David Adelman looking more attractive for Raptors after Nuggets-Suns series

The Toronto Raptors’ coaching search has ranged from the safe and expected (Adrian Griffin, Charles Lee) to some of the most unusual candidates we’ve seen in a while (JJ Redick). David Adelman, currently with the Denver Nuggets, is the happy medium between these two extremes.

Adelman, who is the son of Hall of Fame Kings coach Rick Adelman, has spent the last half-decade as the top voice on the bench alongside Mike Malone. Adelman has undoubtedly played a huge part in making Nikola Jokic one of the best players in NBA history.

Adelman’s resume is impressive enough as it is, but his run in the postseason with the Nuggets has only made him more desirable. The Raptors might be looking at their future head coach if they tuned into their recent playoff series.

Adelman’s Nuggets polished off the mighty Phoenix Suns in six games, with Jokic playing some of the best ball of his career and the rest of Denver’s often-maligned bench stepping up. One of the few candidates for the job that is still alive in the postseason, Adelman put forth a very convincing audition for the Toronto job in this series.

David Adelman auditions strongly for Toronto Raptors job.

Adelman, who won both of his games when he was in charge of the Nuggets in Mike Malone’s absence, is coming from a team that has some of the most efficient shooters in the league. Nurse’s overtures didn’t seem to work on this roster, but Adelman might bring something new.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is having one of the best seasons of his career, Jamal Murray remains one of the more underrated point guards in the league, and Michael Porter Jr. is money from 3-point range. Even Aaron Gordon appears to be a much more well-rounded player than he was in Orlando.

Adelman checks the two main boxes ownership wanted to solidify with their next hire, as he has a history of solid player development and expert offensive insight. Those two traits could combine to make him the clear top candidate for Ujiri and the Raptors.

The Raptors will be taking a risk by adding an unproven product like Adelman, but everything about his profile as a coach suggests that he would be a solid hire with room to grow. If Toronto gets half the coach his father was, they would have made an absolute slam-dunk hire.