Last week, the Denver Nuggets made the choice to fire head coach Michael Malone, who guided the team to its lone championship in 2023. While Nikola Jokic and Malone seemed to have a great relationship, the constant conflict between Malone and the now-fired general manager Calvin Booth had worn through the lineup.
While replacing a coach right before a playoff run seems odd, patience had worn thin. The firing was shocking, but it seemed like the writing was on the wall and the so-called “Cold War” needed to end.
Malone, for better or worse, was known as one of the more in-your-face coaches who didn’t mind getting firey with both players and officials. He has never backed down from conflict, and apparently his exit was no exception.
“It got out pretty quickly in the NBA that Michael Malone’s reaction to being fired was not calm, which is not a surprise. I don’t blame him.”
With a lineup centered on Jokic and some trade assets (Murray, Gordon, Porter Jr.) the Nuggets can quickly re-tool, and it’s expected that they will bring in a coach who can follow ownership’s vision and be more of a player’s coach, which Malone, despite his talents, certainly was not.
Denver will most likely play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, and interim head coach David Adelman, who could take over next season, will certainly have his hands full in the matchup.
