Better vibes, details, and accountability will be the focus for the Nuggets’ 2025-6 championship run, which tipped off with Media Day on Monday.
Executive VPs Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace opened with measured but optimistic comments about one of the best off-seasons in team history, setting perhaps a modified tone for how the team is now being run.
“We told [Jamal and Nikola] to be brutally honest with us,” said Wallace. “What do they need from us? We addressed those issues, and now we gotta put it together.”
Tenzer then added: “They have such a unique perspective in this, so it would be crazy to not ask for their perspectives and opinions when things come up.”
Whether or not these were veiled shots at the previous front office issues that led to some house cleaning last season, both VPs seemingly wanted to send a message that the organization is now on the same page and will continue an “open door policy” with players and coaches. Coach David Adelman praised the new execs in his remarks that followed. “The Front Office killed it,” he said. “They went out, and they provided things for us to be a better team.”
Coach and his new assistants, Jared Dudley and J.J. Barea, are part of the things that promise to make the Nuggets a more versatile, detail-oriented “problem,” as Adelman put it, for the Western Conference. Among the significant changes this year will be more of the zone that worked well at times in last year’s playoff run:
“I’m a proponent of playing zone when you can’t play man sometimes,” Coach said. “Some of these guys are so special as players […] that you have to throw them different pitches […] And I think we can get better at it .. if we do it more consistently. That doesn’t mean we’re going to do it every game, but I do think it’ll be an important part of what we do.”
The Nuggets new personnel, particularly on the bench, also necessitate new approaches to playstyle, rotations, and vibe. Adelman indicated that Jokic and Murray may not end up being used in bench rotations as much if “Cam flows well with Tim [Hardaway Jr.] and Valančiūnas,” for example. “I gotta find the right group that flows together,” he said, noting that finding an identity for the bench will be a top priority during the pre-season. “We can’t be -12 every night in [bench] minutes.”
WATCH: Coach David Adelman’s full press conference at Media Day
The starting five has also changed with the addition of Cam Johnson, who Adelman was high on. He interrupted a question to clarify to a reporter that Cam is “more than ‘solid,’ man.” He went on to praise his IQ, ball-handling, and development in Brooklyn. “He fits the style that we’ve played over the years. Cam’s an exciting add.”
Jonas Valančiūnas, too, may get some run with the starting unit at times. “[Nikola and Jonas] will play together at certain points,” said Adelman. “I’d like to see how people guard those two guys. I think that’s a very interesting … decision,” he said, smirking. He added that “when Sabonis was out, [Sacramento] ran their offense the same way, which is a complement because we all know how good Sabonis is.” The coach then added that he will “push the limits” if “there are things he wasn’t allowed to do with other teams that he can do with us.” No doubt that will be welcomed news to ESPN’s 87th best player and the best backup center Jokic has ever had.
In addition to depth, a major concern going into every offseason in recent memory has been Jamal Murray’s health, conditioning, and focus. There, too, the Nuggets seem very pleased with Jamal’s effort to build rapport with the new guys, even the two-way players, and get himself ready for expectations that are higher than ever. “I think the best way to buck trends is not to think about what happened before,” Coach said when asked what Murray can do to get off to a better start. “Part of learning stuff is forgetting about it and moving on. From what I saw this summer, he has a lot of momentum.”
Coach Adelman ended the presser with the same measured but confident optimism set by Tenzer and Wallace: “Everybody senses what this is. And competition is for real here.”
The Nuggets open their preseason on October 4th against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
