DaRon Holmes II, the 2024 first-round pick, has seized the opportunity to shine in the Denver Nuggets rotation. With Nikola Jokic and multiple rotation players sidelined, Holmes has stayed composed and delivered on both ends of the floor. He impressed in his 22 minutes of floor time, posting 11 points to go with three rebounds, an assist, and a block. Holmes made his first four attempts, two catch-and-dunks in baseline position and a pair of triples. He also showed poise in the most critical part of the game, rejecting Collin Murray-Boyles on a putback attempt, which turned into a Jamal Murray score the next time down. Holmes' minutes weren't perfect down the stretch – he committed an offensive foul on Scottie Barnes in a one-possession game with less than a minute remaining – but he was confident and took care of the ball. Most importantly, he impacted a collective victory. Nuggets head coach David Adelman was 'really proud of him.' The Nuggets are looking to survive at the 5 without three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas. They're also hoping they can stay afloat without Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson, who are all sidelined. Holmes told RG that he wants to stay locked in and focused on getting team wins, as that's what's most important at the end of the day. Adelman joked that his sub patterns have changed 'by the half' because of the predicament. Denver's coaching staff treated its game in Cleveland like a scrimmage due to the numerous moving parts. And while his team can't control health, it can ensure playing hard. 'Sometimes that is enough, even at our level with how talented these guys are,' Adelman said. 'I can't tell you who we're gonna be; you can guesstimate with your rotation. Can we go really small sometimes and mix things up and switch, try to survive that way? I've just got to try things through these weeks. You just recreate yourself all the time, that's how you get through this. I think these guys can do that.'