Somehow, Nikola Jokić is entering his 11th season with the Denver Nuggets, and in the 2025-26 season, the team has the best lineup versatility it has had in the Jokić era. David Adelman said on Monday that the Nuggets could run lineups with Jokić and Jonas Valančiūnas, which gave fans another reason to be excited.
On his podcast, "The Kevin O'Connor Show," O'Connor expressed his excitement to watch the new-look Nuggets this season. He compared the Jokić/Valančiūnas lineups to the Alperen Şengün/Steven Adams lineups that the Rockets deployed last season. It helped save Houston last season when the team lacked a go-to scorer that could take over a game, which it has since gotten in Kevin Durant.
Now, the Nuggets have that same weapon in their arsenal. Jokić and Valančiūnas can both shoot threes, adding another element to Denver's offense. O'Connor noted that it may not work well on the defensive end, and if that's the case, the Nuggets could use lineups with Jokić and DaRon Holmes II, as he's a better perimeter defender.
O'Connor couldn't say enough about the flexibility that Denver gained over the offseason, from running lineups with two bigs to playing Aaron Gordon at the five. Having those options at Adelman's disposal, even if they don't work (and some won't), makes the Nuggets that much more of a threat.
Nuggets have lineup versatility they didn't have last season
Based on what Adelman said at media day, it sounds like he's open to experimentation. He wouldn't have said he'd try Jokić/Valančiūnas lineups if it weren't something he's given serious thought to.
One of the biggest gripes about the past couple of years regarding Denver and Jokić was that the front office failed to build a winning roster around him. When you have a one-of-a-kind player like Jokić on the roster, you can't let that opportunity pass you by. The new front office duo of Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace reshaped the roster this offseason, giving the Nuggets their best odds since 2023 to win another championship.
A lot has changed in the past two years, and even more so in the 11 years that Jokić has been in Denver, but change isn't always a bad thing. In the case of the 2025-26 Nuggets, it's a great thing. Not only is it a dream come true for Jokić and fans, but also for Adelman, who has a heck of a roster in his first full season as head coach. The possibilities are endless.