Denver Nuggets first-year head coach David Adelman inherited a veteran squad with a couple of young players stuck way down at the end of the bench. He played them, but only when injuries were a problem. Like Michael Malone for years before him, he didn't give the young guys much of a chance within the rotation. But Adelman may be forced to think outside the box to break that habit.
It's a problem that kept Peyton Watson under the radar and limited his minutes until he was given the opportunity to shine. The Nuggets get great production from Julian Strawther when he fills in and gets minutes, but we hardly know what he's capable of as a normal member of a deeper rotation.
A Jamal Murray trade could force Adelman to try out a young player
If the Nuggets were to trade Jamal Murray, depending on the package, it could leave a hole at the point guard spot. The Nuggets would have Jalen Pickett to try out if they bring him back on his team-friendly option. Or they could really break the habit by trying out a point guard from the 26th pick in the upcoming NBA draft, like Bennett Stirtz.
It would certainly be a new endeavor for Adleman. Even in the final two games of the regular season, when the Nuggets sat their starters for rest, Adelman still didn't test out DaRon Holmes for more than a grand total of six minutes. Holmes was drafted with the hopes of filling in at the anchor of the non-Nikola Jokic minutes, but he's never been given any significant minutes outside of a few games when Jokic was out with a knee injury.
Young players have shown they can ball when given the chance
David Roddy is a perfect example of taking the opportunity and running with it. The Nuggets' two-way player was a lightning rod in his two-game showcase for a return next season. Especially against the near full-strength San Antonio Spurs.
Roddy scored 15 points and added 13 rebounds in 33 hard-played minutes against the Spurs. It was a refreshing hustle, gritty play the Nuggets could have used against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Hopefully, Roddy comes back and gets a chance if Adelman thinks outside the box.
And not to be outdone, Julian Strawther had 25 points on 4-8 three-point shooting. He has shown multiple times this year that he is a worthy rotation addition, but for some reason, Adelman just doesn't give him much run when Christian Braun is healthy.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had to play their young cast over the years, and that whole team developed into a force. The Spurs did the same thing. The Nuggets need David Adelman to think outside the box and give the young players a chance. They might just develop into something that might work.
Add us as a preferred source on Google