DaRon Holmes believes Wednesday night’s Nuggets Vs Clippers preseason game is exactly the kind of stage he needs right now: a chance to show how much he has improved, and to make a case for a depth role before the regular season arrives.
The Denver Nuggets are down to just two more preseason games, with Friday’s meeting against the Los Angeles Lakers set to close out that warm-up schedule. With the frontcourt rotation already feeling mostly set, the opportunity for players on the fringe to prove they can help remains limited.
Holmes sees a real opening
After practice on Tuesday, Holmes spoke plainly about what this stretch means. “Opportunity. I think that’s a big thing, not only for myself, but for some of the other players,” he said.
He added that the preseason is the time “to showcase what we’ve been working on this summer,” which is a sensible way to view these final chances for live reps. In a roster battle, those games matter because they are often the last real look before the regular season begins.
Holmes also said he feels stronger and more comfortable than he did last year. “I know for me, I’m already feeling a lot more comfortable from where I was last year to now. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I feel like I’m understanding the game a lot better,” he said.
Who still has something to prove?
The Nuggets’ depth competition does not appear to be wide open, but that does not mean the job is finished. Holmes, along with Spencer Jones and Marvin Bagley III, are among the players with a chance to use these final preseason minutes to strengthen their case.
That is the reality of this stage of camp. The core group may be largely settled, but the back end of the roster is still there to be won, and performances in games like this can carry real weight.
For Holmes, the task is straightforward. Keep showing that the summer work has translated, stay sharp in one of the last two chances to make an impression, and leave the coaches with a difficult decision to make. Against the Clippers, that is the only pitch that matters.
