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**Summary:**
Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman sees parallels between the young Oklahoma City Thunder duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, and the early years of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray during the Nuggets’ championship run. Adelman believes the Thunder stars possess a similar hunger and comfort in pressure situations, downplaying their relative inexperience. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s off shooting night in Game 3, both Adelman and Thunder coach Mark Daigneault expect him to bounce back. Jalen Williams defended the team’s late-game strategy in Game 3, emphasizing trust in Gilgeous-Alexander as the closer. The Thunder aim to even their series in Game 4.
**News Article:**
**Nuggets Coach Sees Championship Potential in Thunder’s Rising Stars**
DENVER – Denver Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman is drawing comparisons between the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dynamic duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams and the Nuggets’ own championship-winning pairing of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in their younger years.
Speaking ahead of Game 4 of the Thunder-Nuggets series, Adelman highlighted the hunger and composure he observes in the Thunder’s All-Star caliber players. “We were young once. We handled it pretty well, and they do too,” Adelman said, referencing Jokic and Murray’s early playoff experiences. He noted that despite their relative inexperience, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams possess a maturity beyond their years, similar to what he saw in the Nuggets’ core.
While Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shot in Game 3, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Adelman both anticipate a swift return to form. Adelman suggested that the Thunder’s dominance throughout the regular season indicates their ability to handle pressure. “The scary part is, the more experience they get in those games, the better they’re gonna be at them. Just like we were with Nikola and Jamal all those years ago.”
Williams addressed questions surrounding his usage in the closing moments of Game 3. Despite a strong performance where he led the team with 32 points, some wondered why he wasn’t more involved late in the game. However, Williams defended the strategy, stating, “When you have the best closer in the NBA, you get him spots where you want him to get to and you shoot the ball.” He emphasized his trust in Gilgeous-Alexander and the team’s overall offensive talent.
The Thunder will look to even the series at 2-2 when they face the Nuggets in Game 4.
*This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.*
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