David Adelman Says 'Expectation' is Nuggets Return in 'Much Better Shape' Next Season

After being promoted from interim to full-time head coach of the Denver Nuggets, David Adelman has a clear objective for the team this offseason.

During his introductory news conference on Wednesday, Adelman told reporters that he feels better conditioning would benefit the Nuggets next season by helping them get off to a fast start and stay healthy for the playoffs.

"Teams that get off to great starts usually at the end of the year have the best chance of being healthy in these big games," Adelman said. "But, yeah, that will be the expectation to come back in much better shape."

Adelman, who replaced Michael Malone as head coach following his late-season firing, led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Semifinals before they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. Injuries to members of Denver's starting lineup and a lack of depth on the bench doomed the team's chances of earning a second NBA championship in the last three years.

The Nuggets still have to hire a general manager this offseason, and they don't own a pick in next month's NBA draft. Still, Adelman is looking forward to implementing his philosophies inton the team for the 2025-26 season.

"We have to get back to being an execution-based team," Adelman said. "If that takes away some of our pace numbers, or whatever the analytics want to say, I think that's OK if it wins you a game in May, as opposed to playing a game in December. The majority of the time, if you want to win big, you've got to play slow. You've got to be efficient. You've got to be clean. So that will be things we'll talk about throughout the summer, going to training camp."