Inglewood, CA (News4usOnline) – If the first round of the NBA playoffs was any indication, David Adelman‘s “interim” tag will be removed this offseason, and he will become the Denver Nuggets‘ full-time head coach.
Two days after beating the Clippers in a seven-game series, Adelman and his team went into Oklahoma City and took a 1-0 series lead over the top seed in the West.
The son of long-time NBA coach Rick Adelman, David is making a name for himself only eleven games into his head coaching career. If he can lead his team to a series win over the Thunder, we might be looking at the next great head coach in this league.
The shocking dismissal of Michael Malone, with three games left in the regular season, has opened the door for Adelman to be the long-term solution. After nine years as an assistant in Denver, he is now demonstrating that he can check all the boxes as the main man in charge.
“I am just doing the best I can. I love the team I get to coach. Two and a half weeks ago, I was the lead assistant; now I am coaching in the playoffs. I have not really thought about (my performance), I am just glad the guys have all stayed connected through all the stuff that happened at the end of the year, and we have put ourselves in a good position,” said Adelman before Game 6 of the Clippers series.
Before Adelman took over, Denver was on a four-game losing streak and had lost 10 out of their last 16 games. Since the changing of the guard, the Nuggets have gone 8-3, all against Western Conference postseason teams.
When he walks into the press conference room for pre- and post-game media sessions, there is just something about him. He is not imposing, but as soon as he starts answering questions, he makes you think, “Oh, this guy is impressive.”
From the way he adjusted to guarding James Harden to how he has gotten more out of Russell Westbrook in an eleven-game stretch than anyone has over the last five seasons, Adelman is making all the right moves.
Harden scored 32 points for LA in the series opener, and the Nuggets quickly adjusted. For the remainder of the series, Christian Braun was assigned to pick up the Clippers’ point guard at 94 feet, applying pressure all the way up the court. Adelman’s strategy worked to perfection, as Harden only scored more than 20 points one more time over the next six games.
“In the playoffs, you can’t just throw your fastball. You gotta have multiple pitches to hang in these games,” said Adelman.
It is almost like he has been here before, and he has been. Adelman was a key assistant with the team when they won the championship just two seasons ago, and he has been around the game as long as any 43-year-old coach. The only difference is that he is now the one calling the shots.
“I think going through the process of succeeding and winning the 16 games teaches you a lot about the day-to-day. Do you need to take them to the gym? Or is it better to get them off their feet? Should a film session be lengthy or quick and to the point?” said Adelman.
“I think all of those things you learn through those games we played a couple of years ago, and the crazy thing about that time, and I think anyone who has won it would say this. You feel like everything you are doing is right, and there is a rhythm to it. Not just when you are playing. When you fly out, do you stay over? What hotel? There is a rhythm, and we have kind of found that,” Adelman continued.
Maybe somewhat overlooked, but the most impressive aspect of his time at the helm is the buy-in he has received from his players. Everyone is locked in, from Nikola Jokic to the last guy off the bench, and Adleman’s approach has something to do with that.
Instead of simply telling his team how he wants them to play, he encourages participation. He wants to know his players’ thoughts just as much as he wants them to know his.
“In practices and film sessions, (Jokic) has been very expressive and opinionated, which is good. You want someone who is out there feeling it, not to just stare at you and say, ‘Okay, we will just do that.’ That doesn’t help me. All of the guys, Aaron, Jamal, CB, have all spoken up and had opinions about things, and held their ground, and I love it,” said Adleman.
Denver was down in the dumps late in the season. They looked like a sure bet to get bounced in the first round, but everything changed with one simple move at the head coaching position. The key pieces from their 2023 championship roster are all still intact, and suddenly, they look like the team to beat in the West.
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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