The Oklahoma City Thunder poured down their assertiveness on the Denver Nuggets in the biggest game of their playoff run thus far. It was suffocating for the Nuggets, who attempted to win a Game 7 on the road. Against Thunder’s disruption, the Nuggets looked to be searching for answers from a short range of players. As well as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC played, Nikola Jokic felt Denver reached their exhaustion point in the series.

OKC shortened their rotation for Game 7. However, they have assembled a team that prefers to run a longer rotation to keep their players fresh. Denver needed Aaron Gordon to play with a limp to even feel competitive in this game. The Thunder managed to mainly attack the Nuggets’ thin options, an area the Joker thinks the Nuggets need to improve in the offseason.

“We cannot ask for somebody who didn’t play maybe I don’t know 20-30 games to jump in and like be good and like expect him to be good you know… So uh definitely seems like the teams that has a longer rotation, longer bench, it’s uh it’s the one who are winning. Indiana, uh what’s the name? Uh OKC, Minnesota,” he noted.

Jokic did praise Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson for being impactful. But considering the cumulative fatigue in a longer series, OKC could remain fresh. Tonight, their bench heavily outscored the Nuggets, and was a huge difference maker throughout the series. Sure, the Thunder’s defense was arguably their greatest strength. As great as Nikola Jokic’s playmaking acumen is, even he found trouble in getting his teammates involved.

“They’re so handsy. Even when you go by them, their attacking passing lane is really good. Uh they’re into the ball. I like to say they always their hand is always on the ball. They always like follow the ball, and it’s really hard to make a straight pass… You know, they’re well thought. They’re well-coached team, and that’s why they’re doing what they’re doing,” Nikola Jokic said about the Thunder.

OKC forced 22 turnovers, resulting in 37 points in a pivotal Game 7. Additionally, they managed to curtail Jamal Murray, limiting him to just 13 points. Likewise, there is pressure on the Nuggets’ front office to add depth to the roster and provide Jokic with a dynamic group by his side.

But when it comes to leading them, the three-time MVP doesn’t want the franchise to go hunting.

Nikola Jokic pushed for David Adelman

The Nuggets franchise made a major decision right before the playoffs. They fired their long-time head coach, Michael Malone, leaving an unfilled gap in their leadership. Although Malone’s tenure reportedly ended due to disagreements with the players, he had managed to create a great culture prior to that point. The interim head coach, David Adelman, had to do that all over again while winning the players.

And he managed to do just that.

Nikola Jokic was filled with a lot of praise for Adelman for handling his way through the complicated situation. And judging from his comments, the Joker may have advocated for Adelman to remain the head coach even beyond this season.

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“You have like he had three games to change something, and I think he changed the energy. I think the guys were woken up a little bit. The guys had more energy. He made us believe in something and we played good you know. We played a seven-game series [against] probably the best team in the NBA, and uh we had opportunity, we had chances. So you know, I think he did a really good job,” Jokic added.

Much like Malone, David Adelman is vocal and often demands high energy from the Nuggets. But he gave high emphasis on improving Denver’s defensive energy. While it didn’t pay off well tonight, his influence is evident. The Nuggets look solid under his leadership, and maybe they will choose to give him a whole season to assess his capabilities as a head coach.

So far, he has the support of the locker room. With an offseason of reinforcements demanded by the Joker, a greater range of selections may assist David Adelman in turning this project around. Do you think the Nuggets should continue with Adelman? Let us know your views in the comments below.