There was plenty of talk all offseason about the Nuggets’ new depth and how the team could possibly go 12-deep on any given night. But one player I was not expecting to be part of that deep rotation was Spencer Jones, who came in and played 6 second quarter minutes during the team’s opening night loss to the Warriors.
In fact, Denver only played 10 players, as Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and DaRon Holmes were on the outside looking in. Even in a game that went to overtime, the Nuggets weren’t nearly as creative with their rotations as some had hoped. Tim Hardaway Jr. played the most minutes off the bench with 21, Bruce Brown saw 19, Peyton Watson had 16, Jonas Valanciunas had 12, and Jones had his 6. That was it.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon all played over 40 minutes, and even against a very undersized Warriors team, we saw none of the jumbo lineups we heard so much about.
Adelman looking for defense off his bench
These lineups aren’t going to be easy to figure out with so many capable guys vying for playing time, but David Adelman clearly opted for some size and defense on night one. Jones, who is on a two-way deal, was the fifth and final player to enter the game off the Denver bench.
He didn’t register a shot attempt, but Jones had a steal and the team won his minutes. It will be interesting to see if this was more of a one-off, matchup-based decision or if Jones has earned a role. Either way, it’s a very surprising move to see Jones elevated into the rotation on opening night over players with more experience and a higher pedigree.
Despite a solid performance from the bench overall, the Nuggets lost in Golden State and gave up 137 points (in overtime, but still). The defense was not pretty at all, and it’s going to need some serious cleaning up before this team is ready to compete for much of anything.
The path to playing time for bench guys is going to come from defense and effort. Jones clearly did something to stand out and earn that opportunity, and it likely came with his play on that end of the floor. Denver does have an open roster spot, and if Jones proves to be an everyday player, the Nuggets may have to elevate him to a full-time spot.