench has been a liability in recent years. It cost them possessions in crucial moments, often forcing Jokic and Murray to play heavy minutes just to keep games competitive.
But this year feels different.
Valanciunas’ addition alone changes the calculus. Add in Brown’s two-way versatility, Hardaway’s veteran shooting, and Watson and Strawther’s development, and you have a unit capable of holding — maybe even extending — leads when the starters rest.
Can this group help the Nuggets return to the NBA’s mountaintop in 2025-26? Denver has the best basketball player on the planet. They have the coaching and the system. What they’ve lacked since 2023 is reliable depth.
If Brown’s day-one assessment proves accurate and this bench unit can truly “do everything,” then the Nuggets might have finally cracked the code on their most persistent problem. A bolstered bench shrinks the gap between this team and another Larry O'Brien Trophy considerably.
The bench has held the Mile High crew back long enough. Maybe, just maybe, it’s finally ready to push the team forward.