The present disclosure provides for adaptive resource management in new radio operations that favors the usage of resources for pilot signals and channel estimation in the transition slots of a slot burst, and the transmission of data in the subsequent slots of the slot burst. A device such as a user equipment (UE) and/or a base station may determine that the UE is operating in a transition state. The device may adapt a first numerology including a first number of symbols per slot used for transmission in the transition slots during the transition state, to a second scaled numerology including a second number of symbols per slot used for transmission in the subsequent slots after the transition state. A ratio of reference signal symbols to data symbol symbols may be greater in the transition slots than in the subsequent slots.