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Three Nuggets Players to Monitor in Preseason Game vs. Bulls
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- Three Nuggets Players to Monitor in Preseason Game vs. Bulls
The Denver Nuggets are 1-1 after their first two preseason games, splitting a mini-series with the Utah Jazz on Sunday and Tuesday.
The Nuggets lost 109-97 in the road opener, then bounced back with a 117-106 win in the rematch.
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With the regular season looming, a few players' situations are worth monitoring ahead of the Nuggets' third game against the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan
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The Nuggets' marquee free-agent acquisition has yet to play more than 11 minutes with his new teammates.
As he enters his 18th NBA season, the extent of the 37-year-old's role in head coach David Adelman's system remains unclear.
What we do know is that DeRozan will be adjusting to coming off the bench this year after a career as a starter. Depending on his impact, he could be an immediate Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Adelman said during training camp that DeRozan will be the first off the bench, but his usage will be determined in due course. DeRozan is known for his durability, but he and the Nuggets' staff will decide how many consecutive minutes he can handle.
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DeRozan scored five points in 10 minutes in his Nuggets debut and seven points in 11 minutes in game two. Look for him to play more and perhaps find his scoring touch against his former team on Sunday.
Julian Strawther
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Fourth-year guard Strawther is off to an impressive start to preseason.
Showing off his improved scoring punch, he is averaging 14.5 points through the first two games. He scored 14 in the curtain-raiser and added 15 in Tuesday's win over Utah.
Strawther showed increased shooting sharpness in the latter, going 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. He added four rebounds and three assists.
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The former first-round draft pick out of Gonzaga (29; 2023) has yet to have a big-league campaign averaging double-digit scoring. He looks poised to do so this term.
Emerging as one of the leaders of the Nuggets' second unit, his continued usage against the Bulls is worth keeping an eye on.
Marvin Bagley III
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The journeyman big man might've finally found a home.
Sure, it's early, but Adelman is loving what he's seen from Bagley III so far in the primary backup role to Nikola Jokic.
Bagled scored five points and grabbed seven boards in the preseason opener against the Jazz. He elevated his scoring to 10 points, adding five rebounds, in the second game — shooting an efficient 4-for-5 from the field.
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The former No. 2 overall pick (2018) isn't your typical Jokic deputy, especially size-wise, with his slender 6-foot-10 build. He offers something very different from the guy he is replacing (Jonas Valanciunas). However, that might provide a good balance for the Nuggets' offense.
When Jokic sits, Bagley's juice and athleticism will give the Nuggets something they don't usually get inside after Jokic wears down opposing centers with his physicality and unpredictable playmaking.
Bagley is a lob threat, a better shooter than he gets credited for — per Adelman — and can be impactful on the glass on both ends of the floor.
Watch how the Nuggets continue to expand his role this preseason, starting with this game against the Bulls.
