The regular season’s over, yet the NBA players can’t even can’t even catch a breather. The Wild West’s deliverance is set to continue through the playoffs. The 4th seed Denver Nuggets, who stumbled for some time, have turned their month around well with an interim HC at the helm. The Pacers’ loss was the writing on the wall for Michael Malone, which extended their losing streak to 4. Not random, it was a first in two seasons. But 3 games later, Mike’s assistant David Adelman has taken them to the 4th seed with 3 wins from 3. And word on the street is that Nikola Jokic and Co. are more than pleased about it.
“No they’re happy in general. It’s a breath of fresh air. The Nuggets said- they’re shimmying, they’re smiling,” said ESPN writer Tim MacMahon on Brian Windhorst’s podcast ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective. Turns out David’s expert attacking philosophy made up for his inexperience. The vibes are good, the attack is flowing, and the players are smiling. And this is the perfect momentum they needed heading into the first playoff round against the Clippers. Both in form, but the Clippers are deadly as ever. 8 win streak, 9-1 record. The best lately by any team.
Keeping the Clips in mind, the newest HC on the block even issued a stern warning to the Lob City. “The West is loaded. I mean, you think people wanna play [Nikola] Jokic? [Jamal] Murray? Guys that have won a championship? Aaron [Gordon]? Michael [Porter Jr.]? [Christian Braun]? Whoever you’re gonna get, it’s gonna be a beast.” He trusts the players, and the players trust him. But that’s not all. MacMahon states that a win over the Clippers could get him the Mile-High full-time gig.
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
“Hey, my understanding is that those guys in the locker room would love for David Adelman to get that job. They do like him, they respect him… I think if they win a playoff series, there’s a high high real likelihood that he’ll be the permanent head coach,” said Tim on the pod.
Everyone knew that Adelman was the attacking architect at the Nugs. And everyone also knew that Nikola Jokic was the spearhead of the attack. His partnership with Jamal Murray is a sight for sore eyes. But Windy and ESPN’s Tim Bontemps’ convo on the pod really brought out a reality about the pair that the Denver fans didn’t wanna hear. And if they even think they have a shot at the Western finals, it’s a problem they’re gonna have to address as soon as possible.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have a point to prove amid West’s debate
Denver’s dependency on Nikola Jokic was as plain as day. It even got to a point where the Serbian putting up record box numbers wasn’t enough to get them the dub. Their double-OT loss to the Timberwolves is Exhibit A of that. Windy speaks about this extensively in the podcast. And if what he said turns out to be true, it could be the key to unlocking the Nuggets’ true attacking potential.
“But his scoring comes down, winning comes up. So- it’s not like it’s the first time we’ve known this. This is the way the Nuggets have endeavoured to play all along. Jokic was averaging a 30-point triple-double when Michael Malone was fired. The triple-double part was great, the assists and rebounds were great. The 30 was not a great sign. And they were in 7th place. They’ve rescued themselves to 4th.”
Malone’s last four games saw Jokic score 61, 33, and 41 points against the Wolves, Warriors, and Pacers, respectively. He didn’t play in the Spurs loss, so that’s ignored. But this shows an over-reliance on the Joker on the attacking front. With Adelman at the helm, their output has spread across the entirety of the front line. Nikola still got two triple-doubles, but his points tally reduced to 20, 26, and 18 against the Kings, Grizzlies, and Rockets, respectively. And guess what- the Nuggets have won all three.
Mar 12, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts in the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The game against Sacramento saw 4 of the 5 starters score 20+ points, with Jalen Pickett only missing out by 2. The game against Memphis saw Michael Porter Jr. struggle for sure. But Aaron Gordon turned up the heat with a 33/5 showing in 41 minutes. Murray and Russell Westbrook had 15 and 14 points, respectively, too. And even for the game at Houston, their points tally across 6 players was spread as 16, 17, 18 (x2), and 19. So Adelman’s plan is clear- spread the workload, and the team succeeds. Rely on Jokic, and the team falters.
But Jamal Murray has the bigger point to prove. His injuries this season have hampered their attack horribly. During Malone’s tenure, he was the sole supporting cast to Jokic’s brilliance. But it’s not his attack that will be tested- it’s his defense. And Tim Bontemps hails his counterpart at the Clippers being his biggest nightmare in the first round. “He’s gonna have Kris Dunn all up in his grill and Dunn’s kinda gonna be the head of the snake but they got other guys that they can throw in there. I think this will be a tough series for Jamal Murray.”
Well, the scene is set. The locker-room loves David Adelman at the helm, and he knows exactly how to use the tools at his disposal for success. But they have to deal with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray as soon as possible. Who do you think will be victorious in the first-round showdown at Ball Arena?
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