Denver Nuggets News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Nov 19, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Nuggets Head Coach David Adelman looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

David Adelman Explains Nuggets’ Surprise Lineup Decision vs. Pelicans

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Heading into the Denver Nuggets' matchup vs. the New Orleans Pelicans, Aaron Gordon wound up being a late scratch due to a hamstring injury that left head coach David Adelman tasked to elevate someone in his place within the starting five.

And of the handful of names that Adelman had to select from, it would be sixth-year big man Zeke Nnaji as the one to find his way into the starting five for the first time this season, drawing some attention as a bit of an unexpected move for the night in New Orleans.

Nnaji's someone that, through the first month of the season, has been in and out of the Nuggets rotation, suiting up for just around half of their regular season games, and appearing in just 3.5 minutes a night in those showings so far this year. So to see him as the one next to Jokic in Denver's starting frontcourt was a bit eye-catching.

But Adelman had a simple explanation for Nnaji's place in the starting five following what would ultimately be a Nuggets victory, and it centered on the defensive end: he needed an answer to stop Zion Williamson.

"Yeah, [Zeke's] had success in the past as far as, at least physically, you know, guarding Zion," Adelman said post-game. "He hasn't stopped him. No one really does one-on-one.  So he's had experience doing it, and I trusted that. I've seen him do it."

Zeke Nnaji Started as Nuggets' Answer for Zion Williamson

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Williamson returned to the Nuggets after a multiple-week absence, so it was a key factor for Denver heading into the night to prevent him from having his way.

For Adelman, the best way to do that was to put Nnaji on him in place of Gordon, who wound up missing the second game of the season with a hamstring injury. A player of comparable size to Zion, Nnaji has the defensive versatility to keep up with his ability to put pressure on the rim and made for a nice complement to place next to Jokic in the frontcourt.

"We trust Zeke to do it. Nights like this, it was the right matchup," Adelman continued." It's not going to be the most popular player that's gonna start; it's going make sense to win the game."

"We have Cam [Johnson], Jamal [Murray], and Nikola [Jokic] out there. You get a great night from Peyton [Watson] offensively. That particular player was very important, because it had to be somebody that made sense with Zion.  You know, a tough matchup. So Zeke makes sense to me."

That decision proved to be one that worked out for Adelman. Williamson was held in check for his first game back with 14 points on under 50% shooting from the field, while Nnaji played 27 minutes for two points and four rebounds to his name, and ultimately, a 125-118 victory.

The timeline for Gordon's return remains up in the air, but for as long as he's sidelined, Adelman could be primed to keep the rotation in flux based on the matchups they have on tap.

Up next, they'll have another dynamic talent to defend in Kevin Durant against the Houston Rockets on the road for the NBA Cup. It remains to be seen how the Nuggets will game plan around him and what Gordon's status will hold, but expect Adelman to continue to remain on his toes.