Dec 15, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman before the game against the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

David Adelman Reveals Plan to Change Nuggets Lineup

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Dec 28, 2025 5:32 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets are amid a skid, losing three of their last five, and it continues to become clear why they need their injured players back on the floor. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson are all sidelined with injuries, and even with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic leading the charge, it gets to a point where they need their guys back.

Being down three starters has thrown a wrench in Denver's typical rotation, forcing head coach David Adelman to experiment with different lineups. With six consecutive road games ahead of them, Adelman is preparing to try anything to find a viable bench unit.

“I think anything is on the table. I always believe that you’ve got to give people more than a few games to see if they can find some cohesion. Julian (Strawther) had a good night offensively, which is good to see," Adelman said after Saturday's loss to the Magic.

"I’m going to try to find the best combination possible going forward, and everybody’s got an opportunity to play that’s on this roster for us to try to win games on the trip until we can get ourselves back to somewhat full."

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nuggets' shaky bench unit

When the Nuggets are forced to put three of their typical bench players in the starting lineup, it makes their new-look second unit much worse than before. After some significant offseason additions, the Nuggets undoubtedly had one of the best benches in the league, but now things are crumbling as they deal with injuries.

In Saturday's loss, the Nuggets rolled with a second unit of Jalen Pickett, Bruce Brown, Julian Strawther, and Jonas Valanciunas. Luckily, they got an impressive 13-point performance out of Strawther, but the other three combined for just six points.

The Nuggets do not have many other options further down the bench, unless Adelman turns to guys like Hunter Tyson, DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji, or two-way guard Curtis Jones. Some fans would love to see Holmes get more opportunities, while Jones could also be a fun short-term addition to the rotation. However, neither is expected to be a game-changer in any capacity.

It will be interesting to see what Adelman does with the rotation during this road trip, but luckily, there is a possibility that Gordon and Braun return during this stretch.