By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Denver Nuggets have acquired veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas, despite an offer from Panathinaikos. As it seems, he’s staying in the NBA, set to bolster Denver’s frontcourt and help lighten Nikola Jokić’s workload.
Head coach Rick Adelman expressed enthusiasm about the addition, shedding light on his vision for how Valančiūnas will fit into Denver’s system.
“He’s a true, proven center for a decade who can play all over the floor,” Adelman told per Denver Post. “When I say ‘point-center,’ I mean a guy we can run offense through. I don’t mean he’s going to be grabbing the ball and pushing it up the floor. But we’re already doing some things that fit him — five-out, dribble handoffs from the other side, posting up smaller players. His ability to make teammates better is there.”
Though Valančiūnas has averaged just 1.4 assists per game over his career, Adelman dismissed concerns about playmaking stats, emphasizing the broader impact of his presence.
“The assist numbers don’t matter to me. His ability to initiate the offense, because of his presence, does. That’s why he’s a huge addition for us. I can’t wait for him to get here and fit in.”
With Jokić leading the NBA in total minutes among centers last season, Adelman also acknowledged the need to preserve his star’s energy for the postseason. Valančiūnas’ arrival provides a rare opportunity to reduce Jokić’s workload without sacrificing physicality or floor-spacing at the five.
“We know one of the biggest things next season is keeping [Jokić] fresh, so he’s the best version of himself when we get to the playoffs, if we’re lucky enough to get there. So yeah, that’s important to us.”
As for lineup rotations, Adelman kept things open-ended, saying that second-unit minutes would have to be earned—including by the newcomers.
“Those guys have got to earn it. That goes for the new guys, too. Everybody knows that. We’re very excited about what those guys have done throughout their careers. We expect them to come in and compete… But it’s going to be an open competition. Hopefully, our young guys understand that… And all those guys will play off of Jonas.”
With Valančiūnas now firmly in the fold, the Nuggets will enter training camp with a bolstered frontcourt and a clearer path to easing Jokić’s burden. Whether the “point-center” experiment works remains to be seen—but Adelman is clearly betting big on it.