3 Things to Watch for in Nuggets' Preseason Matchup vs. Bulls

The Denver Nuggets are two games into their five-game preseason slate, splitting a pair of matchups with the Utah Jazz, and are now gearing up for Sunday's meeting with the Chicago Bulls.

The Nuggets' opening night is just 11 days away now, and with just three preseason games left on their schedule, they need to make the most of these exhibition opportunities. With their main focus still on getting prepared for the regular season, here are a few things to watch for as the Nuggets host the Bulls for their first true home game of the new season.

The starting lineup

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic with guard Jamal Murray — Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) with guard Jamal Murray (27) against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At practice this week, head coach David Adelman confirmed that we should see the starting lineup suit up for at least two of the Nuggets' final three preseason games, with this Bulls game being one of them. He said the starters want to play these preseason games together because they barely played together last season, so we can still focus on how these five perform and gel.

In their first preseason outing, star point guard Jamal Murray was sidelined, so we have still only seen these five on the court together for about 13 minutes. We should get a much better look at them on Sunday as they prepare for game action and get comfortable with each other again.

Denver's starts have been flatter than expected in each of their first two preseason games, so actually showing what they are capable of against the Bulls will be key. This is one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, and they should be able to show it in preseason.

A DeMar DeRozan ramp up?

Sep 28, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard DeMar DeRozan (10) during media day at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Adelman has made it clear that he wants to manage DeMar DeRozan's minutes this season, especially in these exhibition games, it would be nice to see a bit more out of the team's new sixth man.

In his first two preseason games, DeRozan logged 10 minutes and 11 minutes, respectively. Sure, the 37-year-old is aging, and Adelman still wants to gauge what the veteran is capable of, but he should also want to see more from him.

DeRozan could be one of the Nuggets' most important players this season. If he can be a productive scorer and playmaker in their second unit, their chances of competing for a championship drastically increase. However, we have not had much of a chance to see what in preseason yet. Let's hope Adelman increases his workload for game three against Chicago, his former team.

The battle for rotation spots

Sep 28, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Alpha Diallo (11) during media day at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Nuggets have the first eight or nine players in their rotation set. The starting five, DeRozan, Marvin Bagley III, and Spencer Jones are guaranteed minutes every night. Who fills the final two spots? Alpha Diallo, Tyus Jones, and Julian Strawther all deserve minutes in the Nuggets' backup backcourt, but which two will Adelman favor?

So far this preseason, all three have had their strong moments. It feels like Diallo has been the biggest standout, more so because he has already drastically exceeded expectations, but Strawther has led the bench in scoring, and Jones has been a reliable ball-handler.

In Sunday's game, Adelman will likely search for more clarity regarding this guard rotation. He has shown love to all three of these players fighting for minutes, while praising other bench players like Cam Whitmore, Trevon Brazile, and Ryan Nembhard, showing that this competition could be more serious than we expected.

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