David Adelman has been with the Denver Nuggets since 2017, originally joining the franchise as an assistant coach, and then taking over interim duties when Mike Malone was fired last year. 

Now Adelman is nine games into his first full year at the helm, and he is already taking some time to give Denver’s all-star center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić his flowers. 

“[Jokić’s] the most efficient basketball player I’ve ever seen,” Adelman said during his postgame press conference following the Nuggets’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 8.

“And I know there’s guys way back in the past I didn’t get to see play, but for me, in this modern generation of basketball, please show me who else is out there that plays like this at this efficient level offensively. It’s a joy to watch.” 

Adelman’s claim may be bold, as, like he said, there have been plenty of efficient players to see the court in the NBA’s 78 years, but Denver’s head coach is riding with his player, who he’s coached for eight years. 

Jokić is certainly leaving his footprint on the efficiency discussion across the league, and he’s putting up the numbers to back up what Adelman stated during his press conference.

The three-time MVP and 2023 NBA champion is leading Denver in four of the five major statistical categories, averaging 25.2 points, 13 rebounds and 11.9 assists per game. He is shooting at a 64.4% clip from the field and 35% from 3-point range. 

“I wish they would say more [about Jokić],” Adelman said. “I think we should be talking about the efficiency numbers. In basketball, I don’t know man. 11-of-12 from the free throw line, 1-of-1 from 3…and by the way, he did all that in 31 minutes. So I’ll keep saying it, just enjoy this while you get to have it.”

Adelman’s had a front row seat to it for almost all of Jokić’s career, as he arrived in Denver just three years after the now seven-time all-star was drafted to the Nuggets. 

Over that time, Jokić has helped lead Denver to its first ever NBA Championship and has completely changed the way the center position is viewed, redefining what it means to anchor a team a couple years after arriving on the scene in the league. 

What has helped Denver this year, beyond just Jokić, has been the play of other Nuggets like Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. 

Murray is averaging career highs in points and field goal percentage, scoring 22.8 points per game on 48.2% shooting, and Gordon is not far behind. He is also averaging career highs in points and field goal percentage, scoring 20.1 points per game on 54.6% shooting. 

It’s early, but if Jokić, Murray and Gordon continue to produce numbers like those throughout the season, the Nuggets (7-2) will undoubtedly have another shot at breaking through an increasingly competitive Western Conference come the playoffs.