DENVER — One day after firing head coach Michael Malone, the Denver Nuggets took home a win against the Sacramento Kings.
"It’s cool," said David Adelman after winning his first game at the helm of an NBA franchise. "I’m sure it’s a fun story and everything, but that’s not the story. The story is the Nuggets need to win.”
Adelman could have given into the emotions of the moment: winning in Sacramento, the same city where his father, Rick Adelman, coached for eight seasons, winning nearly 500 games. But even while realizing his childhood dream, Adelman knows the franchise he now leads only cares about one thing: winning championships.
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So as we forge ahead in the post-Michael-Malone era, the question must be asked: are the Nuggets closer to winning a title now that Malone and Calvin Booth are gone?
Their win over the Kings gave a few indications as to where this team may be headed.
“Maybe he woke up the beast," Nikola Jokic told ESPN after the victory. “The beast is always the strongest or the most dangerous when they’re vulnerable.”
Jokic clearly took a more active leadership role in Malone's absence, getting vocal in team huddles at a higher frequency than he has all season.
“It’s definitely an important time for him to be speaking up," said Peyton Watson. "He’s the focal point of our team, and we build everything around him.”
Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic drew up plays in the huddle in first game after Malone firing
Adelman agrees that the players need to drive this bus if the Nuggets are going to see any postseason success.
“You have to be OK with criticism from your teammates," said Adelman. "These are your brothers. You guys are going through this journey together. That really helps when things get tough, them relying on one another, because then that bleeds onto the court and the communication gets better.”
In this case, the interim head coach's job is relatively easy: keep it simple! Adelman has been with the Nuggets since 2017, so he knows what the team needs to win games.
He's already putting his own unique mark on the head coach's clipboard.
“Me and [DeAndre Jordan] asked him, 'Why are you writing down your plays on a notepad and not a board like coach Malone would do?'" said Watson. "He said, 'Because I can go back and look at all the plays I wrote down and see when I drew them up and what time in the game it was.' That was super thoughtful to me, and it goes to show the type of person that [Adelman] is and that’s the type of person you want at the helm of everything.”
“He’s going to tell you what he wants in probably the most simplest way possible," said Jokic. "He’ll probably show you too. Maybe that’s the way.”
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Getting back to basics and promoting clearer communication may sound overly simple, but it may also be the key to a deep playoff run.
“Doing it the right way, doing it together, and just having fun while doing it is really important," said Christian Braun. "This team is as talented as any team, we know we can compete with anybody any day.”
“I think you’re going to see the best version of us that you’ve seen this year," said Michael Porter Jr.
Are we closer to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy? It's probably too early to tell. But if they continue to play with the effort we saw in Sacramento, I'd hate to be the team that underestimates this beast.
Denver Nuggets 2024-25 Schedule
- April 11: vs. Memphis Grizzlies
- April 13: @ Houston Rockets
