David Adelman says the Nuggets have to replace Tim Hardaway Jr.’s ‘bad’ shot-making — and wants Cam Johnson to fire

LOS ANGELES — Oct. 14, 2026 — The Denver Nuggets finished last season with the NBA’s most efficient offense, and they bring the whole starting lineup back. David Adelman still does not think that means the work is done. Before Denver’s preseason game against the Clippers at Intuit Dome on Wednesday night, the Nuggets coach said one of the biggest things he has to replace is a player who is no longer in the building: Tim Hardaway Jr.

“Tim Hardaway was so good for us last year. He’s no longer here,” Adelman said. A moment later he added the line that got a laugh: “You can tell Tim I said this, he’s a bad shot maker and taker. So our 3-point numbers were up because of that.”

The Denver Nuggets were the NBA's top offense last season

Asked head coach David Adelman how he plans on approaching areas of improvement there, even as the entire starting lineup returns

He mentioned missing Tim Hardaway Jr.: "You can tell Tim I said this, he's a bad shot… pic.twitter.com/aWB0wDLbqd

— Law Murray 💀 (@LawMurrayTheNU) October 15, 2026

Why the No. 1 offense is still a project

Adelman’s first point was about time together, not talent. “Our starting five only played 23 games together last year,” he said, so the top ranking came from “a lot of sacrifice from a lot of people” and a team that “played a lot of different styles” to get there.

With that group healthy again, his priority this preseason is getting the starters comfortable with sets Denver ran two years ago. Aaron Gordon is the key to that. “With Aaron on the floor, that changes everything with who is where and why, because he can play so many positions out there offensively,” Adelman said.

Volume threes — ‘for the right reason’

The second part is shooting. Hardaway’s willingness to fire away pushed Denver’s 3-point numbers up last season, and Adelman called losing that “a worry.” When this core first played together, he said, the Nuggets did not take many threes. They lived in the paint and at the free-throw line instead, which he called “a good thing.”

He still wants more shots from deep. “We have to find volume 3-point shooting, but it’s got to be for the right reason,” Adelman said, and he named Cam Johnson as the player who has to provide it: Johnson will be “really important this year as far as take shots that are available to you.”

Adelman tied that aggressiveness directly to efficiency. Taking open shots, he said, “adds more possessions, more offensive rebounds, more opportunities for the rest of the guys.” He also pointed to the league around him. “You can always improve. Our league is scoring at an outrageous rate,” he said, adding that finishing first last season felt good because so many different players stepped in at different times.

Starters play at the Clippers, DeRozan rests

Adelman said Denver’s starters would play Wednesday against the Clippers. DeMar DeRozan got the night off for rest and is expected to play Friday against the Lakers in Denver’s preseason finale. Katy Winge reported that Marvin Bagley III was also set to play, barring a setback in warmups.

Nuggets will play their starters tonight against the Clippers. Marvin Bagley will also play – assuming no setback during warmups. DeMar DeRozan will be out tonight, just rest.

— Katy Winge (@katywinge) October 15, 2026

Hardaway is now with the Miami Heat. Denver opens its regular season next week, and the final two exhibitions are the last chance for Adelman to see whether a starting five that rarely played together can make up for the shots it lost.