The Denver Nuggets are likely to go down as the toughest challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder will have faced on their path to the NBA Finals, with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers being the likely outcome. However, the NBA doesn’t give out trophies for being close, as the Nuggets will head into the offseason to retool and make another run at it next year.
As for what’s happened so far for Denver since their playoff elimination, they hired interim head coach David Adelman to become the team’s full-time head coach, a move that made sense after his playoff run. Now, speaking to the media for the first time since being named coach, he shared his desire for what the team needs most going into next season.
“It’s not just making shots, it’s making shots in the moment,” Adelman shared during his press conference. Oklahoma City proved to be the better clutch shooting team in the series, as they made fourth-quarter comebacks in Games 4 and 5.
Adelman went on to emphasize that it’s not about just getting shots up during the summer, but practicing shots in-game shots to be able to be more consistent down the stretch. Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr, and Jamal Murray all shot below 31% from three during their series against the Thunder, something that can’t happen if Denver expects to win another title.
Additionally, the desire for more consistent shooting could cause the Nuggets to look elsewhere to make additions on that front. Whether that be through trade or free agency, Adelman and whoever ends up becoming the next general manager could look to do so.
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