What coach David Adelman revealed afterward wasn’t exactly a state secret: Denver is still really good at scoring points.

“Starting five was great,” he shared. “I thought the bench looked good together, playing (around) DeMar, the way they played together. Tyus (Jones) was really good. It’s one of those things where you hope that means that we played well, not that our defense was really bad.”

Here are four notes from the last two days of camp, from an Adelman goal to a CU crossover visit.

Adelman’s target: Start the season 10-deep

The Nuggets don’t appear as deep on paper as they were last season. But Adelman still wants to play a 10-man rotation in October if possible.

“The perfect world is 10 to start, even 10 and a half, which we had a little bit last year,” he said Friday. “But I think to start the season, the goal is gonna be 10. And you go from there, and obviously by the end of the year, it’s like eight and a half. But I’d like to play 10, especially with the veteran group that we have.”

Adelman routinely went to five bench players last season, especially as injuries ravaged the starting lineup. Four of them are gone now: Peyton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown. Spencer Jones, the one who remains, tweaked a hamstring during Friday’s scrimmage but isn’t expected to miss much time if any. DeMar DeRozan is a lock to play every night as long as he’s healthy. Marvin Bagley III is locked in at backup center. The last two or three pieces of the puzzle will be guards or wings, with Julian Strawther, Alpha Diallo and Tyus Jones among the top candidates for consistent playing time.

And in case there was any lingering doubt, Adelman made it clear Friday that DeRozan will indeed be coming off the bench for the first time since 2010, a role DeRozan has already told reporters he’s willing to accept.

Nembhard joins team quickly as Nuggets load up 2-way cast

Less than a day after signing a two-way contract with the Nuggets, Ryan Nembhard was in the gym, getting acclimated Thursday and scrimmaging Friday.

What did Denver like about his rookie year in Dallas enough to pursue him?

“I did not like him last year,” Adelman clarified, laughing. “He embarrassed our pick-and-roll defense last year. I’m sure you guys remember that. I did not rewatch that tape.”

Nembhard’s 28-point, 10-assist gem in a Mavericks win last December isn’t even his greatest performance at Ball Arena. Three years ago, he led Creighton to the Sweet 16 with a 30-piece on Denver’s neutral court.

“That gym has served me well over the years,” Nembhard said, “so I’m happy to be back.”

He provides roughly the same player archetype as Tyus Jones — an undersized but quick point guard, a low-mistake floor general and a limited defender.

“Defensively, I’m trying to be a lot better,” he said. “I think I’ve made a jump there. Worked on my shooting. Just being an all-around player. Worked out a lot this summer. I feel like I’ve made a huge jump.”

Nembhard arrived with at least one prior locker-room relationship. He and Julian Strawther narrowly missed each other at Gonzaga by a season, but Nembhard’s brother Andrew was Strawther’s teammate there. Ryan used to visit, hanging out and playing pickup with Strawther while there.

“Speed, burst kind of guy. His feet hit the paint,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said of Nembhard. “Made three or four really nice plays (at practice) just in the pick-and-roll. … Ryan could step in and play like he did last year (in Dallas), but also for our main people, they need to play against guys like him in practice. Sometimes you need guys like that on your roster on a two-way to impact practice for what we struggle at, which is speed and picking up full (court) and a smaller guy crawling into Jamal Murray. He did that on day one.”

That quasi-practice squad philosophy has been an emphasis for the Nuggets in their two-way contract strategy this offseason, it turns out. Both Nembhard and Cam Whitmore — who “could play for the Broncos,” Adelman vouched — are widely considered to be near the talent ceiling for young players willing to take a two-way.

“You can look at a two-way as you want to be really deep, but if you’re really deep and everyone is the same, then practices look really good, because everyone is doing the same thing,” Adelman said. “Or maybe you get more athletic, and it’s a lot of project-type players, but they make your team better because they bring something you’re gonna see throughout the year. … It’s kind of an interesting stylistic thing. Last year, our offense looked great in every scrimmage we had because both units were just extremely good at offense.”

Can Walker make the team?

While Nembhard and Whitmore can play up to 50 NBA games for Denver this season on their two-way contracts, training camp invitee Lonnie Walker IV isn’t eligible to sign a two-way anymore due to his seven years of NBA service time. That means his only path to the court is to earn a standard contract and Denver’s last full-time roster spot out of training camp.

As he fights that uphill battle, Nuggets brass isn’t in any rush to decide on him.

“The second he walks in the room, you know he played in the NBA,” Adelman said. “He has an NBA-refined game. He can score. He understands what he’s trying to do with the ball. Very good athlete. He’s been good defensively. But it’s a roster, and it’s hard to make. So we have to take our time with this. It’s not going be (that) after Sunday, we know exactly who we want to keep, who we don’t want to keep. We have to take our time, have solid conversations so we don’t make a mistake. But Lonny is definitely in the mix.”

Coach Prime pays Nuggets a visit

A black SUV rolled up to the CU Events Center loading dock carrying sports royalty Thursday as the Nuggets practiced inside. Buffs football coach Deion Sanders stopped by to speak to the team for a few minutes after its third day of training camp. Adelman might’ve been the most starstruck person in the room.

“I mean, I’m 45, so I was a kid (when he played),” Adelman said. “I don’t think our guys have any idea, like, what that was back then. And what that never has been again. His personality was exactly what I thought it was going to be. But growing up, when you’re a kid and Deion Sanders is playing cornerback and you’re watching him play baseball in the playoffs at the same time, that stuff is just uniquely wild. So it was really cool to meet the guy. His message was good. I could tell he knew he was talking to grown men.”

The Nuggets chose to hold training camp in Boulder this year instead of their usual home away from home, San Diego, in part because they already had a preseason game arranged at CU’s gym this Sunday. They’ll host the Jazz to wrap up a big weekend on Colorado’s campus, highlighted by the homecoming football game against Texas Tech. Members of the Nuggets plan to attend, team officials told The Post.

“Prime is one of one,” Cam Johnson said after Sanders’ guest appearance. “What he’s been able to accomplish as an athlete, as a coach, is very unique, and his personality is very unique.”

They’ll push the pace with a pass-first backup point guard and an athletic, rim-running backup center. They’ll send shooters to the corners, a standard spacing arrangement. They’ll play classical pick-and-roll basketball with Marvin Bagley III barreling through the paint.

“And if that doesn’t work,” Adelman said, “we slow the hell down and get DeMar DeRozan the ball.”

His new-look second unit is starting to take shape this week, albeit with ever-changing variables. The acquisition of Ryan Nembhard was finalized a couple of hours after Denver’s second practice of training camp on Wednesday, introducing a new point guard candidate to the proceedings alongside Tyus Jones.

“We’ve gotta figure out who fits best around DeMar,” Adelman said before that signing. “Is that a defensive lineup? Is that more offense? Featuring Julian (Strawther)? But DeMar is a safety valve. It’s not just about him making shots. It’s about the fact that he shoots shots and doesn’t turn the ball over. He shoots free throws. … I like the idea of playing fast to playing slow. Chicago did that with him a little bit with Billy (Donovan). They had a fast, athletic team, and when they didn’t get something easy, it was all about going to (DeRozan).”

DeRozan’s mid-post game is the known entity. The rest is a work in progress for a team that watched its depth erode this offseason, particularly with the losses of Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr. For now, an initial version of Denver’s second unit has consisted primarily of Jones, Strawther, DeRozan, Spencer Jones and Bagley. Of course, that doesn’t account for how Adelman will choose to rotate his subs. All-bench lineups are rare, and a key part of the equation will be figuring out which starter — or starters — to stagger when Jokic isn’t on the floor.

The second-year head coach made one thing clear Wednesday: Bagley is going to anchor those minutes.

“(I see him) as a five right now,” Adelman said when asked about the possibility of Bagley eventually being used as a power forward. “I was really impressed with Spencer as a four last year. I think at the four spot, (Trevon Brazile) is really talented. He’s got a chance. I want to keep him there and get him comfortable with that spot. In a pinch, obviously, (Bagley) can do it. But he’s a traditional five to me.”

That pretty much lines up with Bagley’s recent experience as a journeyman, though he arrived in Denver ready to handle either position.

“I can play both,” he said. “Obviously, the last few teams I’ve been on, I’ve been the five, playing a lot of five, backup five. But I feel like I can play both. I can shoot the 3. Make quick decisions in the pick-and-roll.”

Bagley, 27, was visited by members of the Nuggets’ front office this summer in Arizona, where he’s from. He cited conversations with Adelman and Jon Wallace when describing his decision to sign a one-year veteran minimum contract with Denver.

Now, the goal is to stay put for a full season. Bagley has changed teams mid-season in four of the last five years. Sacramento to Detroit. Detroit to Washington. Washington to Memphis. Washington to Dallas.

“That’s always the goal, to be able to have security. But this is what we sign up for,” he said. “Every year, a lot of things can happen. Things you can’t control happen. But I just try to be in the moment, be present, do what I can in the moment and not worry about the rest. If I get to a place that has that (security), then great. But I’m just enjoying the journey, because it won’t be here for long.”

One key lesson he’s learned along the way is to not wait until the eve of training camp to show up. He got settled in Denver earlier in the summer, hoping to build relationships with the player development staff and learn how the team operates.

“I’ve had to do it a few times, man. … Just getting to where I’m at, getting there earlier (is important). Asking questions,” Bagley said. “No question is dumb to me. If you don’t know, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m still learning. It’s going into year nine. I don’t know a lot, and I’m OK with that. That’s the only way to get better. So for me, (I want) just to continue to show up every day, learn from my mistakes and learn from the good stuff, too.”

In Colorado specifically, the early arrival also helps master the elements.

“He was great today. I thought yesterday, he looked completely gassed halfway through. And today, his head was on the rim the whole day. We competed a lot today. So it was a lot of running with these guys. … Marvin has some special skills, and I think for him, he hasn’t played meaningful basketball in a long time. People forget what that means to players. Instead of just trying to survive in your career, you’re actually out here trying to fit into a good team. And I think he’s really enjoying it, playing with Tyus. The second unit is fun. You get rewarded for running hard.”

Bagley has overlapped with Jones before, when they were both Wizards — a dynamic that Adelman thinks should help the big man get acclimated. The question looming over Bagley’s season will be whether he can play well enough to be considered a factor in Denver’s playoff rotation. The former No. 2 overall draft pick has appeared in two playoff games in his career, both for Memphis in 2025.

“Exciting,” he said. “Being able to come to a winning situation and being able to learn and get that experience and contribute, I think that’s what I’m looking for in my career right now.”

Denver will waive KJ Simpson to make room for Nembhard in a required subsequent move, the source said. Teams can sign up to three players at a time using two-way contracts, which allow for the players to be assigned back and forth between the NBA and G League without their salaries counting against the cap.

Denver’s other two-way spots are currently occupied by Bryce Hopkins, the team’s second-round draft pick this year, and Cam Whitmore, who has averaged 10.5 points per game across three NBA seasons.

That leaves Simpson as the odd man out, which The Post previously reported Mwould be the case if Nembhard cleared waivers. Simpson, 24, appeared in six games for Denver last season after signing a two-way deal in February. A March Madness hero once upon a time for CU, he was excited by the full-circle opportunity to join the Nuggets because he had attended their championship parade as a fan in 2023.

The timing of his release is somewhat awkward. Denver is holding its training camp in Boulder this week, with a preseason game withe Jazz to be played at CU on Sunday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, it was too early to tell whether Simpson will stay with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, or seek a new opportunity elsewhere.

Nembhard, 23, is viewed as an upgrade over Simpson to Denver’s point guard depth. He played 60 games as a rookie for Dallas last season — more than Simpson has played in the first two years of his NBA career combined — and torched the Nuggets last December with a 28-point, 10-assist performance. The younger brother of Pacers starter Andrew Nembhard, he shot 41.5% from the field and 35.6% from 3-point range. He also registered an impressive 3.72 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Nembhard was traded from Dallas to Charlotte last week and subsequently waived by the Hornets.

The 5-foot-11 guard played his college ball at Creighton and Gonzaga. As a sophomore in 2023, he scored 30 points in an NCAA Tournament win at Ball Arena, leading Creighton to the Sweet 16.