David Adelman knew nobody wanted double overtime in Chicago. "Like, absolutely nobody," he admits. And still, down two with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation last Thursday, instead of drawing up a play for a catch-and-shoot three, the Nuggets' interim coach designed a lob to the rim that resulted in the highlight of Denver's preseason.
Braxton Key's buzzer beater also resulted in the team not getting home until 3 a.m. that night. Adelman played for the tie because "I couldn't help it," he said. "I love that play."
That also seems to be his stance on creating shots for Julian Strawther right now.
As Adelman walked out the door after his postgame press conference Sunday night at Ball Arena, he paused to issue an addendum. The Nuggets had just avenged their double-overtime loss in Chicago with a 116-102 win over the Bulls, thanks in part to Strawther's increasingly astonishing offense. So Adelman wisecracked that Strawther owes him one — "for calling 95 plays for him."
Well, about that: After Denver's first preseason game last week in Phoenix, Adelman got Strawther's attention in the lobby of the team hotel. "Enjoy it, because I'll never run that many plays for you again," Strawther recalls Adelman saying.
"I don't know how many times he's going to keep doubling down on that," the rookie said, laughing.
Adelman just can't help it.
Strawther is making it difficult not to call plays for him right now. In fact, the Nuggets are all but structuring their entire bench unit's offense around the No. 29 pick in this summer's NBA draft. In three preseason exhibitions, Strawther is averaging 19.7 points and shooting 50% on eight 3-point shot attempts per game. He has one turnover in 66 minutes of playing time. He was the first guy off Denver's bench Sunday, sharing the floor with a championship starting lineup.
"You're crazy if you think I'm on the floor with Nikola and Jamal and they're going to be worried about what I'm doing," Strawther said. "My job is just ultimately to space the floor and make shots when I'm on the floor with those guys."
Valid. But when he's on the floor without them, he's the center of gravity, tactfully orbiting the perimeter around screens and hunting for a shot. Right now when Denver's second unit is on the floor, it's get the ball to Strawther. He wants it.
"This team does a great job of finding that guy, whoever it may be," he said. "So I feel like once I got it going, they hunted me out to see how long I could ride it."
It's a stunning development after an iffy Summer Lague performance. Strawther shot 40% from the field and 34% from 3-point range in Vegas, his hometown, where he admitted "there's a lot of nerves." The specter of his cold shooting touch during those five games still lingers; Strawther understands his current percentages are likely to slow down eventually, so his primary focus is improving on defense.
"I know that's what's going to keep me on the floor, ultimately," he said. "There's plenty of great offensive players, and scoring is not going to be an issue for this team."
But there's something to be said for a reserve player who possesses the advanced comprehension of off-ball movement and the confident trigger of Strawther, especially considering Denver's muddled second-unit competition. Bench inconsistencies ailed the Nuggets for almost all of last season, a concern that's sure to resurface this year now that the most reliable player from that bench is wearing a different uniform.
The defending champs need at least one player on that second unit who's capable of being a scorer in bursts. That's not exactly Christian Braun's game, or Zeke Nnaji's. The wing is the most crowded, convoluted position for Michael Malone and Adelman to sort out, but Strawther continues to be the standout of these auditions.
"Love his aggressive mindset," Murray said. "Miss, make, turnover, whatever it is, just staying constantly aggressive. Looking for his shot."
Right now, it's compelling enough to watch that the Nuggets can't stop themselves from calling plays for him.
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