Nuggets vs. Bulls preseason takeaways: Denver runs starting lineup into second half

The Nuggets held off the Chicago Bulls for a 133-128 win in their third preseason game Sunday night at Ball Arena, with Cam Whitmore knocking down a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to clinch the result. Here are three takeaways from the exhibition.

Johnson’s involvement

There’s been a lot of buzz around the Nuggets this preseason about Cam Johnson’s comfort and confidence playing in their high-post system, juxtaposed with the anonymity that characterized his slow start last year.

His 25 minutes on Sunday were a perfect example. Even before he compiled a 15-point, 5-for-7 stat line in the second quarter, he did all the little things in a scoreless first. The Nuggets were putting him in a lot of split actions around Nikola Jokic, and he was decisive on and off the ball. He drew a foul against Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson while slip-cutting to the rim off his own screen. He curled into several dribble handoffs from Jokic, operating as a steady connector. Eventually, he started firing (and burying) 3s, including one out of a dribble handoff and one pick-and-roll pull-up when the defense sank to Jokic. He was a vocal communicator when initiating a handful of inbound plays, and he tallied a pair of steals at the defensive end, making smart plays on the ball and showing his hands.

Johnson’s involvement in those split actions and his opportunities with the ball will be worth monitoring as the season begins. He was almost never an active liability last year, even when he wasn’t producing, but the Nuggets also didn’t get the most out of his talent early on. This preseason has revealed a more comfortable and dynamic version of Johnson.

Making it work around DeRozan

Speaking of awkward acclimation processes: DeMar DeRozan’s minutes have not looked seamless in Denver’s first three exhibitions. His 0-for-4 shooting clip against Chicago wasn’t the problem. That’s going to happen sometimes, especially for players who rely on tough shot-making. The more pressing matter is establishing an identity that works when he’s on the court, and for him that means balancing his isolation style and the other forms of offense available to Denver.

He had a couple of impressive playmaking sequences Sunday — an assist through traffic to Jokic in the paint, a coast-to-coast attack and kick-out to the perimeter that went unrewarded. Other times, the Nuggets struggled to play in a flow when they played through him. They were outscored by 10 points in his nine first-half minutes. Figuring out the best lineups to put around him could be a mission that extends into the season for coach David Adelman, who is content with DeRozan getting shots up because even when he misses, it’s a better outcome than a turnover if the defense can get set.

One variable that didn’t help with chemistry-building Sunday: Marvin Bagley III, whom DeRozan will play with a lot, took the night off. That meant Zeke Nnaji was at backup center when DeRozan wasn’t sharing the court with Jokic.

When everyone is available, one of the key balances for Denver will be the DeRozan offense versus the Tyus Jones-Bagley pick-and-roll — when to go to each option, how to space the floor around both being an option, etc.