Denver Nuggets' training camp in Boulder is in full swing, and the Nuggets' first preseason game is rapidly approaching, set for Sunday, Oct. 4th against the Utah Jazz. And while we know the Nuggets' starting five will have no changes from last season, the bench is an entirely different story. However, after the first few practices of training camp, we can gather a good idea of who head coach David Adelman has planned for his 10-man rotation.
Yep, 10 deep. A full bench unit. Adelman confirmed after the Nuggets' fourth day of training camp that he plans to go deeper to start the season, then narrow the unit as the season gets closer to the playoffs. Based on some of the practice footage provided by Harrison Wind and some of the comments coming out about how players like Alpha Diallo are impressing during the first week, we can start to figure out who the other five in Adelman's rotation will be.
Predicting the Nuggets' final rotation pieces
We know that six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan will be the Nuggets' sixth man off the bench this season. He'll be the anchor of the bench and provide a scoring threat that many benches don't generally have. He'll be joined by Marvin Bagley III as the backup to Nikola Jokic. Bagley will be a different center than the Nuggets have had in years, and he'll be a good complement to DeRozan, as the duo can run a pick-and-roll game that can be a mirror of the two-man game Jokic and Jamal Murray run.
Beyond those two, the rotation gets a little murkier. But not much. The footage of Bagley's steal and dunk from Wind showed that the second unit also included Spencer Jones, who's likely etched in as the backup four behind Aaron Gordon. The unit also featured Julian Strawther and Diallo.
I touched on this unit as likely the strongest bench rotation the Nuggets would have this season, and I'm happy to see it's been tested out early. Strawther provides the Nuggets with spacing as a high-percentage three-point threat who connected on 38.7% of his tries from beyond the arc last year. And Diallo brings the defense. Last season's EuroLeague Best Defender was described as a "menace" by Cameron Johnson so far in training camp.
Adelman did say the rotation could even be "ten and a half," which would likely point to Tyus Jones getting some run as the backup point guard when the Nuggets need more ball control. But it certainly feels like the cream is rising to the top early.
Fans can start to gauge how Adelman is already leaning when he starts making substitutions against the Jazz. But I think this second unit is where he'll land most nights when the team is at full health.
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