The Nuggets bench compared to last season is night and day.
The Denver Nuggets rolled to a 128-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at Ball Arena, and it was far from a one-man show.
Seven players scored in double figures, the team racked up 37 assists and Denver shot 54 percent from the floor in a second-half blowout against a Portland team that came in riding a three-game win streak.
After the win, head coach David Adelman addressed one of the defining themes of this season and how a deep roster handles sharing the floor.
"All these guys have had impacts this season. That's going to be the challenge for this team, being unselfish," Adelman said. "If it's not your night, stay locked in and being ready. Right now, that second unit, it's been very effective."
Watson Returns, Bench Delivers
The win was especially meaningful because it marked the return of Peyton Watson, who had been sidelined since February 4 with a hamstring injury.
Watson scored 14 points in just under 20 minutes, looking comfortable and aggressive in his first action in over six weeks.
Before the injury, Watson had been averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this season while establishing himself as one of the best young two-way players on Denver's roster.
Getting Watson back is huge for a team trying to lock in playoff seeding, because his defense and energy have been a major part of what makes their second unit click.
Adelman acknowledged before tip-off that Watson's return would create tough rotation decisions.
"When he plays, it's gonna mess with people that have been in the rotation. We've talked about that, and it's just part of the deal," Adelman said.
Johnson Heating Up at the Right Time
One of those players who has been thriving is Cam Johnson, who had 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Portland, including a 5-for-7 clip from three.
Johnson has been on a tear in his last seven games, shooting 58 percent from deep while averaging 16.1 points per game during that stretch.
After a slow start to his first season in Denver following the Michael Porter Jr. trade, Johnson appears to have found his rhythm at exactly the right time with the Nuggets pushing hard to climb the Western Conference standings.
A Deeper Team Than Last Year
This is the version of the Nuggets that Denver's front office envisioned when they overhauled the bench in the offseason.
Last season, Denver's second unit was a consistent weak spot, and the drop-off when Nikola Jokic sat down was one of the most dramatic in the league.
The additions of Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas were all designed to fix that problem, and Watson's leap into a legitimate scoring option has only added to the depth.
Jokic was his usual dominant self on Sunday, recording his 35th triple-double of the season with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, while Jamal Murray matched him with 22 of his own.
But what stood out was how many other players contributed, with Aaron Gordon adding 15 and the bench keeping Denver rolling when the starters sat.
The Nuggets sit at 44-28, fifth in the Western Conference and right in the mix with Houston and Minnesota heading into the final stretch.
Portland drops to 35-37, sitting ninth in the West and still fighting for a play-in spot.
Denver heads to Phoenix on Tuesday, and if Sunday was any sign, Adelman's message about staying ready and being unselfish is landing with this group.