The Denver Nuggets were a snake-bitten team in 2025-26. They couldn't avoid injuries. Their starters missed a combined 136 games, and their bench suffered from injuries too. Welp, they could be off to a similar start for one important bench player, Julian Strawther, after he left the Nuggets' fourth preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a yet-to-be-determined leg/knee injury.
Strawther was reeling in pain, and even covered his face with a towel when he left the court. I don't want to speculate on anything, and Nuggets fans are still awaiting the results of an MRI, but it's probably safe to assume Strawther could miss a couple of games even if he did get lucky and avoided anything serious. Fingers crossed that he did avoid the worst, because Strawther's been great to start the preseason, and the Nuggets' second unit needs his scoring punch.
Strawther's been explosive on offense off the bench
Strawther has definitely been the highlight of the Nuggets' second unit in terms of offense. Through four games, he's second on the team in points per game at 13.3, and he's shooting an excellent 43.5% from three on 5.8 attempts per game, the highest-volume three-point shooter on the team.
That volume and precision from beyond the arc are crucial to the Nuggets' second unit, which lost Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency to the Miami Heat. Hardaway made 224 threes and averaged 13.5 points for the Nuggets last year, and everyone was anticipating that Strawther would fill his shoes this season.
Obviously, Strawther was well on his way. He was not only knocking down threes, but his ability to attack the rim and hit his floater in the mid-range offered an element that Hardaway never possessed. For now, Nuggets fans are just holding their breath until we hear the results of the MRI.
The Nuggets' offense off the bench will rely on DeMar DeRozan
Without Strawther on the court for however long he misses time, the Nuggets' second unit offense will likely feature a heavy, heavy dose of DeMar DeRozan. He's now the best scorer on a second unit that will likely feature Tyus Jones, DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, Spencer Jones, and Marvin Bagley III. Bagley can hold his own in the paint and run the pick-and-roll with Tyus, and Spencer can knock down the corner three, but without Strawther's driving ability and catch-and-shoot three-point spacing, it could be rough.
The Nuggets would be wise to check out Trevon Brazile on the second unit if they need a three-point punch off the bench, but he's more suited to play the four than as a big wing. But head coach David Adelman could still test it out.
Again, fingers crossed that Strawther avoided the worst of it. Because the bench needs his scoring punch.
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