Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic Drops 1 Bold Warning For the Rest of the League After Michael Malone's Firing 1 David Adelman is the new interim head coach for the Denver Nuggets after the dismissal of Michael Malone.Credit: Getty Images

Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic Gets 100% Honest on David Adelman’s Interim Head Coach Run

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated May 20, 2025 9:31 AM ET

The Denver Nuggets have been eliminated in the second round for the second straight year after suffering a 125-93 Game 7 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder last Sunday.

Despite the early exit, the Denver Nuggets seem satisfied with interim head coach David Adelman, who took over the team with three games remaining in the regular season following the abrupt dismissal of long-time coach Michael Malone.

“I think he changed energy. I think the guys were woken up a little. Guys had more energy,” Jokic said about Adelman via ClutchPoints’ Rachel Strand.

May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) as he passes the ball in the first quarter during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“He made us believe something, and we played good. We played a seven-game series against the best team in the NBA. We had opportunity, we had chances. I think he did a really good job,” he added.

Denver Nuggets News: David Adelman backed to be the team’s next head coach

David Adelman has put himself in a strong position to take over as the Denver Nuggets’ next head coach following a solid playoff run this season, and Aaron Gordon hopes to see him win the job.

Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon Gives Huge Shoutout to Russell Westbrook for His Game 1 Winner Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 5 Apr 26, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) celebrates as he runs on the court after scoring the winning shot to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 101-99 in game four of round one of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

“I love DA. I hope he’s here next year. Hope he’s our coach,” Gordon said. “I hope he gets an entire training camp, a whole offseason, to figure out his philosophy. … DA is great. He’s excellent for us. I hope that he’s here next year.”

Besides figuring out the next head coach, Denver faces the daunting task of adding quality pieces this summer, at the behest of Nikola Jokic, this offseason.