David Adelman Sends Message to Nuggets Players Facing Reduced Roles

For the first time since the start of November, the Denver Nuggets were finally able to send out a fully healthy rotation from top to bottom against the Portland Trail Blazers amid the return of Peyton Watson from his weeks-long hamstring injury, and came away with a strong 128-112 victory to show for it.

But inevitably, as the Nuggets are now healthier and at full capacity in their starting and second unit, it means those further down the bench who have been called up for expanded roles in the past few months have since been slotted into those prior rotational spots without minutes on a nightly basis.

It's simply part of the business that is the NBA. But amid those tough decisions that Adelman will have to make in his rotation moving forward as long as health is on his side, he certainly isn't forgetting about those who are now stuck in a lesser role.

"I said it in the locker room to these guys, [Jonas] Valanciunas didn’t play tonight, he has to stay ready. Julian Strawther not in the rotation tonight, Jules started for us and won us games," Adelman said after Denver's win vs. the Blazers.

"Jalen Pickett, Zeke Nnaji, all these guys have had impacts this season. So, that’s going to be the challenge for this team, being unselfish and if it’s not your night, stay locked in and be ready. But right now, that lineup, that second unit has been very effective."

David Adelman Urges Nuggets' Bench to Stay Ready

With a completely healthy roster, the Nuggets opted to roll out a nine-man rotation with their typical starters, and a second unit consisting of Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson, and Spencer Jones; a lineup that's a bit smaller, but has more versatility and upside on the defensive end.

Clearly, it's a group that Adelman sees as doing quite well, and one that clearly showed it could be effective against the Blazers over the weekend. And the more they can play together in the weeks ahead of the postseason, the better off they'll be once those playoffs finally arrive.

Mar 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman speaks to the media before the game against the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As for those down the bench like Julian Strawther and Jonas Valanciunas, who have played well in their opportunities, are simply stuck as the odd men out with only so many minutes to go around.

Depending on varying matchups or any further injuries that may strike the Nuggets, their minutes can shift. But on a normal night while everyone's on the floor, they'll likely be out of the rotation more often than not.

That further volatility in the lineup also makes it even more important now to stay ready for that opportunity, when and wherever it comes.

There's still a lot of basketball yet to be played. And for those on the end of the Nuggets' bench, they proved they could hold up their end by being a rotation-level player throughout the last few months of the regular season, helping Denver stay afloat in the Western Conference as they have up until now.

So if and when their services are needed, Adelman likely won't have any qualms about calling upon them. But for now, the main focus is staying ready and filling whatever role is necessary to help the Nuggets reach their championship ceiling.

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