The Denver Nuggets have been lucky enough to have one of the best two-man combos the NBA has ever seen. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray run the pick-and-roll better than any current duo, and the numbers back it up. It's one of the reasons the Nuggets have such a tough time in the non-Jokic minutes. There's no replacement for what they do together. However, DeMar DeRozan and Marvin Bagley III may improve the bench's offensive woes while running the same offensive scheme with the second unit.
Bagley and DeRozan will be a much more formidable duo than many may realize. I've mentioned how much of an underrated passer and distributor that DeRozan is. He's a pick-and-roll master, but most think of him as running the system to get his elite midrange jumper into a better position. However, he's also a playmaker who averaged 6.2, 5.6, and 6.9 assists over three years in the primary distributor role with the San Antonio Spurs. And he should pair very well with Bagley in the non-Jokic minutes.
Bagley is an underrated finisher in the paint
Bagley can use his athleticism off the screen for DeRozan to head downhill for the hoop as a rim runner and look for a lob for a dunk, something the Nuggets didn't really have last season with Jonas Valanciunas in the paint for the non-Jokic minutes. Bagley showed a large improvement in 2025-26 in his efficiency, converting 64.1% of his two-point field goals, finishing the season with a 66.1% true shooting rate. Joker finished the season with a 67.0% true shooting rate, so Bagley's in good company.
Bagley had a huge game off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 27th, scoring 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including an 8-for-9 effort from two. After the game, former Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said, "I thought down the stretch between him (Bagley) and B-Will (Brandon Williams) running the pick-and-roll was really good."
The Nuggets' bench scoring will likely be led by DeRozan and Bagley
Now insert DeRozan for B-Will, and we're in business in Denver. Even if the duo doesn't run the pick-and-roll, DeRozan's playmaking and Bagley's finishing should create the closest thing the Nuggets will have to a Jokic/Murray combo, with a lob presence that Jokic does not have.
The Nuggets don't have a lot of scoring depth on the bench, and it's going to be Bagley and DeRozan who lead the way. Add in Alpha Diallo as the defensive stopper off the bench, and the Nuggets' second unit is shaping up to be a bit better than critics are giving them credit for.
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