How DaRon Holmes II's Off-Court Immersion is Key throughout Injury

A crushing injury in the form of a torn right Achilles has derailed what would have been DaRon Holmes II's first season in the NBA. But his progression isn't necessarily in limbo.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; DaRon Holmes ll poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Phoenix Suns in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

DaRon Holmes II was a highly anticipated player heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, and still is. Selected at No. 22 overall to one of the top Western Conference teams, it seemed like a seamless fit with the Denver Nuggets — a team he could grow with and with several veterans who could help him advance his game in the formative years of his professional career.

That rings true, but when it was announced Holmes II tore his right Achilles in a Summer League outing, it was certainly a major setback in the Dayton product's early progression. Saying that, it doesn't mean he can't expand upon what he currently has, not in the slightest.

Regardless of if he is on the floor for his year one, he can still make strides mentally and as a sponge off the floor while learning from the likes of Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray and now Russell Westbrook -- he has a bevy of knowledge at his disposal, and he can pick at that as he sits along the bench and observes how the Nuggets coincide on the floor.

Holmes II is assuredly going to be a strong fit and addition to this team when the time comes, but witnessing the expertise of a top team in the West for an entire year should only help his transition from college to the NBA.

I tend to liken this to Chet Holmgren's situation with the Oklahoma City Thunder — it wasn't necessarily a terrible thing he had to miss out on his first season, as there were some benefits in that negative light. And looking at Holmgren's rookie season a year ago, he was sharp and competitive for a "second-year" rookie.

Holmes II can be in a similar situation, and it might help him in the long run.

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