When the Denver Nuggets signed center Marvin Bagley III to a one-year, veteran minimum contract this offseason, they were making a move to reinforce their defensive presence and add another supporting piece to the front court behind center Nikola Jokic.

So far this season, everything that Bagley III has done on the court has demonstrated his value and then some. 

Head coach David Adelman has sung Bagley III's praises throughout the preseason and into the regular season, valuing the versatility and the effort that he brings to the floor. Adelman has made a concerted effort to incorporate Bagley in a number of ways, including running him alongside Jokic, and those contributions have been crucial. 

Bagley III again showed his impact after the Nuggets' 116-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans when, despite his limited minutes on the floor, Bagley III showed up in every way that he could. 

He played 13 minutes against the Pelicans, scoring seven points while shooting 3-5 from the field, but the main way that Bagley III made an impact was with the way he attacked the glass. He grabbed seven rebounds in his 13 minutes on the floor, a number that shows off the full magnitude of his effort. It was an effort that had Adelman thrilled once again.

"He's just been very consistent throughout the season," Adelman said (via Nuggets). "Marvin's been such a bright spot this year. We were very lucky to sign him... The seven rebounds in 13 minutes, it just shows the activity. i just think he's enjoying being on a winning team. It's fun to watch him play."

Having Bagley III on the floor transforms the Nuggets in a number of ways. Denver didn't need much help fortifying the offensive side of things this offseason, but the defensive side of things was a different story. 

Adding Bagley III and playing him in any capacity adds so much value for the Nuggets and diversifies the ways that they're able to be effective on the floor. How much he's already brought to the team as a bench player, especially against the Pelicans, speaks to how much he's upgraded what Denver is capable of. 

That value will likely only continue to grow as he finds his fit more and more on the team and Adelman finds even more ways to incorporate him. 

Signing Bagley III to a veteran-minimum contract was a piece of savvy financial maneuvering by the Denver front office, but with the way that he's already transformed the Nuggets, Bagley III is looking like one of the biggest steals of the offseason and Ademan is thrilled with what he's seeing from his veteran.

Adelman is already having fun watching Bagley III give it his all on the floor for Denver and there's a lot more fun yet to come.