Nuggets fire Michael Malone and Calvin Booth

[T Park]

Hopefully this wasn't the Nuggets trying to get a head start on going after Taylor Jenkins while the Spurs stand around with their s in their hands waiting to see what Pop decides.

I’d rather have Malone than Jenkins

[heyheymymy]

man what is going on lol

[BatManu20]

The Nuggets weren’t going anywhere. It made no difference - now, tomorrow, next month. Didn’t matter.

I follow the Nuggets and I heard Joker say a few months ago paraphrasing - “there is no on/off switch. There is no switch for a team. You are what you are”

That was red flag to me he didn’t believe in the roster.

This isn’t happening with Jokić giving it a yes. It was done with him in mind. Bob Meyers is out there - that’s a good hire. Then let him choose his coach with Jokers input.

MPJ and Murray should be out the door next but their contracts are horrid.

This is the problem. These two guys alone eat up 50% of their cap. Two bad contracts that will be difficult to move. Not sure how DEN gets out of this one tbh. MPJ + a ton of draft capital for KD maybe? PHX can likely get a much better return for HOU though. Will be interesting to see how this plays out this Summer.

[tonight...you]

I like seeing LkrFan happy and posting.
More chances of me seeing that hotness grinding back and forth, tbh.

[The Truth #6]

I don't know any of the details, but I'm going to assume the ownership sucks.

[Jordan Jackson]

This is the problem. These two guys alone eat up 50% of their cap. Two bad contracts that will be difficult to move. Not sure how DEN gets out of this one tbh. MPJ + a ton of draft capital for KD maybe? PHX can likely get a much better return for HOU though. Will be interesting to see how this plays out this Summer.

I honestly don’t know how they move those contracts in this new environment. Just stupid contracts to begin with given their durability and lack of defense.

Might have to trade for an equally toxic contract but with less years? Beal? Really don’t know.

This needs to be a cautionary tale for the Spurs though.

[Arcadian]

How did the players feel about him? Any issues in the locker room?

[itzsoweezee]

I’d rather have Malone than Jenkins

I think I agree. On the other hand, Malone is kind of a hot heat and Jenkins is the opposite

[LkrFan]

I like seeing LkrFan happy and posting.
More chances of me seeing that hotness grinding back and forth, tbh.

But if you farmers "luck up and get Flagg" I'm going back downstairs.

[LeBowen]

I don't want Malone, tbh.
I don't like his victim complex and all the media antics.

I've been rooting for the Nuggets in the playoffs ever since we started tanking and he's not a great coach.
Yeah, this season he had very little to work with, but even when they won the ring non-Jokic minutes were just atrocious.

I'd much rather have Jenkins.

[TD 21]

Hard pass and can't envision the Spurs thinking differently. Not only not "part of the family" (whether it should or not, it'd be naive to think it won't matter), but without his best player in the world/lowest maintenance superstar since Duncan shield, he's a short shelf life type, with his toxic, Hurley like personality.

Who knows, but my sense is Pop, followed by Johnson or maybe Budenholzer are the candidates next season and beyond.

[Chillen]

Pointless firing of Malone. The GM I get but no point in firing the head coach with just like 3 or 4 games left in the season.

[dn0774]

Pointless firing of Malone. The GM I get but no point in firing the head coach with just like 3 or 4 games left in the season.

I bet it was a “it’s him or me” situation between Booth and Malone and ownership said “neither”.

[John B]

I thought Nuggets was going to be the next Spurs with a grounded franchise player, and seemingly no drama, just good basketball.

[spursistan]

Hard pass and can't envision the Spurs thinking differently. Not only not "part of the family" (whether it should or not, it'd be naive to think it won't matter), but without his best player in the world/lowest maintenance superstar since Duncan shield, he's a short shelf life type, with his toxic, Hurley like personality.

Who knows, but my sense is Pop, followed by Johnson or maybe Budenholzer are the candidates next season and beyond.

All of this . Too much of a narcissist, whiney and self-important figure. I suspect he will turn into 'journeyman coach' after this..

Budenholzer seems like a good middle-ground for our particular case. I think he is getting the axe at the end of the season; owners are too emboldened at this moment as they keep shifting the blame by cycling through coaches.

[Mr. Body]

Both Jenkins and Malone got a ton out of shaky rosters.

[spursistan]

Yeah this only makes sense if Jokic wanted him gone. Yeah, they've been dog on D all season but they haven't really been healthy all year either to be able to establish a rotation where, among other things, Russ could conceivably run an offense the eight minutes Jokic will be off the floor in the playoffs.

Now I'm thinking the lineup against the Spurs was dictated from above to show how crappy the rest of the roster is; the result is the justification for cleaning house.

Still though -- it probably won't get better in two weeks with a new coach.

This is has to be the case. This is one of the few historical instances of "X player made the franchise" up there with Jordan/Bulls, Dirk/Mavs, Lebron/Cavs. Which is interesting in a way, what made Jokic flip at this critical moment?

[spurraider21]

Malone would be an upgrade to what we have now, but I'd rather have Jenkins or Vogel. then id say Malone/Bud is the next tier

[mo7888]

My want list:
1. Snyder
2. Jenkins
3. Malone
4. Bud

[spurraider21]

My want list:
1. Snyder
2. Jenkins
3. Malone
4. Bud

id agree with this, and id slide Vogel into 3. but i dont see snyder becomign available. we shall see

[itzsoweezee]

I don't want Malone, tbh.
I don't like his victim complex and all the media antics.

I've been rooting for the Nuggets in the playoffs ever since we started tanking and he's not a great coach.
Yeah, this season he had very little to work with, but even when they won the ring non-Jokic minutes were just atrocious.

I'd much rather have Jenkins.

I don’t think the nuggets have had an all star on their roster other than Jokic during malone’s tenure, so I don’t know how you can fault Malone for relying on Jokic. That franchise has been mismanaged for years. And unlike Jenkins, Malone has had success in the playoffs. So I’d rather go with the guy that’s gone through the deep postseason runs. Either would be an improvement over the spurs’ current situation

[LeBowen]

Idk about Snyder, 36-46 last season and currently at 37-41 in the East.
He was unable to create a functional playoff defense with the Jazz despite having Gobert.
Current Hawks don't have a worse roster than the Pistons, Magic had both star players injured for a while and yet they're still ahead of the Hawks.
Bulls just one win behind despite constantly trading away their best players.

He's turning 59 this year, not that old, but I want someone who's not older than his early 50s so he can coach the Spurs through Wemby's prime without going senile.

I don’t think the nuggets have had an all star on their roster other than Jokic during malone’s tenure, so I don’t know how you can fault Malone for relying on Jokic. That franchise has been mismanaged for years. And unlike Jenkins, Malone has had success in the playoffs. So I’d rather go with the guy that’s gone through the deep postseason runs. Either would be an improvement over the spurs’ current situation

They didn't have an all-star, but their non-Jokic minutes were always awful. I'm not saying they should've been great during those stretches, but he could've created an offense that's easy to execute for role players.
He got ed over by Booth, but I don't think he's the coach we need.

He has playoff success over Jenkins, but he also has Jokic.
Jenkins' track record of developing supposed scrubs and reclamation projects into legit rotation pieces is something we need at this stage, imo.

[lefty]

Somehow, Doc Rovers still has a job

[Chillen]

I think Malone winds up with Knicks. They will fire Thibs.

[LeBowen]

I think Malone winds up with Knicks. They will fire Thibs.

Good call.
I don't think Thibs has a chance unless he somehow beats the Celtics in the second round.
Knicks front office probably realize they won't ever win with his lack of rotations and players being exhausted before the playoffs even start.
Malone is from NY, Knicks fanbase would start worshipping him after his first victim mentality rant about things being unfair.