In most big breakups, more information and explanations keep trickling out about the downfall as time passes. When the Nuggets fired head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth on Tuesday morning, the move, and especially the timing, left people stunned and searching for answers; about Malone especially.
He has been the head coach since 2015 and has become the winningest coach in franchise history; the only NBA head coach Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have ever known. He also led Denver to their only championship not even two years ago.
Maybe he could have done a better job, but axing him with just three games remaining in the regular season was unceremonious at best. Obviously, there was a rift between Malone and Booth, but as long as he could connect with players and produce winning basketball, that could be ignored.
However, according to an article in The Athletic by Tony Jones and Sam Amick, sources say the Nuggets locker room was a mess, and Jokic and other key players had become frustrated with Malone.
Malone’s preferential treatment of Westbrook irritated players
One specific thing that was mentioned in the article was Malone’s continued support of Russell Westbrook despite his recent struggles, erratic play, and infuriating crunch-time decisions. Malone was treating Westbrook with the same leniency as Jokic and Murray, which wasn’t received well.
Westbrook had been causing frustration on and off the court, but Malone kept playing him heavy minutes and insisting on closing games with Russ on the floor. The Athletic report stated that this treatment “led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players”.
Malone choosing to die on the hill of Westbrook is baffling
Everyone knows that Malone likes his trusty veterans, but the fact that he ended up losing the locker room, and eventually his job, over support of Westbrook is insane. Russ was brought in by Booth last summer on a veteran minimum contract. He has no ties to the Nuggets or Malone beyond that.
Russ started the season off very well and was constantly available when the team needed him. But as the season went on, his deficiencies became more pronounced, his play declined, and it started to become clear why good teams have found him to be unplayable in the playoffs in recent years.
But apparently, the evidence wasn’t enough for Malone to see and he ended up going down with the ship that was washed up veterans. Malone’s crazy loyalty to Westbrook never made any sense and it makes even less sense after seeing Jalen Pickett explode in the team’s first game under interim coach David Adelman.
Ultimately, this was just one move but it feels like it encapsulates the stubbornness of Malone, his battle with Booth, and why ownership eventually decided they couldn’t wait another moment and had to make a drastic change.