The Denver Nuggets are no strangers to injuries this season, and the chaos showed no signs of slowing down in their dominant 116-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Just when head coach David Adelman appeared to have found a workable solution for the non-Nikola Jokić minutes, another wave of injuries has forced him to blow up the rotation once again.
Speaking after practice ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup with the Utah Jazz, Adelman confirmed he is ready to get experimental. That includes sliding versatile forward Peyton Watson into the backup center role on small-ball units in place of the injured Spencer Jones.
Adelman made it clear he won’t hesitate to put key players in tough spots if it means securing wins. “If I have to put Cam [Johnson] and Jamal [Murray] in tough situations with the minutes, that’s what I’ll do,” he said. “If that’s what we have to do to win games, that’s what I’ll do.”
The coach outlined several rotation tweaks driven by the latest setbacks to Jones and Zeke Nnaji. Both Cam Johnson and Jamal Murray will see expanded roles across the entire lineup, including more time on small-ball groups. Adelman also floated the idea of going bigger by using Jonas Valanciunas to spell Jokić at backup center, but he stopped short of full commitment—Valanciunas has recently fallen out of the rotation due to defensive issues.
Instead, Adelman plans to unleash Peyton Watson as a true “Swiss Army knife.” The 6-foot-8 forward could see time at backup five, and even as a primary ball-handler in certain stretches. Defensively, the coach has full confidence in Watson’s ability to guard anyone—from towering bigs like Kristaps Porzingis to quick smaller guards.
Watson has been one of the biggest stories of the Nuggets’ season. In a career year, he’s averaging career highs of 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. When Jokić missed most of January with a knee injury, Watson exploded for 21.9 points per game on stellar 46% three-point shooting, emerging as a legitimate third scoring option alongside Jokić and Murray.
His breakout play has turned him into a must-keep piece for Denver—though the cap-strapped Nuggets may face a brutal decision this summer when Watson hits restricted free agency.
Adelman added that Aaron Gordon and Cam Johnson both participated in practice, leaving Jones and Nnaji as the main question marks heading into the second-to-last road game of the regular season against the Jazz in Utah.
The Nuggets’ ability to adapt on the fly has been impressive all year, but this latest injury crunch is forcing a complete overhaul. Whether the new-look rotation delivers or creates more chaos, one thing is certain: these adjustments could be a true game-changer as Denver pushes toward the playoffs.
The NBA is watching closely to see if the Nuggets can once again turn adversity into advantage.