It was an eventful summer for the Denver Nuggets front office. Shortly before last season’s playoffs, head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth were let go from their crucial positions. Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace took on the difficult task of building another contending team around Nikola Jokic.
David Adelman was signed as head coach, someone who had spent eight years working as Malone’s assistant and knows both the players and the system inside out. Also, one of the key pieces of the 2023 championship run, Michael Porter Jr., is gone. So are Russell Westbrook, Dario Saric and Vlatko Cancar. Coming in are Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cameron Johnson and Bruce Brown.
These moves significantly reshuffle the hierarchy within the Nuggets. One of the now-veteran voices, Aaron Gordon, spoke on Media Day about the changes and what they mean for his role on the team.
“Imma just turn up on defense. We have so much talent on the offensive side, I’m not even really worried about it. Like CB [Christian Braun] was talking, I’ll just take what’s open for me, do what I can to take the pressure off us if the game becomes stimmy. But really, I’m just worried about the defense, imma just turn up on that end of the floor,” Gordon stressed.
Fewer small-ball minutes at center for Gordon
The sense is that Valanciunas will exclusively back up Jokic, which could mean fewer small-ball minutes at center for Gordon. Meanwhile, Johnson is expected to fill Porter Jr.’s role as the reliable third scoring option and top perimeter threat. Hardaway Jr. and Brown should add valuable bench production, something Denver sorely lacked after the 2023 title when their championship roster began to decline. The Nuggets lost part of their identity and became more predictable.
That’s why Gordon ended up as the second-best player in last season’s playoffs, right behind Jokic, after starting the season projected as the fourth option on offense. He delivered unforgettable clutch moments that will forever be remembered by Nuggets fans while anchoring the team’s defense. His impact even pushed ESPN to rank him as the Nuggets second-best player behind the three-time MVP in their Top 100 list.
“Gordon played the hero in so many of the Nuggets’ playoff games in 2024-25 despite having a frustrating regular season due to injuries. When he was healthy enough to play, he showcased a much-improved 3-point shooting stroke (44 percent), honed through months of tireless work on his home court,” Ramona Shelburne wrote.
“No one was more frustrated than Gordon at the series of calf and leg injuries that caused him to miss 30 regular-season games. If he’s able to sustain his health this year, look for new coach David Adelman to allow Gordon to contribute even more offensively.”
Gordon’s mindset could be crucial
Still, as AG himself said, offense is not his concern.
Despite showing real progress on that end, especially as a shooter, his main focus remains on the defensive side of the floor. And while Denver added strong offensive pieces, their defense has not significantly improved. Opponents will continue to target Jokic in pick-and-rolls and at the rim, where he has long been one of the league’s weakest rim protectors. His slower lateral movements also allow quicker guards to exploit mismatches, creating consistent defensive problems for the Nuggets.
Last season, Denver ranked just 22nd in the league in defensive net rating, with Gordon and Christian Braun taking on the toughest defensive assignments. Jokic showed improvement defensively, but remained far from the level needed for a championship run.
That’s why Gordon’s mindset could be crucial.
Confident in the team’s offensive firepower, he’s ready to devote himself to defense, waiting for easy opportunities in the dunker spot or in catch-and-shoot situations.
His selfless mentality could be the key to unlocking Denver’s full potential.