Troy Renck: The Nuggets showed they have the talent to contend for a championship on the court. But do they have it on the bench? The honeymoon is over for David Adelman. He is quickly approaching his one-year anniversary as the Nuggets coach after taking over with three games remaining last season. He continues to show he can get pinball scoring. Denver leads the NBA in offensive rating. The defense remains inconsistent. And there is something else at work when watching finishes at the Thunder and Lakers. Adelman made decisions that led to the losses. Should we be worried about the coach entering the postseason?
Sean Keeler: Losing sleep? No. Losing games? Sadly, yes. The Nuggets’ maddening inability to put good teams away isn’t a fluke anymore — it has become baked into this team’s DNA. Denver woke up Monday with a 7-11 record in games decided by three points or fewer. They were 8-6 in those games a year ago. They were 6-6 in ’23-24. They were 7-6 in ’22-23, when those Nuggets won it all. In ’21-22? A mark of 8-3. Just one Western Conference team since the pandemic has lost more than 11 games decided by three or less — Dallas in ’22-23 (8-12). These Nuggets are the only team in the West this season to have played in more than 15 tilts decided by three or fewer, which shows, on one level, they’re used to the kind of frenetic finishes they’ll see in the postseason. But winning fewer than 40% of those nail-biters is the stuff that can become a habit. And not a good one.
Renck: Adelman must improve in critical situations. The injuries provided cover for months, and, frankly, Adelman was at his best when putting together starting lineups with chicken wire and duct tape. When Peyton Watson returns, Adelman will have the team that was expected to push for a title. He has stressed that the players need time to find their rhythm, accepting blame for any hiccups. But the indigestion can’t come from the sideline. Last Saturday alone, there were multiple gaffes. He should have challenged Jamal Murray’s sixth foul. The rebound strategy on Austin Reaves’ intentionally missed free throw was a mistake. Jokic and Gordon were underneath and Spencer Jones on the top right. Murray fronted Marcus Smart above the 3-point line and Cam Johnson face-guarded LeBron James near midcourt. It makes sense to shadow James. Not so much with Smart. Adelman could have positioned Murray or Johnson right outside the arc on the single side to chase the ball to make up for the empty space, instead of being so preoccupied with crashing rebounders. Regardless of the odds of Reaves executing the play, he should not have been in a position to beat the Nuggets.
Keeler: Doncic’s winner was a Kobe/MJ level dagger — right down to the no-call on Luka’s push to create space. Grit your teeth. Tip your cap. Stars don’t get foul calls on those makes. . You have to scheme for the carom and account for the shooter. Jones looks as if he’s doubling Doncic, which makes sense, then realizes too late that Reaves is all alone. That’s on the staff, either in how it was drawn up or in making sure that the instructions were understood.
Renck: Adelman also has to be prepared to pivot. Twice, he has trusted Spencer Jones to defend a star in the closing seconds. Both times, Jones failed to direct the player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, into defensive help. They made great shots. But Adelman has to communicate the assignment better or ask Christian Braun or Bruce Brown to fill the role. Adelman admitted “itap going to be an investigation of what the team is supposed to be” when fully healthy. That’s on him. As is the increasing responsibility to put the Nuggets in the best position to win.
Keeler: To Adelman’s credit, he’s rarely had the full complement the front office designed for him. He’s had to “MacGyver” lineups and looks for most of the past three months. He’s weathered 18 months’ worth of crummy injuries packed into about three months. He’s given Watson runway to be a star. But this is a league of elite talent and fine margins — The lead blows up, the other team’s fans laugh, roll closing credits.
