Denver's Beat Is Debating the Bench. The Facts Settle Only Part of It
Coverage of the Nuggets is arguing about depth, but the roster and the payroll decide how much of that argument is real.
Outlets that cover Denver are focused on who replaces Julian Strawther, how David Adelman builds his bench units, and a preseason free-throw slump. The club's own facts back the first debate, complicate the second, say nothing about the third, and leave almost no payroll room to act on any of it.
Who gets Strawther's minutes?
Nugg Love's David Decker wrote that Strawther's absence could fast-track Trevon Brazile into the rotation, and separately that Brazile makes resting Aaron Gordon easier. The facts allow it. Strawther is out with a knee sprain, Hoops Rumors reported he will miss at least six weeks, and the estimated return is November 29. Brazile scored 22 points at the Clippers on October 14, in a preseason loss. That shows an opening and a player who can use it. It does not show a role, and a preseason scoring night is not a rotation decision.
Does staggering a starter help?
Decker also argued that the deeper second unit needs Adelman to stagger a starter, while Nugg Love's Ben Handler wrote that Adelman sent a message of trust to his bench. Last season's numbers complicate the first idea. Jamal Murray averaged 35.4 minutes and Nikola Jokic 34.8, and the most-used five-man group, which included both, played 171 minutes at a net rating of +20.1. The headline does not name the starter. If it is either of those two, the cost is a trade of proven minutes for a bench that has so far been judged only in exhibitions.
What can be checked on Jones and the free throws?
RealGM reported that Spencer Jones is on track to play in the season opener. That fits his status: day-to-day with a hamstring issue, with an estimated return of October 22, the night of the opener. Decker also wrote that the preseason free-throw slump should not be brushed aside. Nothing available here confirms or rebuts that, because there are no free-throw figures in it. Denver went 2-1 in its last three preseason games, and the one loss came in a 12-point game at the Clippers.
What does the roster initiative cost?
Maxwell Ogden called the roster initiative an unavoidable step on the path back to contending. RealGM reported that Denver waived Goodwin, Hawkins and Miller. The payroll is where the argument gets narrow. At $221.1M, Denver is well past the $200.4M tax line and only $0.6M under the $221.7M second apron. Its first-round picks in 2028, 2029 and 2030 are protected to Oklahoma City, and the 2027 first is protected. Any fix to a defense that ranked 21st last season has to come from the players already on the roster.
Who replaces Julian Strawther in the Nuggets' rotation?
No replacement has been named. Nugg Love argued that Trevon Brazile could move into the rotation, and Strawther's estimated return is November 29.
Will Spencer Jones play in the Nuggets' season opener?
RealGM reported he is on track to play. He is listed day-to-day with a hamstring issue and an estimated return of October 22, the date of the opener at Oklahoma City.
