This Is Huge For the Denver Nuggets…

This Is Huge For the Denver Nuggets…

Holmes will be our best. Watch out. Rising in for Holmes for three. Holmes cans that one. Holmes going to the hole in a nice leg. Nice kick ahead. Yeah, Holmes with the finish on the other end. The Denver Nuggets just got exactly what they’ve been missing and it could change everything for their championship hopes. Don Holmes II just proved he’s back from an Achilles tear, dropping 19 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists. Oh, nice beat inside to Holmes. Shooting, rim protection, versatility, depth. Sure, it’s summer league, but the skills he’s showing are exactly what Denver needs. Remember when the Nuggets got bounced by the Thunder in the playoffs? Nicola Joic played 40 plus minutes per game until he had nothing left. Aaron Gordon gutted through game seven with a hamstring injury. The bench was outscored by double digits. And afterwards, the three-time MVP didn’t mince words. The teams who have longer rotations, they have more success. Translation: We need help. We need depth. We need someone who can actually contribute when I sit down. Well, Denver’s been trying to find answers. They traded Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson. Johnson deep one next Cam Johnson. They signed Tim Hardway Jr. for bench scoring. They brought Bruce Brown back. They added Jonas Valentunis as a backup center. All great moves, but their best addition might have been hiding in plain sight. Rehabbing from one of basketball’s most devastating injuries. Don Holmes II was supposed to be the steel of the 2024 draft. A 6’10 forward who could shoot threes, protect the rim, and play multiple positions. Then disaster struck. He tore his Achilles in his very first summer league game. For most players, especially big men, that means a long uncertain road back. The history of Achilles injuries isn’t kind. But Holmes, he attacked his rehab like his career depended on it. Well, because it did. What he’s done in Las Vegas is remarkable, especially for someone just 12 months removed from Achilles surgery. And for a Nuggets team desperate for frontcourt depth, it might be the difference between another early exit and a legitimate title run. Let’s rewind to 2024. Don Holmes is dominating college basketball at Dayton. Holmes. Oh, and it goes. We’re talking 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks per game. Consensus all-American. The guy set Dayton records for blocks and dunks. He shot 38.6% from three on a careerhigh 83 attempts. This wasn’t just another college big band who could only score in the paint. Holmes had range. He had versatility. He had that modern NBA skill set that makes scouts drool. Denver drafted him 22nd overall. Here was a 6’10 forward who could stretch the floor, protect the rim, play both the four and the five, run in transition, and make plays for others. For a team built around Joic’s unique skill set, it holds. It’ll be his 30th triple double of the season. Oh, what a play. What a play. Now 39 for Joic. Holmes was perfect. He could play alongside the three-time MVP or spell him when he needed a rest. The fit was seamless. The injury was devastating on multiple levels. For Holmes, it meant missing his entire rookie year. No NBA experience, no development time, no chance to prove himself. For the Nuggets, it meant another year of Jokic carrying an impossible load with no reliable backup. Fast forward to July 2025. Holmes is cleared for full basketball activities. No restrictions, no limitations, just basketball. His first game back, 15 points on six of nine shooting, including three or five from three. The rust you’d expect from a year off, nowhere to be found. The hesitation that usually follows an Achilles injury, non-existent. Game two, double double, 10 points and 11 rebounds. But it was game four that announced Holmes arrival against the Clippers. The same team he got injured against. Holmes went nucular. 19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals, eight of 16 shooting. His numbers across four games were 13 points per game, 9.5 rebounds, 51.3% from field, 50% from three, five for 10, and 27.4 minutes per game. But statistics don’t tell the whole story. Watch the tape and you see something more important. Holmes looks like he never got hurt. The burst is there. The lateral movement is there. The confidence is there. He’s too good for summer league, one analyst said. Another noted, the burst and athleticism looks completely back. To understand why homes matter so much, you have to understand Denver’s biggest problem. In their playoff loss to Oklahoma City, the Nuggets were exposed. Not because Joic wasn’t great. He averaged 28.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, but because when he sat or when he got tired, they had nothing. The Thunder’s bench outscored Denver’s bench by nearly 10 points per game. In game seven, with the season on the line, Joic played 36 minutes and still lost by 32. The man was exhausted. The lack of depth finally caught up. Denver’s front court rotation behind Joic and Gordon was basically a prayer and duct tape. They signed Yonas Valenunis in free agency, which helps, but Valenunis is 33. He’s a band-aid, not a long-term solution. Holmes, he’s the solution. He is what he brings that Denver desperately needs. He’s got versatility at 6’10 with guard skills. Holmes can play both forward spots and center. He can play alongside Jokic in big lineups or replace him in small ball units. That flexibility is gold in the modern NBA. He brings shooting. Holmes shot 50% from three in summer league. Sure, he only had 10 shots. Even if that regresses to 35 37%, that’s elite spacing from a big man. Imagine Jokic operating with another shooter at the 40 or five. The spacing would be devastating. Then there’s defense. Remember those 2.1 blocks per game in college? Holmes is a legitimate rim protector who can also switch onto wings. He gives Denver a defensive dimension they’ve lacked since, well, since they’ve had Jokic. And then energy. The Nuggets play at a deliberate pace built around Joic’s genius. But homes bring athleticism and transition ability that can spark second units. Those 17 rebounds against the Clippers, that’s effort and motor. But what makes Holmes special isn’t just his individual skills. It’s how perfectly he fits Denver’s system. With Joic on the floor, Holmes becomes a devastating pick and pop threat. Defenders have to respect his shooting, which opens up cutting lanes and passing windows for Jokic’s wizardry. He can set screens, roll hard, or fade to the corner. The versatility creates endless options. With Jokic on the bench, Holmes gives Denver something they’ve never had. A competent offensive hub who can also protect the rim. He’s shown improved playmaking, can operate in the posts, and spaces the floor for Murray and others to attack. Defensively, Holmes allows Denver to be more aggressive. They can switch more actions with his mobility. They can protect the rim without sacrificing spacing. They can even play zone with Holmes as the backline anchor. But here’s the real key. Holmes lets Denver manage Joic’s minutes. Instead of playing Jokic 3840 minutes in the playoffs, they can keep him at 32 to 34. Those 6 to8 minutes of extra rest. That’s the difference between exhausted Jokic and fresh Jokic dominating the fourth quarter. The flexibility homes provides is gamechanging. When Joic sits, Holmes can anchor a small ball units at center. When you need size, play him alongside Joic in Twin Towers lineups where both bigs can shoot and pass. In the playoffs, when adjustments matter most, having a player who can fill multiple roles is invaluable. But let’s pump the brakes slightly. Holmes is still a 22-year-old coming off a major injury. Summer League’s success doesn’t always translate, but even conservative projections make him valuable. Give him 15 to 20 minutes and he potentially provides 8 to 10 points, 5 to seven rebounds, and a block per game, and respectable three-point shooting. That alone transforms Denver’s bench. And here’s why that matters. The Western Conference runs deeper than ever. The top four or five teams have multiple scoring options and can go 10 deep in their rotation. You can’t survive with six or seven reliable players anymore. You need legitimate depth to compete through four grueling playoff rounds. The Nuggets biggest issue was depth. If Holmes helps solve that, if he gives them 15 to 20 quality minutes per night, they vault back into championship conversation. The Denver Nuggets just discovered they might have drafted a steal. Not in 2025, but back in 2024. Don Holmes II missed an entire year with one of basketball’s worst injuries. He should be easing back, showing rust, looking tentative. Instead, he’s dominating summer league competition, shooting 50% from three. He’s grabbing 17 rebounds. He’s showing exactly the skills Denver desperately needs. This isn’t just huge for the Nuggets. It’s potentially season altering. Jokic asked for depth. The front office tried to deliver with veterans like Valenunis and Hardaway, but the real answer might have been sitting in their own system all along, rehabbing, waiting, preparing to prove everyone wrong. If Holmes is really back, if what we’re seeing in summer league translates to the regular season, the Nuggets didn’t just get healthy, they got dangerous. The rest of the NBA better be paying attention because Denver’s biggest weakness might have just become a strength. And in a seriously competitive Western Conference, that could change everything. Do you think Holmes can maintain this level when the real games start, or is this just summer league noise? Drop your thoughts below. And if you want more NBA breakdowns, remember to like the video and hit that subscribe button. And I’ll see you in the next one.

The Denver Nuggets just got a massive boost to their future, and it’s happening at NBA Summer League. In this video, we break down why the return of DaRon Holmes II from his Achilles injury could be a game-changer for Denver’s roster and long-term outlook.

Holmes, the explosive young forward the Nuggets drafted to develop alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, is finally back on the court after missing last season with a devastating Achilles tear. His debut at Summer League has already shown flashes of the athleticism, rim protection, and high-motor play that made him such an intriguing prospect.

With Michael Porter Jr. now traded, Denver needs another versatile, two-way forward to step into the rotation — and Holmes has a real opportunity to seize that role if his recovery continues to trend upward. His ability to defend, rebound, and finish around the rim fits perfectly into the Nuggets’ system.

We’ll break down his first game back, what his development means for Denver’s depth, and why the Nuggets’ future is even brighter with Holmes healthy.

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