David Adelman Opens Up On Nikola Jokic's Leadership During Turbulent Time Last Season
Jan 13, 2026
In the NBA, teams highly value players who can serve as an extension of the head coach on the floor. While this designation is typically embraced by point guards, Nikola Jokic has proven that he’s extremely comfortable with the role of vocal leader.
No one knows this better than his head coach, David Adelman, who bore witness to (and, indeed, greatly benefited from) Jokic’s leadership during a turbulent time last season. Adelman, of course, had to occupy the head coach’s seat when the Nuggets shockingly fired Mike Malone with three games left in the 2024–25 season.
“His leadership has been immense through the last part of last season,” Adelman said at a recent post-game media session. “You’re seeing it more in public, things that we’ve already seen.”
With next to no lead time, Adelman had to take on the responsibility of steering the Nuggets through their 2025 postseason. Fortunately for him, he had a 6-foot-11 Serbian who has an exceptional mind for basketball. “In the playoffs last year, he was great,” Adelman said of Jokic. “His communication is always so valuable for our players.”
Even when Jokic isn’t suiting up, he still gets in the ear of one teammate after another to point out things that they can do better. A viral clip from Sunday’s Nuggets-Bucks showdown shows an animated Jokic barking instructions at his team, even pointing to his head as if to say, “Use your brains out there.”
It may have been no coincidence, then, that the Nuggets went on to defeat the Bucks 108–104. Aaron Gordon, a frequent recipient of assists from Jokic, stepped up in the three-time MVP’s absence by putting up 23 points, six rebounds, and four dimes. Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 25 points off the bench.
Certainly, Jokic would prefer to multitask by directing his team's plays while also competing on the hardcourt. He might have to wait a few more weeks, however; according to NBA insider Marc Stein, early February appears to be the target date for Jokic’s comeback from a hyperextension in his right knee.
At the very least, it isn’t his vocal cords that have sustained damage. While Adelman would rather have Jokic dishing out high-lows to Gordon on the court, there’s no stopping the former Finals MVP from using his voice to lead his teammates.
