It was April 8, 2025. The Denver Nuggets made a move that sent shockwaves through the Mile High City, firing Michael Malone just two years after he led the franchise to its first-ever NBA title. In stepped David Adelman. Most fans knew him as the "lead assistant" or "Rick Adelman's kid," but nobody was quite sure if he could handle the heaviest crown in basketball: coaching Nikola Jokic.
Honestly, the transition was smoother than anyone expected. Fast forward to January 2026, and the Denver Nuggets are sitting at 28-13, third in a bloodthirsty Western Conference. Adelman isn't just "managing" a superstar; he’s essentially rewritten how this team survives when the world's best player sits on the bench.
The Adelman Offense: More Than Just "Jokic Ball"
People love to say that coaching Nikola Jokic is the easiest job in sports. You just give him the ball and get out of the way, right? Not exactly.
David Adelman inherited a system that was historically great but, let's be real, often felt rigid. Under Malone, if the "Plan A" of a Jokic-Murray two-man game didn't work, things got ugly fast. Adelman changed the math. He leaned into a "read-and-react" philosophy that he basically absorbed through osmosis growing up in his father’s locker rooms with the Sacramento Kings.
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The 2025-26 Nuggets are currently averaging 122.6 points per game. That is first in the NBA.
They aren't just scoring more; they’re scoring differently. Adelman has integrated new pieces like Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. into a "Euro Blockade" lineup that would have seemed impossible two years ago. We've seen Adelman play Valanciunas and Jokic together—two giants in a league that's obsessed with small ball. It's weird. It’s bulky. And somehow, it's absolutely killing teams.
Breaking the "Non-Jokic Minutes" Curse
For five years, the Nuggets' biggest problem was simple: when Jokic sat, the lead evaporated. It was like watching a luxury car turn into a pumpkin every time the clock hit the six-minute mark of the second quarter.
Adelman made this his personal mission. On media day, he was vocal about "supporting the superstar" by actually trusting the bench. He’s played guys like Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther in high-leverage moments where they’d usually be glued to the pine.
- Peyton Watson: Developing into a legitimate two-way threat under Adelman’s "no-fear" leash.
- The Rotation: Adelman is actually using 10 players. In the regular season. In Denver.
- The Result: The Nuggets are no longer "cratering" without #15. They're surviving.
A Legacy Built in the Portland Rain
To understand why David Adelman is so calm on the sideline, you have to look at where he came from. He wasn't some former NBA star who got a job because of his jersey. He was a ball boy for the Portland Trail Blazers while his dad, Rick, was coaching Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter.
He coached high school ball at Lincoln in Portland. He won city championships. He dealt with the "coach's son" stigma every single day.
Then came the tragedy. In 2018, David lost his brother, R.J. Adelman, in a car accident. R.J. was the "scout" and the "brains" of the family basketball tree. When you see David on the sidelines today, there’s a certain perspective there. He’s been through the absolute ringer, both personally and professionally. He spent years as a player development coach in Minnesota and a year in Orlando under Frank Vogel.
He didn't just "get" the Nuggets job. He outworked every other candidate for it.
The Jared Dudley Factor and the Defensive Shift
One of the smartest things Adelman did upon taking the head coaching job was his staff hires. Bringing in Jared Dudley to run the defense was a masterstroke.
Last year, the Nuggets were hovering around 21st in defensive rating. This season? They've jumped into the top ten during several stretches, currently sitting at a respectable spot despite a blistering pace. Dudley brings that "player's coach" energy that balances Adelman’s more cerebral, quiet confidence.
It’s not perfect. There have been games—like the recent blowout loss to Atlanta—where the defense looked like it was stuck in 1995. Fans on Reddit and Twitter (or X, whatever we're calling it now) still lose their minds when the Nuggets blow a 10-point lead in the fourth. "Rookie mistakes," they call them.
But look at the context. Adelman has been coaching a team that’s been missing Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon for chunks of the season. He's winning games with Jalen Pickett starting. That doesn't happen by accident.
What's Next for the Adelman Era?
Is David Adelman the Coach of the Year? Probably not. The voters usually go for the "big jump" teams like the Pistons or Spurs this year. But in terms of keeping a championship window open, he might be the most important hire of the decade for Denver.
He has the "head for a head coach," as Jokic put it. He reads and reacts. He doesn't overreact to a bad shooting night from a rookie. He’s essentially the "modern" version of the blue-collar coach Denver has always loved.
If you’re watching the Nuggets move forward, keep an eye on how Adelman handles the trade deadline. With the team performing this well, the pressure to "go all in" is massive. But Adelman seems more interested in the long game—keeping Jokic fresh for June, not just winning 60 games in March.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the non-Jokic lineups: Specifically, look for how Adelman uses Julian Strawther as a secondary playmaker. It’s a wrinkle that wasn't there last season.
- Monitor the "Euro Blockade" minutes: The Jokic-Valanciunas pairing is the ultimate litmus test for whether Adelman's "zig when they zag" philosophy can win a playoff series.
- Check the Fourth Quarter Usage: Adelman is leaning on Peyton Watson in the clutch. Tracking Watson's shooting percentage from the corners will tell you everything you need to know about Denver's title chances.
The era of the "system" is over in Denver. The era of the "adjustment" has begun.