Why Nuggets Keeping David Adelman Could Pay Off

The Nuggets have opted to keep David Adelman around for another season. Here's why that might not be the worst move.

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts to a call in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Despite what would be some loud chatter around David Adelman's job security following the Denver Nuggets' first-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team has decided they'll be keeping their head coach around for another season.

The initial decision was met with some fan backlash. After the Nuggets were humbled in a six-game defeat in round one of the postseason, there was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction that left the masses pounding the table for Denver to look around for a new lead coach on the sidelines.

In reality, though, there's a chance the Nuggets' decision to hold firm on Adelman can pay off for them in the long term, and might just make the move to keep him onboard for the 2026-27 season the correct choice, all things considered.

Why David Adelman Deserves Another Chance

As with anybody who's taking on his first full year as an NBA head coach, Adelman's season wasn't exactly seamless, and it ended up in flames as the Nuggets found themselves simply outmatched against the Timberwolves on both sides of the floor.

For a team with championship aspirations like the Nuggets, falling short of those expectations in the way Denver did will naturally lead to questions revolving around the guy who's running the ship on the sidelines. But it's certainly not to say Adelman's season is due for a failing grade, or enough to uproot him from his current position.

Apr 23, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman reacts to his team's play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Nuggets, throughout a regular season that was filled with several injuries and even pure droughts from some of their most important players— such as Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun's respective turbulence— still checked enough boxes to warrant their status as a top-three team in the West.

Denver's offense was flowing as the best-ranked unit in the NBA once the season came to a close, saw the Nuggets rattle off a 12-game win streak for a late surge up the standings, and saw breakout campaigns come to form for guys like first-time All-Star Jamal Murray and rising star Peyton Watson.

Up until a brutal postseason exit, and one where Denver was tasked with performing without two of their top two-way players in Watson and Aaron Gordon, it was looking like the Nuggets had a real shot to make a run in the West, before those hopes would ultimately fall short.

A disappointing end to the season doesn't wipe that success away. If anything, seeing that success develop both without key pieces in the rotation in the middle of the year, and once able to get fully healthy at the end, proves that this roster and coaching staff at least had a bit of success that they can bank on for next year.

Especially to all be done in Adelman's first full year at the helm, it shows there's still untapped potential inside the Nuggets' head coach that can soon form into a quality mind on the sidelines. Expecting anything less than perfect from the 44-year-old after a little over 100 games as a head coach is a set-up to be disappointed at the end.

Apr 6, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman and guard Jamal Murray (27) in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Was hiring a first-time coach in Adelman the right decision for a championship-level team? Could there be better candidates on the market that the Nuggets could pursue for a coaching shakeup? Both could be fairly debated.

But those should've been the questions the Nuggets and their lead decision-makers asked themselves before officially promoting Adelman to the position he has now.

To pull the plug on that plan in less than two years of seeing the results develop would make that move look even more questionable in hindsight, and could lead to even more turmoil in the Nuggets' facility to clean up in the process.

For now, the Nuggets’ best option in terms of their head coach could just be to stand pat with Adelman, let him and the roster develop over the course of a full offseason, then re-evaluate things once getting through the motions of next season. Anything else might just be a bit premature.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!