The Denver Nuggets will have a revamped bench this season after losing Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.

The team signed DeMar DeRozan, Alpha Diallo, and Marvin Bagley III to replace the three players they lost while retaining Tyus Jones and Spencer Jones. They are also hoping for a healthy season from DaRon Holmes, who was limited to just 25 games last season.

The starting lineup will remain unchanged with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun all returning.

That lineup played the sixth most minutes among five-man units in the league last year despite injuries to various players.

This season, Nuggets head coach David Adelman is looking to use more players in his rotation, saying during training camp that he wants to use a ten-man rotation to start the season.

It’s not surprising that Adelman wants to dive into the bench more to start the season as the team figures out who is going to work with who, given the new faces on the bench and the need to build chemistry.

The top five players off the bench will likely be DeRozan, Bagley, Spencer Jones, Julian Strawther, and Tyus Jones.

DeRozan, Bagley, and Spencer Jones will likely be the top three players off the bench as DeRozan will be tasked with running the offense for the second unit; Bagley will play backup minutes and alongside Jokic; and Jones is a versatile player who can play a bigger role on both ends of the floor in the absence of Watson.

While Adelman envisions a ten-man rotation, expect him to dig deeper into his bench to start the season.

Alpha Diallo was brought in as a defensive specialist, but if he’s not a complete liability on the offensive end, he’s going to earn minutes as a backup wing. DaRon Holmes is going to get minutes as a sophomore player looking to make an impact following a short season due to an injury.

Trevon Brazile could also play as a high-energy rookie.

Cam Whitmore and Ryan Nembhard are on two-way deals, but both have skills that the Nuggets value and could end up earning minutes if guys like Tyus Jones or Diallo fall short of expectations.

Early in the season, a lot of teams like to dig into their bench to put guys in less pressured situations in case they are needed later in the season if injuries might hit.

You never know who will seize an opportunity either.