David Adelman didn't give Nikola Jokić or Jamal Murray a breather with the Thunder on the ropes. He should regret that.

When the Nuggets lose like this, they marvel at Nikola Jokic, explain they are frustrated and then nothing changes.

The Thunder survived a do-or-die situation when they escaped with a 92-87 Game 4 win over the Nuggets on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back with 25 points while the OKC

As for Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray? They scoff at the notion of fatigue playing a factor in back-to-back blown leads to the Thunder.

Aaron Gordon might be the gold standard of the "struggling leading man to role player" transformation right now. After never finding his place in Orlando, he has become Mr. Nugget in Denver by giving up the on-ball portion of his offensive game,

Sometimes, NBA playoff series bring the best out of role players. It's all matchup-dependent. Against the Nuggets, Williams has been a perfect backup center who ensures the Thunder will have at least one center on the floor at all times while their three-headed monster alternates.

However, the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves laid a weird blueprint last season. The Spurs traded their eighth pick to the Wolves for two picks in the very distant future. For a young team already boasting plenty of depth, the trade makes sense.