Denver's top six is set, David Adelman said at practice, with Marvin Bagley III and Tyus Jones next in line. Beyond that it's open: Bryce Hopkins and Alpha Diallo have had good moments. Spencer Jones is in the rotation "if he's healthy"; Adelman gave no update on his status.
"If they choose to play Chet on Aaron Gordon, I feel like Aaron Gordon can orchestrate the offense," Nuggets coach David Adelman said at practice ahead of the opener at Oklahoma City. That gets Jamal Murray off the ball, which Denver had for only about 30 games last year.
"For whatever reason, teams that were supposedly tanking gave us all kinds of problems. And I really mean it," Nuggets coach David Adelman said at practice. He said it has been a problem for years, he doesn't know why, and the new anti-tanking rules help Denver.
DeMar DeRozan gets the ball for the Nuggets' second unit in dead-ball, tight spots; when play is flowing, it runs through Tyus Jones' pick-and-roll, David Adelman said at practice. DeRozan doesn't want to isolate every possession. The rotation is still unsettled at 9 or 10 men.
"Marvin hasn't played. He's been hurt." David Adelman explained why Marvin Bagley III got an extended fourth-quarter run in Denver's preseason finale. Tyus Jones got one too because "Tyus needed to play more minutes," and Adelman said he was very impressed with that group.
Trevon Brazile has "a chance to be in the rotation," Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the rookie played with Denver's starters in the preseason finale. Adelman wants him seeing the ball better when he runs on offense and not getting caught in switches on defense.
A left knee injury will send Julian Strawther for an MRI on Oct. 15. Nuggets coach David Adelman had no further information after Denver's preseason game on Oct. 14: "Hoping for the best, to be honest."
Denver's starters sat out the Oct. 13 practice scrimmage. Whether they play Oct. 14 depends on their bodies, David Adelman said: "If they feel good, we'll play them the minutes." Banged-up players sit, and he's lightening practice so starters can play in preseason games.
"I do not want to play a starter with the second unit if I don't have to, to start the season." Sorting out the bench is the priority, Nuggets coach David Adelman said. A nine-man rotation would push one starter to 35-36 minutes; he'd rather not, but will to win.
Spencer Jones has done no contact work and must get through 1-on-1, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 before he's cleared, Nuggets coach David Adelman said: "It looks like he's heading that way." Marvin Bagley III's absence means Denver has seen him with DeMar DeRozan only in scrimmages.
Marvin Bagley III missed Denver's game with discomfort from practice. David Adelman hopes he plays Oct. 12 against the Clippers, and "definitely" against the Lakers. He'll also rest DeMar DeRozan at some point to protect him before the opener against Oklahoma City; no game named.
Jamal Murray is getting help with ball-handling. Nuggets coach David Adelman said Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun and others handled it by design in the Oct. 11 game: "That's going to help Jamal out." On Murray's poor shooting night: "you guys know the shooting's coming."
Bryce Hopkins got a look with the Nuggets' starters. David Adelman liked him playing to his strengths and compared his court feel to Spencer Jones last season: "Bryce is really good... Long way to go." Hopkins said he is learning shooting guard, small forward and power forward.
Julian Strawther has heard all summer he must match Tim Hardaway Jr.'s bench scoring for Denver: "You need a guy that's a little bit unconscious, a little bit crazy in the head to go out there and launch 3s." He sees himself and DeMar DeRozan as bench scoring focal points.
Denver's back-end rotation is open, and David Adelman wouldn't say who goes where: "Some guys will go to the G League to start, some guys could come back, some guys could play the first night, not play the 10th game." Julian Strawther and Alpha Diallo have crowded the 10th spot.
Cam Whitmore has yet to play with the Nuggets' starters. David Adelman, at practice, said Whitmore must learn to play off the ball and be patient: "I think there is new life for him. I also think he's a 22-year-old kid, and we always talk about second chances."
Bryce Hopkins had a great day at Denver's Oct. 8 practice, David Adelman said, and is still working out his offensive role after his St. John's days: "Bryce is getting used to the speed, more importantly getting used to where he can be effective offensively."
Nuggets regulars should play again against Chicago, then Denver picks which of its two Los Angeles games to rest people, David Adelman said at practice. He'll take the injury risk with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon since the group didn't play together last year.
Tyus Jones and Marvin Bagley III give the Nuggets a second unit built to play differently from the starters, David Adelman said at practice on Oct. 8: "We haven't had a guy like Tyus in a long time... Marvin's a lob threat."
Alpha Diallo, fighting for a Nuggets roster spot, stood out to David Adelman postgame: "He guarded their best players... He did things that other guys weren't doing." Adelman's warning: "Spencer Jones isn't even playing. So the minutes to be found will be earned."
Jamal Murray returned for Denver after missing the last preseason game. David Adelman: "Last game without Jamal, then this game with him, I thought the looks were great." He thought the starters, who played only the first half, could have scored in the 70s by the break.
Jamal Murray was out, so Denver's David Adelman gave Julian Strawther ball-handling duties: "it was almost a good way to force us to do stuff like that with Jules." Strawther said he "felt real comfortable" there, "But I know what my main role on the squad is."
Trevon Brazile knew Spencer Jones not playing meant more minutes, so he studied film with Denver's development staff, then started against Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. Coach David Adelman said he earned it every day, but "I'm going to rotate that spot."
Christian Braun: asked whether his minutes show he's 100% for the season, Denver's David Adelman didn't say so. He pointed to Braun's dunk instead: "his confidence to get the dunk, to feel the explosion back, not at practice with a crowd there."
DeMar DeRozan will be Denver's first man off the bench, coach David Adelman said postgame, but how to split his minutes is still open: "I got to find out what DeMar's comfortability is with that." Who sits when DeRozan enters will vary through the preseason.
Nuggets 1/3
Nuggets coach David Adelman wouldn't commit to Spencer Jones playing Oct. 3 after a tweak kept him out of a scrimmage: a small thing that could become a big one. Aaron Gordon: "My ankle's in a good spot." Adelman will watch DeMar DeRozan, "an older guy."
Nuggets 2/3
David Adelman wants a 10-man Denver rotation to open the season, about 8.5 by year's end; preseason is for settling it, not results. Tyus Jones "can call a game himself," he said. Aaron Gordon wants to bring the ball up more to spare Jamal Murray's legs.
Nuggets 3/3
David Adelman expects DeMar DeRozan to play with Denver's starters, using preseason to decide by feel who sits. New transition defense: "Their first instinct is to either crash or get back, and we need them to linger." Slowing the ball lagged in scrimmage.
David Adelman on Lonnie Walker IV: he's been good, and "Lonnie's definitely in the mix" for a roster spot. Cut decisions won't come fast; Denver will take its time to avoid a mistake. He also warned the new schemes could look rough at first: "it could be a horror fest."
Adelman says two-way signee Ryan Nembhard's speed tests Denver in practice: "He embarrassed our pick-and-roll defense last year." Cameron Johnson on the plan to send bodies after misses: "If you're half in, half out, it's not going to be anywhere near as effective as it could."
Cameron Johnson on KJ Simpson, calling it a tough part of the business: "Every time I was in the gym, KJ was in the gym." David Adelman says Johnson, in his second year, is "much more aggressive right now to let that thing fly because that's what he does."
From Denver's practice: David Adelman pulled the regulars early, "just fatigue," not injuries. He'll manage Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and others through preseason. Christian Braun "played through a lot" last year; getting his explosion back is key.
Adelman sees Marvin Bagley III as "a traditional 5" — a center, not a power forward, for now. Alpha Diallo "has a chance to play" if he guards and cuts well. He's patient with Trevon Brazile but wants "a live athlete" chasing offensive rebounds in preseason.
Nuggets camp: Jamal Murray says Christian Braun is healthy, "noticeably different" from when he was hurt. David Adelman's bench plan: push the pace with Tyus Jones and Marvin Bagley III, and "if that doesn't work, we slow the hell down and get DeMar DeRozan the ball."