Nuggets interim coach David Adelman is trying to drown out the noise with the playoffs approaching, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. He’s not thinking of the playoffs as an audition for a full-time role.
“You’re going to think I’m lying, but I haven’t thought about that,” Adelman said. “This thing has happened so fast, and my No. 1 concern was getting this team, this group of people [into] the playoffs.”
Denver was able to stay afloat after firing Michael Malone late into the season, managing to keep a top-four seed when it was at risk of dropping to the play-in.
“I see this as: This franchise, this organization already has given me a chance right here,” Adelman said. “I owe them that.”
We have more from the Nuggets:
- Vice chairman Josh Kroenke said he considered making the coaching and general manager change around Thanksgiving, as opposed to this late in the year, per ESPN. However, he allowed the team some time to come together after an up-and-down start before ultimately reaching the same conclusion. Kroenke vowed to continue instilling energy into this iteration of the Nuggets.
- Christian Braun enjoyed a career year for the Nuggets, and he attributes plenty of his success to the help and pointers Nikola Jokic has given him over the years. “It’s all credit to Nikola,” Braun said. “He’ll grab you during the game, and he’ll tell you, ‘I want you here because they’re gonna do this.’ He’ll know three steps ahead. The credit doesn’t go to me.” Jokic has a history of elevating his teammates, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes, with former Denver guard Bruce Brown and former Serbian national teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic among those complimenting him.
- The clock is ticking on the Nuggets to get an extension done with Jokic, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. Jokic’s contract runs through 2026-27 before a player option the following year. With Jokic becoming extension-eligible on July 8, he could add upward of $149.4MM in new money on an extension over three years, or he could wait until July 2026 and add $230.6MM in new money across four years. Pincus explores all possibilities and angles of an extension and cautions about what it would mean for Denver if he didn’t agree to one.