Denver’s playoff flop didn’t cost David Adelman. The roster, though, could be wide open

DENVER (AP) — The president and governor of the Denver Nuggets said Friday his faith in coach David Adelman remains strong despite the team's first-round flop in the playoffs but he indicated a roster overhaul could happen just as much as the team running it back largely intact.

“I have full faith in Coach Adelman,” Josh Kroenke said at a news conference at Ball Arena. “And I think he coached a hell of a season, all things considered.”

The Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference at 54-38, behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They took a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs but were bounced in six games by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who showed more toughness and tenacity.

The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon (calf) for most of that series and Peyton Watson (hamstring) for all six games, continuing a season-long trend in which all their starters and most of their key reserves missed long stretches with injuries.

Counting the playoffs, Nuggets players missed 245 combined games last season.

While lamenting the injury epidemic, Kroenke said he liked the makeup of the team heading into the season and suggested he might just run it back with most of the same players in 2026-27.

But he also indicated that he'd consider trading anyone on the roster other than superstar Nikola Jokic as he tries to capitalize on the three-time MVP's remaining tenure in Denver.

Fellow All-Star Jamal Murray would draw the most interest and assets in return.

Jokic is eligible this summer to sign a four-year maximum contract extension projected to be worth up to $290 million, and he has indicated he aims to sign the deal.

The Nuggets went 10-6 during a stretch early in the season when Jokic was out, and Kroenke was asked if that helped solidify Adelman's job security.

“I think that that’s a real testament to what D.A. and the group did when Nikola went down,” Kroenke said. “I think that’s when D.A. and his staff really shined, some of the creative looks that they were doing with our lineups.”

A year ago, Adelman replaced Michael Malone late in the season and led the Nuggets to a first-round win over the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in Round 2. Afterward, the Nuggets hired Ben Tenzer as executive vice president of basketball operations and Jonathan Wallace as executive vice president of player personnel, basically splitting the job of former GM Calvin Booth, who was fired along with Malone.

Tenzer and Wallace dealt Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and added much-needed depth, notably with the additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Kroenke complimented his lieutenants “for pressing a lot of the right buttons last summer,” and suggested that if the team had stayed healthy, “this could be a 60- to 65-win team.”

“But we never got a chance to fully show it. And that’s why I say everything has to be on the table, including running it back. Because I really do believe in the group of people that were assembled in there this year,” Kroenke said.

A big factor is finances. The Nuggets will face significant financial pressure heading into next season as their starting lineup as it stands tops $184 million in salary, including extensions for Christian Braun and Gordon that kick in next season.

Braun had an injury-filled season and didn't live up to his big extension he signed last offseason, but that deal complicates Denver's hopes of re-signing Peyton Watson, who could command $20 million or more annually.

“Peyton had a great year,” Tenzer said. "He obviously grew a lot. I said it at the beginning of the season, we hope Peyton’s a Nugget for a very long time, he’s been great for us.”

The Nuggets also hope Gordon can get healthy. He's been hurt each of the last two years in the playoffs, and that in turn affects the game of All-Stars Jokic and Murray.

“We have to all look in the mirror and say, ‘A.G., how can we help you?’" Kroenke said. "Because when he’s healthy, we all look better, you know, from myself on down to our training staff and so, you know, A.G., is a wonderful person like I said. We’re gonna have to have some challenging conversations about how we can all get better.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman looks on in the first half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) goes up to shoot over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, center left, during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) walks off the court after the Nuggets lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks on during the second half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — It wasn’t satisfying enough for Buffalo Sabres goalie Alex Lyon to have Viktor Arvidsson’s penalty shot glance off his blocker and deflect wide of the net.

Lyon decided to pile on the forward's grief. He began chirping a few words at Arvidsson following the failed attempt that prevented the Boston Bruins from building on a 1-0 lead in Buffalo's eventual 3-1 win in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

The moment and Lyon’s response, coming in his first career playoff start for Buffalo, captured the fearless and competitive approach the 33-year-old goalie has developed over a journeyman career.

“I think when you’re young, it’s easy to get intimidated by the moment,” Lyon said.

“But once you start thinking about it in terms of the game, it’s about winning and losing at the end of the day. And that’s the only thing I’m trying to do,” he added. “It’s just gamesmanship.”

It’s an attitude that’s earned Lyon the starting duties in taking over after Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen struggled in a 4-2 loss in Game 2 loss to Boston. Lyon's gone 4-1 since, including a 26-save outing in a 4-2 win in Buffalo’s second-round series' opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

Entering Game 2 on Friday night, Lyon’s 1.3 goals-against average and .950 save percentage rank second among players with five or more starts this postseason. And it follows Lyon's first Sabres season in which he went 20-10-4 splitting the starting duties and helping Buffalo end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought and win its first Atlantic Division title.

Very little appears to rattle Lyon. Or rather, the goalie said, he does his best to hide it.

“It’s all about perception,” Lyon said. “It probably dawned on me five or six years ago, that if you just continue to keep pushing through the bad times, it will always turn around for the better.”

The philosophy has carried him through a nine-year pro career spanning five NHL teams.

Lyon is relentless in refusing to give up on plays even when out of position, and included him doing a near-somersault to get from one post to the other and get a piece of Morgan Geekie’s shot in the first round. Add in his engaging and upbeat personality, and Lyon has endeared himself to his team.

“I really love guys like that, hates to lose and wants their opponents to look bad. I really feed off that,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “He loves big moments. That’s when he thrives.”

Coach Lindy Ruff called Lyon’s approach “infectious.”

“Every goalie has their own personality, and his personality has a lot of fire in it. He’s a character and it’s something the group likes,” Ruff said. “I don’t even know if I’ve seen him have a bad day.”

Lyon admits to having plenty of bad days. But they come with territory, much like accepting he’s not going to stop every shot.

From Baudette, Minnesota, Lyon was an undrafted free-agent out of Yale upon signing with the Philadelphia Flyers. He went 6-7-2 in five years in Philadelphia, and split the next four seasons between Carolina, Florida and Detroit, where he went 35-27-6 over two seasons.

He went 1-2 in four playoff appearances with Florida’s Stanley Cup Final-losing team in 2023, though Lyon was only filling in for injured starter Sergei Bobrovsky.

San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky saw many of the same qualities when coaching Lyon with the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves in 2021-22. The 29-year-old went 9-3 in leading the Wolves to win the Calder Cup championship.

“Did not want to give up the net,” Warsofsky told The Associated Press by phone Friday.

“It’s not, obviously, an easy league to play in, but every day he was the same guy,” he added. “It just shows you that everyone develops a little bit differently on different timelines, and sometimes you need an opportunity and he’s gotten a really good opportunity.”

Lyon fondly reflects upon his past by saying playing for numerous teams at various levels helped him learn more about himself. And breaking into the NHL as an older player after years in the minors were lessons in maintaining confidence, adapting to riding the highs and lows, and learning to put team success first.

“It’s really difficult as a young player to not get caught up in the day to day and thinking about production,” Lyon said. “The less you think about that, the less you worry about that, the better things are.”

AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Buffalo Sabres' Alex Lyon makes a save during the third period in Game 4 of a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Boston Bruins, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (34) and center Ryan McLeod (71) celebrate victory following the third period in Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon makes a save during the third period in Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)