Over the years, the Denver Nuggets bench has been a weak spot. It hasn't been easy for the non-Nikola Jokic minutes, and leads would often dwindle or evaporate when Jokic came out. But the opposite occurred against the Indiana Pacers in the Nuggets' 114-102 win in Mexico City to move to a 5-3 record. The bench actually extended the lead during Jokic's breather in the second quarter, by a lot. And their overall performance this year bodes well and offers encouragement for the Nuggets' success this year.
The Nuggets had an 8-point lead over the Pacers after the end of the first quarter, but when Jokic checked back in with 5:45 remaining in the second frame, the lead had ballooned to 19 points. The Nuggets had outscored the Pacers 24-13 with Jokic on the bench. That section of the game proved to be the difference.
And the bench showed that even when Jokic and Jamal Murray have a slower night, they can shoulder the burden in their minutes to keep the game closer to level than in years past.
The Nuggets' bench production was great against the Pacers
The Nuggets' bench got a boost from the return of Spencer Jones, who had missed the first seven games of the year with bilateral hamstring injuries. He poured in 13 points and grabbed 6 rebounds while providing a defensive physicality that the second unit had been missing.
But Jones wasn't the only player to hit double digits in scoring off the bench. DeMar DeRozan also had 11 points to go along with 5 assists, and Marvin Bagley III had 10 points, too. In total, the Nuggets bench scored 42 points on a night when Murray and Jokic combined for just 35. You love to see it!
The Nuggets bench is the best it's been in years
The Nuggets haven't closed the non-Jokic minutes net rating gap, but they're doing better than any bench unit has done in the last five years. Over the first eight games, the Nuggets have a net differential of +9.1 points with Jokic on the court. Last season, it was +13.9, and in 2024-25, it was +19.5, according to Databallr. In fact, you have to go back to 2020-21 to find a lower number, and it was +7.2.
However, over the first eight games, the non-Jokic minutes are actually 2 points per 100 possessions better on offense with Jokic off the court. Yes, you read that right. The Nuggets have a 117.1 offensive rating with Jokic on the floor, and a 119.1 with him off. The Nuggets are 11 points better on defense with Jokic on the court, at 112.3 vs. 123.3 with him off.
Those are certainly likely to flip as the season goes on, but it's an encouraging sign for the long-term success of the team that the bench can hold its own when the three-time MVP takes a breather.
It's only eight games, but the difference Marvin Bagley has had as the anchor of the non-Jokic minutes can't be overstated, and the effort of the entire bench needs to be commended.
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