Most political endorsements can’t hold a candle to the validation Nikola Jokic gave acting Nuggets head coach David Adelman on Tuesday night.
In the aftermath of Denver’s 122-113 win over Portland, which extended its winning streak to seven and its dominant home-court record to 20-3, Jokic was so insistent on his point he said it twice.
According to Jokic, Adelman is going to be an NBA head coach and perhaps the next one to come off Denver’s bench. Adelman picked up his first win Tuesday night as acting head coach while regular head coach Michael Malone recovered in health and safety protocols.
Jokic first shared his opinion in the on-court interview after he hung a 36-point triple-double with just one missed shot. Soon after, he shared his vantage point with reporters.
“I really think that DA’s a guy who’s gonna be next head coach because he has that, I’m gonna say ‘head’ for a head coach,” Jokic said. “… He knows the answers. He reads, reacts.”
When the next NBA head coaching opportunity opens up, consider that Adelman received a stamp of approval from perhaps the smartest basketball player in the world. Not that Adelman wanted any credit; after he was drenched in an ice bath, he deflected all the attention on his players.
He praised Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the defensive effort he gave on Damian Lillard, applauded Michael Porter Jr.’s growth as an off-ball player, and spotlighted Jokic, whose brilliance fueled another Nuggets win.
“It’s hard to explain because you call plays for him, and those plays sometimes turn into team conceptual basketball because of him,” Adelman said, explaining the luxury of Jokic.
At halftime, Adelman said Malone reached out to some of Denver’s assistants, texting them advice on what he saw. There was no ego from Adelman whatsoever, and he said he appreciated Malone’s insight, even from afar. By that point, Lillard had torched Denver’s defense for 30 points on six 3-pointers.
“I think getting the ball out of Lillard’s hands was pretty obvious,” Adelman said.
Within that, Caldwell-Pope blanketed Lillard (in as much as one can), limiting him to just 14 points in the second half. Jokic helped in his own right, working hard to stay up in pick-and-rolls, and Caldwell-Pope did his best to stay on Lillard’s hip. The ploy worked, despite the “exotic actions,” according to Adelman, that Portland used to free Lillard.
And Caldwell-Pope took home another Defensive Player of the Game chain as a result.
In another example of his readiness to lead, Adelman made a habit of grabbing guys on the sideline or elaborating on a decision just so players understood his thinking at a given moment.
“I think constant communication’s really important,” he said.
In the postgame news conference, after Adelman had showered and changed into a dry outfit, he was composed and insightful in explaining how the Nuggets had won yet again. There was no time to bask in his win, either, as another task — Minnesota on Wednesday night — awaited.
And if it was Adelman, again, serving as head coach against the Timberwolves, at least he’d know he’d have the two-time MVP behind him.
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