Imagine the Denver Nuggets not just playing basketball, but reinventing the game on the fly—experimenting with wild schemes that could either turn them into champions or leave fans scratching their heads. That's the bold reality unfolding under new coach David Adelman, and trust me, it's a thrilling ride worth following. But here's where it gets controversial: Are these risky tweaks a genius move or a recipe for disaster in the competitive NBA? Let's dive into the details and uncover what most folks miss—the careful balance of innovation and caution that might just define Nuggets' season.
Denver Gazette reporter Vinny Benedetto offers an insider's view into the NBA world and the Nuggets' locker room dynamics. Adelman isn't stopping his experimental approach anytime soon; it's set to carry into the regular season. As the Nuggets' fresh head coach, who's no longer interim after a successful stint, he's shown a real enthusiasm for testing various strategies. This started during last year's playoffs, where he incorporated more zone defenses into their game plan—think of a zone as a team-wide coverage system that prioritizes positioning over one-on-one guarding, making it tougher for opponents to drive or shoot freely. They even unleashed full-court pressure on the Clippers in the first round, trapping players across the entire court to force mistakes, and tried out junk defenses against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder next, mixing in unpredictable, chaotic elements to disrupt star players.
With first-year assistant Jared Dudley calling the shots on defense, the team's man-to-man style—where each player guards a specific opponent—has undergone a major overhaul, though Adelman hints they might hold back some surprises until the real games begin. As forward Christian Braun noted after their preseason victory against the Bulls, converting 18 of Chicago's turnovers into easy points, 'The defense feels brand new to us. We've got all these fresh ideas and plays. We've been solid so far, and offense isn't a worry—we just need to nail the defensive side.' He added, 'We're mixing it up big time, with tons of lineup options to confuse opponents. That zone was a game-changer in the playoffs; it gave us a totally different vibe.'
Adelman was eager to test a tandem of big men like Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas sharing the court, which finally happened after three preseason games. 'This is an ongoing journey,' Adelman explained. 'I'm not backing away from it. I believe it can succeed, with some brilliant moments alongside others that are downright puzzling.' In the fourth preseason match, he even tried a massive lineup featuring both centers alongside Aaron Gordon at small forward, purely out of curiosity. On the flip side, he slotted Spencer Jones, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound player, into the center role—just to explore possibilities. With one new starter, three fresh faces in the backup unit, and a coaching staff overhaul, the Nuggets used training camp and preseason to lay a strong foundation before getting creative. This evaluation will extend into actual games.
'You've got to be fine with testing ideas for just a few minutes,' Adelman shared. 'We're not grinding through 14-hour practices like an NFL squad, scripting every play with six days of prep. We let the players execute and observe the results. No need to panic if it looks messy at first.'
Now, and this is the part most people miss, don't hit the panic button over the rough starts for new acquisitions Cam Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Their shooting hasn't clicked yet—Johnson's at 5-for-16 (31%) from three-point range, and Hardaway's 2-for-18 (11%)—but they're chasing the right opportunities most of the time. Johnson's two makes against Chicago stemmed from handoffs by Gordon and Jokic, a key part of Denver's offensive system that creates open shots effortlessly. He's hit 39% or better from deep in each of the past three seasons, and his misses were clean catch-and-shoot chances or bold transition pull-ups. The key here is Johnson's comfort level: 'I'm still figuring out the flow, where everyone moves, where they look for passes... it's about spacing and team chemistry. I'm happy with my shot spots, but I need to find other aggressive plays.'
Hardaway's success, however, might depend on his threes dropping sooner. He's only taken four shots inside the arc across four preseason games, and his time has been split between starters and backups. His only bucket against the Bulls came via a Jokic handoff, but his misses included clutch attempts like a 32-foot heave late in the second quarter—exactly the types of shots the Nuggets want from him. As Adelman put it, 'We created solid opportunities. Our shooters had off nights, but the looks were top-notch.'
Shifting gears to what players are saying, Cam Johnson hasn't forgotten the hostile reception he got from Nuggets fans last season during the Nets' visit on January 10, when he was sidelined with an ankle injury and traded barbs with the crowd. He faced similar rowdiness in Phoenix too. 'I recall last year here, the fans got really rowdy and antagonistic, you know, irritating,' he said. 'It's great to have them cheering for me now. They were piling on, shouting. One guy behind the bench was relentless. I told him to hush, and he just kept going. Now it's hilarious how switching teams changes everything.'
On a broader note, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley, who interviewed for the Knicks' job this summer, doubts she'll see a female coach in the NBA during her lifetime. 'If the Knicks hit a five-game skid, it won't just be about the losses,' she warned in a presser. 'People will fixate on the fact that it's a woman coaching. Any organization hiring a female must be ready to brush off that noise and stay strong.' This sparks a big question: Is the NBA truly open to diversity in coaching, or are societal biases holding it back?
As for what I'm keeping an eye on, Russell Westbrook, last season's Nuggets' backup point guard, has landed in Sacramento on what looks like another veteran minimum deal for his 18th NBA year. Sacramento also locked in forward Keegan Murray with a five-year extension reportedly worth $140 million, making him the sixth from the 2022 draft class to ink one. Nuggets' own Christian Braun and Peyton Watson can extend until Monday. Meanwhile, Denver waived James Akinjo, Terrence Hargrove Jr., and Coleman Hawkins from camp deals recently, freeing them up for their G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold. And in retirement news, 2017 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon hung up his sneakers Wednesday after stints with the Knicks and a Sixth Man award with the Celtics in 2023. Finally, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd got an extension Tuesday, despite Knicks' interest earlier—he'll start his year guiding rookie Cooper Flagg with more security.
What do you think? Is Adelman's experimentation the smart way to adapt in the NBA, or could it backfire spectacularly? And on the topic of female coaches, should teams push harder for equality despite potential backlash? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you agree with these bold moves, or see them differently?
