Nuggets' David Adelman Calls Out NBA for Bizarre Scheduling

The Denver Nuggets are the latest team to fall victim to some odd regular season scheduling by the NBA.

Coming off the heels of their narrow road victory vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, 102-100, that came on a second leg of a back-to-back, Denver will now head back on a flight to face the Memphis Grizzlies later this weekend on Sunday, tasked with an earlier tip-off of 1:30 p.m. MT.

That's three games getting underway for the Nuggets in less than 72 hours; clearly a lot of ball to be played in a short stretch of time, especially for a team like Denver that's facing a barrage of injury issues to their rotation that will inevitably leave them without multiple starters once again in Memphis.

After the win in Milwaukee, Nuggets head coach David Adelman made his feelings known about the scheduling Denver is set to face up against— and it’s clear he's certainly not a fan.

"I'm just going to say this, and this is not me complaining. But, we go back to back in Milwaukee, playing an 8:30 game, central time, and now we're playing an afternoon game on Sunday," Adelman said. "So, people have to understand: this is not about– it's the time. And if we're playing at 8 o'clock on Sunday night or 7 o'clock, it does change things, because the prep changes."

"And, you know, we have to fly down to Memphis tonight because of the weather, and all those factors matter if you play a guy or not. We have to do what's smart, and sometimes, you do it smart, things still don't turn out the way you want them to. So it's just an inexact thing. It'll be day to day, like it always is with our guys, but once again, if they can't go, these guys just beat the Bucks, wso we'll go with them."

Nuggets Facing Swift Turnaround From Bucks Game

As if the Nuggets haven't had to face a great deal of challenges this season already, they're now faced with another in the form of a tough grind that is the NBA schedule; a grind that's grueling as is with a long 82-game slate, but gets even crazier when in the current situation Denver is.

Of course, it's not irregular for teams to have just a one-day rest between a back-to-back and their next game, but combining that with an earlier tip-off of a few hours, and limiting the rest and recovery Denver has at their disposal, it can create a pretty significant domino effect for Adelman's game plan.

Jan 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Heading into Memphis, the Nuggets will have to really keep an eye on the status and health of guys like Jamal Murray and Peyton Watson, who were held out of the game against Milwaukee due to their lingering injuries, and with a short turnaround for their next outing, might just force them out for another game as Adelman and Denver's coaching staff tries to make the smartest decision.

Thankfully, the All-Star Break sits around the corner next month for teams around the league, including the Nuggets, to get some well-deserved rest before the home stretch of the regular season. Until then, though, the hits seem to keep on coming for Denver and their trek to stay afloat in the Western Conference.

Nuggets Facing Swift Turnaround From Bucks Game

More Denver Nuggets Content