The dust still hasn't settled after the Nuggets shocked the NBA on Tuesday, firing head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth in one fell swoop. Realistically, the dust probably won't settle for a long time and the ripple effects of this move will be felt in Denver, potentially for many years.
But in the meantime, the Nuggets are still right in the thick of a playoff race and a heated battle for seeding in the Western Conference. Interim coach David Adelman will take over for Malone, navigating the remaining three regular season games and whatever play-in and/or playoff games ensue.
Adelman is just 43 years old and has no NBA head coaching experience, but he has been an assistant to Malone for eight years and he is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Adelman. In his first press conference since being given the job, Adelman addressed the media for over eight minutes ahead of his debut with the team against the Kings on Wednesday night.
Adelman impresses in introductory press conference
Adelman hit all the right notes, said all the right things, and communicated a sense of calm, confidence, and professionalism that was extremely encouraging to see. He was appropriately poetic in his praise of admiration of Malone while also expressing that the team can play better and they are still confident that they will.
He talked about the need to stay unified and that he still believes this group has a chance to do something special. Winning the press conference doesn't mean anything if it doesn't lead to results, but for a fanbase still adjusting to massive change, this was a pretty good start.
Hopefully, fans are past the point of grieving and feeling sorry for themselves and ready to move on and try to get excited for the David Adelman era. It may only last for a few games, or maybe it will last for years to come. Either way, he has at least earned a shot.
It sounds like the players believe in him and there's a real chance that ridding the building of the toxicity of the relationship between Malone and Booth may lead to an immediate uptick in on-court energy and morale.
If that doesn't do it, then perhaps the loud message sent by ownership will be received by the players next. You can't exactly fire the players during the season, but make no mistake, the Kroenkes showed on Tuesday that these results are not acceptable and changes will be made.
Everything is on the table now and these players and this coaching staff have a short time to prove that they should continue to be a part of the Nuggets' future under a new regime. If Adelman's poise with the media is any indication, this may be exactly the jolt that Denver needed.