The Nuggets’ NBA Cup pursuit is in full swing. Their first opponents? New Orleans Pelicans. But they will be heading into tonight’s game extremely shorthanded, as they are missing arguably their two most important pieces. Nikola Jokic and Michael Malone!

Yes, Malone will not be the one calling the shots for the Nuggets tonight. And on his day off, assistant coach David Adelman will play the role of the team’s acting head coach. Adelman revealed the reason behind Malone’s absence, “He’s watching his daughter play — that’s really cool.” The head coach has taken time off to attend his daughter Bridget’s state volleyball tournament game.

Sure enough, David, being the son of former NBA head coach, Rick Adelman, was ecstatic to see Malone making time for family. “From being a coach’s son and growing up around this, there’s things you miss as a dad. It’s really cool that he’s there. That’s something you don’t want to miss. It’s one game. Whatever. That’s really important to her. It’s really important to their family. So I’m glad he’s there,” the acting head coach said.

Notably, Michael Malone had already hinted at missing the game after Thursday’s practice itself, when he said, “My daughters have been to state, now it would be six years in a row. And as a parent, I always love going there. It’s a great environment. And just to be a dad. To support them and watch them with a tremendous amount of pride.”

Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic is also not suiting up tonight because of personal reasons. And David Adelman talked about how his absence impacts the team. “Nikola’s not here, and that’s the most difficult thing.” Well, The Joker has been on fire this season, averaging a 29.7-point triple-double. He scored 4 consecutive triple-doubles before getting ruled out. His team is on a 5-game win streak because of his elite performance. So, it’s understandable why Malone and Jokic’s absence is raising concerns ahead of the NBA Cup encounter.

David Adelman drops a crucial update on Nikola Jokic’s return

Obviously, everyone is eager to know when their beloved big man will be back on the court again. And Adelman addressed it, saying, “It’s personal reasons for him. It’s things at home. For somebody, that’s their business. When he feels like he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.” Yes, there is no specific timeline on the three-time MVP’s return so far. The Denver side went 2-1 last season in the absence of their talisman. That’s proof of how rarely he misses NBA games!

While Nikola Jokic is not available, David Adelman bumped veteran big man Dario Saric into the starting lineup. Well, he has played only five games so far, coming off the bench in all of them. He is nowhere close to matching Jokic’s impact on the floor because he’s averaging only a point in limited minutes! But in all fairness, there might be no player in the league capable enough to replace Jokic and impact the game in the way the Serb does. So, Adelman can only work with the players he’s got and try to make the most of the situation.

Surely, that is going to be a difficult challenge for the acting HC. Do you think he can lead the Nuggets to their first NBA Cup group stage win without Jokic and Malone?