The Denver Nuggets will run back their same starting five this upcoming season with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cameron Johnson returning for their second straight year as a group.

Though their playoffs ended in disappointment, the five-man unit was one of the best in the league during the regular season as Denver finished third in the Western Conference.

While the starters remain the same, the bench will look much different as breakout star Peyton Watson is gone and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Tim Hardaway Jr. has also departed.

To help mitigate the scoring loss of those two, the Nuggets signed DeMar DeRozan, one of the best scorers of his generation, who has continued to contribute offense even on the Sacramento Kings.

The good is that he won’t have to do it alone. The team also signed Marvin Bagley II to be the backup center, one of the most underrated signings in the offseason given his versatility on both ends of the floor. He should thrive in Denver’s offense.

The team is also expecting leaps from Julian Strawther and Spencer Jones, the latter of whom showed big flashes of potential during the playoffs.

As for DeRozan, he averaged 18.4 points on 49.7% from the field with the Kings last season. He also had 4.1 assists.

He’s not going to stretch the floor, but he still gets to the rim, draws fouls, and scores in bunches. He’s also an underrated passer and creator for others.

Think of DeRozan as Russell Westbrook on the Nuggets from 2024-25. Westbrook can often be frustrating in how he plays, but most fans would agree that he played well throughout the regular season before becoming a liability in the playoffs.

DeRozan doesn’t have the turnover issues that Westbrook does, and isn’t going to take the threes that Westbrook did. Teams would leave Westbrook open, and he’d take the shot, launching 3.9 threes during his season in Denver.

DeRozan has only taken more than three threes in a season twice. Teams might leave him open, but he’ll find a better shot.

Denver needs offensive help off the bench with Watson and Hardaway Jr. no longer on the team. While Strawther and Jones should take a step forward, and Bagley II will contribute from his position, DeRozan is a true scorer and creator who will make up a big chunk of the points lost from last season.