Nuggets Coach Experiments With Unorthodox Nikola Jokic Lineup

With their new additions, the Nuggets have much more lineup flexibility, making the job of head coach David Adelman much easier. Of course, with Jokic leading the charge, the Nuggets are always expected to be good, but their new additions could certainly shake things up for the better.

David Adelman is experimenting

While Cam Johnson is certainly the best player that Denver acquired this offseason, the addition of Jonas Valanciunas could make the biggest impact for Jokic. Of course, Valanciunas is expected to be a very valuable backup center behind Jokic, but what about the two European big men playing next to each other?

Adelman has been experimenting with Jokic and Valanciunas on the floor at the same time, and even tested a unique defensive scheme against the LA Clippers on Sunday. Adelman tested a zone defense with Valanciunas in the interior and Jokic on the wing.

Of course, Jokic is not the best interior defender, as that is likely the biggest weakness in his game, so Adelman is testing out a way to help put a band-aid on that weakness by plugging Valanciunas in the paint instead.

Before Sunday's game against the Clippers, Adelman said he wanted to experiment with a lineup of Jokic, Valanciunas, and Aaron Gordon, "just to see what happens," he said (via Law Murray).

Gordon has exploded as one of Denver's most vital players and was even incredibly clutch during their playoff run last season. Keeping him on the floor as much as possible is key for Denver, and putting him in a lineup alongside two big men rather than just one gives the Nuggets an incredible rebounding advantage and some intriguing versatility on both ends of the floor.

Very few NBA teams run a two-center lineup, with the Minnesota Timberwolves being the most prominent. While the Nuggets will likely not make this a regular starting combo, it gives them some interesting options to use throughout a long 82-game season.

More Denver Nuggets Content

• Denver Nuggets Have One Flaw That Could Implode Their Season
• Lakers Showed Interest in Bruce Brown Before Nuggets Deal
• NBA GMs Predict Where Nuggets Will Finish in West
• Bruce Brown Has One Simple Goal for Nuggets Preseason
• Nikola Jokic Sends Message to Cam Johnson Before Nuggets Season