A lot of woes need to be fixed within the Cleveland Cavaliers system. It all starts with finding the proper head honcho to replace JB Bickerstaff. A lot of names have surfaced with some having more acclaim than others. But, it looks like one promising candidate is about to make waves and position himself better than others. He goes by the name of David Adelman. His previous stint with the Denver Nuggets all but proves that he could be worthy of being the next mastermind to lead the Cavs squad that stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
The Cavs have officially acquired the permission to interview David Adelman, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. This great basketball mind is currently under the wing of Coach Mike Malone. He helped the Nuggets in their schemes and rotations en route to the 2023 NBA Championship where they made light work of their opponents.
He fits well with the Cavs given that their personnel mainly revolves around running halfcourt sets. In the past two seasons that David Adelman had with the Nuggets, they had a -1.0 and -1.7 pace. This gave them the ability to focus more on executing sets rather than forcing fastbreaks where everyone feels gassed. Another offensive philosophy that he has which aligns with this Cavs team is that they have good screen-setters. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen know how to thrive setting picks up for guys like Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
What are the Cavs getting with him?
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While David Adelman will not have the luxury of having a player like Nikola Jokic, this Cavs team still has a very similar makeup to that of the Nuggets. What can he do with that type of roster? Well, he can fix up their schemes and rotations just like what was done with Mike Malone. The trust that the Nuggets have given him led to a 118.5 offensive rating which is good for fifth in the league.
Adelman is also not a slouch when it comes to helping the Nuggets with their defensive schemes. Malone has enlisted his help in coming up with defensive schemes that led them to basketball glory in 2023. In their most recent stint, Adelman helped forge a defense that had a 113 rating that placed them eighth in all of the association.
This smart use of zones while also preserving guys like Jokic and Jamal Murray makes him a really good fit for the Cavs. Oftentimes, Donovan Mitchell and the rest of the squad either have to fully focus on one part of the court and sag off on the other. Now, they have a chance to be serviceable on defense.
The last part where the Cavs could really use his help is player and chemistry development. Adelman has been with the Nuggets since the 2017 season. He helped the tandem of Murray and Jokic become the lethal pick-and-roll duo that they are. If the Cavs do get him, he could surely naturally form a bond with these players through schematics over time. They might even win their first ring without LeBron James.