David Adelman’s Impact on Nuggets Becoming Impossible to Ignore

Enough can't be said about Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman.

After the Nuggets fired former head coach Michael Malone with just a few games left in the regular season, the winds on the Front Range blew in several questions. Chief among them: Who could possibly replace the winningest coach in franchise history?

Enter David Adelman, who's stepped up to the challenge in a major way.

David Adelman Deserves His Credit for Nuggets' Season Start

Nov 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts in the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The vibe on this team is just different. Maybe it’s Adelman’s steadiness. Maybe it’s his quiet confidence. Maybe it's his father’s blood—Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman—surging through his veins. Whatever it is, it’s working.

The players have bought in. They want to be in Denver and part of this winning culture. And they’re not the only ones loving this team. Denver’s fans are ecstatic. The Nuggets are undefeated at home with Ball Arena standing like a citadel daring challengers to try their lungs in the thin air.

Their latest performance vs. the Indiana Pacers was the latest statement. No Jamal Murray. No Aaron Gordon. No problem.

Yes, Indiana was missing Tyrese Haliburton and others, but Adelman used the opportunity to pull a few magical lineups and bewitching looks from his hat.

Peyton Watson and Jalen Pickett got the starting five nod and we even saw Nikola Jokic share the floor with Jonas Valanciunas—the debut of the Euro Blockade. Credit Adelman for being creative and going extra big in a league obsessed with going small.

Nuggets' Offense Is Flowing

Denver’s offense is also averaging 124.22 points per game—best in the NBA. It’s not chaotic or hurried either—it’s precise, purposeful, connected. When pace is needed, they run. When the game slows down, they grind in the paint. It’s an offense built on trust, reading and reacting, and matchup hunting.

But this team isn’t just about scoring. It’s about defense. Adelman wisely hired Jared Dudley in the offseason to assume the team’s defensive responsibilities. And Dudley has far-exceeded the expectations. Denver now sits at fourth in defensive rating—a huge jump from 21st last season.

Not only that but Denver’s depth runs deeper than Glenwood Canyon. The offseason additions weren’t flashy—they were surgical. Valanciunas: a rebounding, reliable Rocky Mountain lumberjack. Tim Hardaway Jr.: a legit wild-west gunslinger scorching nets from deep. Bruce Brown: a familiar presence who fits this group of cowpokes like a well-worn Stetson.

And at the center of the universe—literally and metaphorically, if you ask certain corners of Serbia—is Nikola Jokic. Triple-double after triple-double, he remains a seven-foot menace in motion. And Adelman has done the smartest thing a new head coach can do: he has built a system around the best player in the world instead of asking his best player to fit a system.

This is not Michael Malone’s team anymore. These Mile High Marauders are still unselfish, but sharper. Still connected, but tighter. Still grounded, but deeper. And if you’re not paying attention to David Adelman yet, you will be. I may not be able to say enough about him, but I’ll sure keep trying.

David Adelman Deserves His Credit for Nuggets' Season Start

Nuggets' Offense Is Flowing

More Denver Nuggets Content