DaRon Holmes II Will Be Massive Addition to Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets' season has been anything but normal. Starting in July, things took a turn. In the NBA Summer League, rookie DaRon Holmes II saw his 2024-25 campaign come to a close with an Achilles injury in Vegas.

From that moment on, the Nuggets' season never had a sense of normalcy. A team that a year ago won 57 games, a tie-breaker away from the No. 1 seed, never truly threatened for the top spot in the Western Conference all year. This led to a coaching change with approximately five minutes to go in the regular season despite Denver being the No. 4 seed.

David Adelman has gotten the most out of his crew, beating the LA Clippers in seven games and now taking the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7, just one win away from taking part in the Western Conference Finals. No matter how Sunday's matinee finishes, this has been a successful postseason run for the Nuggets, given the adversity they have had to fight through.

Some of that adversity? Their shallow rotation. Adelman has only been able to trust six guys and sometimes play seven. Michael Porter Jr. has a football pad on his shoulder as he guts through an injury and now Aaron Gordon is nursing a Grade 2 Hamstring strain with the Nuggets having no one to turn to. On top of the built-in roster flaws of no backup big man.

Denver has the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, and a battle-tested crew with Jamal Murray and company that is good enough to win a championship this year and already has hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy.

When teams get to a certain age, questions dance around them of how they improve the roster. For Denver, one of the answers is already on the bench in their red shirt rookie.

Holmes II was the No. 22 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as the Dayton Product impressed during the predraft process after a stellar season with the Flyers.

Now, Holmes II is connected to the team, always on the bench and going through heavy pre-game workouts with fellow youngsters and assistant coaches. This scribe has been able to watch plenty of said workouts and Holmes II looks as good as advertised.

Not only can the 6-foot-10 big man stretch the floor with his shooting ability, but the aggression and mobility off the catch remain encouraging, along with his soft touch at the rim. In these 3-on-3 pregame runs, he often triggers the half-court possession, showing off his passing chops and how seamless of a fit he will be when he is back on the court next season.

Sure, no matter if this season ends with another NBA Championship or a second-round exit in the Mile High City, the Nuggets will have to do more this summer than just rely on the health of the 22-year-old. But after a year in the shadows, do not forget about how great of a pick Holmes II is for the Denver Nuggets.