The Nuggets revamped their bench in the offseason, and there have been a lot of early positives. Marvin Bagley looks like an upgrade as a backup center, Alpha Diallo looks like a defensive weapon, DeMar DeRozan can actually run an offense, and Trevon Brazile is an early candidate to be the steal of the 2026 draft.
However, there’s a major issue with this second unit, and it was on full display on Monday night, as the team fell at home to the Trail Blazers, 118-111. Denver played five bench players for a total of 62 minutes, and they combined to attempt a grand total of one three-pointer, which was from Bagley.