Nuggets' David Adelman Raves About Nikola Jokic After Win vs Suns

The Denver Nuggets saw yet another Nikola Jokic masterclass come together in their late-night matchup against the Phoenix Suns.

In what would end up being a narrow 125-123 victory for the Nuggets thanks to a game-winner from Jokic himself, the three-time MVP would finish the night with a dominant, all-around stat line of 23 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists.

In reality, it's nothing new for Jokic to put up an eye-catching turnout in the box score like he did in this one.

He's on pace to average a triple-double on the season for the second year in a row while posting nearly 28 points a night, and he's had multiple games this year hauling in 20 rebounds or more, along with another game with 17 assists vs. the Chicago Bulls at the beginning of February.

However, Nuggets head coach David Adelman is making sure not to take his big man for granted, who spoke about Jokic's performance following the win against Phoenix, mainly crediting his ability to be an ultimate team player.

"I've seen him get 60 [points] and a triple doubles, so tonight was pretty light," Adelman joked. "No, he was he was incredible. Efficient, just makes the right play for his teammates. He's the ultimate, ultimate player that makes everyone feel like they're part of the game if you're on his team. That leads to 17 assists, quality passes, huge shots at the end. And really fun to watch him as well."

"Nikola is, you know, in my opinion, he's the best player in the world. He's good for basketball. He's good for sports. I've said that before. Any sport that you enjoy or you like to play, that’s a role model right there. That's how you play team sports. That's when he's done forever."

David Adelman Not Getting Numb to Nikola Jokic's Impact

While it might be easy to overlook just how impressive and impactful Jokic is on a nightly basis when he's on pace for a second season of averaging triple-double, players of his caliber just don't come around often–– especially when it comes to the ability to make others better around them.

In this game against Phoenix alone, every member of the Nuggets' starting lineup and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored at least 13 points on the night. Having someone with as elite of a playmaking skillset as Jokic, paired with his presence as a scorer, makes for some great looks for those around him.

That clearly showed itself against Phoenix, and leads to a big win against a playoff-level team in the West that helps Denver further cement its status as the fourth seed in the conference.

Oct 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman directs center Nikola Jokic (15) against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

With just nine games now left to go on the Nuggets' schedule, not much time remains for this group to boost their stock. But if Jokic continues to play at this rate while raising the floor of others around him, there's no telling how high Denver's ceiling might be once the postseason gets underway.

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