DaRon Holmes II takes center stage in Denver

Avant meeting in Toronto, DaRon Holmes II played just 13 minutes this season, in three games. We can even go further: He’s played just 13 minutes in his entire NBA career, which began in 2024 after the Denver center missed his entire freshman season with an Achilles injury.

Then, during the current exercise, he was logically blocked by Nikola Jokić and Jonas Valančunas. Except that in a matter of days, the Denver franchise lost both of those four weeks. Absence of the first he already gave him a long playing time in Canada, where the other got injured. From now on, for this first month of 2026, he will see his playing time explode, or even be a starter.

It is not trivial for a player who is still considered a beginner and is logically full of limitations. “He made offensive rebounds, but I didn’t see him put his head down. He kept playing.”, greetings David Adelman after the victory against the Raptors where the young player collected 11 points and 3 rebounds. “That’s the key in the NBA. We have moments where we’re embarrassed, physically dominated and we have to keep going, be ready for the next action, make the next shot, make the right decision. He did that.”

The 22 minutes he played in this match is now the best of his career and there is no doubt that the coming weeks will be physically demanding for him.

“I was tired. It was the first time I had played so much in an NBA game, so I had to catch my breath.”he admits, who by now is much more used to the G-League than the Big League.

“He was good and will get better with time and experience”announces Jamal Murray, the only starter still standing in the Rockies, while his four buddies are in the infirmary. “The game is going to slow down. Like Spencer Jones, who played super fast and super hard and missed easy shots, open shots. As soon as he gets comfortable, we’re going to have to defend him.”

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.