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Mike Vorkunov: 14 NBA teams had a winning record this season and 3 fired their coach. Tom Thibodeau: fired right after helping Knicks to their best season in 25 years Mike Malone: fired 2 years after winning a NBA title Taylor Jenkins: fired 3 years after tying for most wins in Memphis history
Eight days later, interim coach David Adelman showed how he was going to take a firmer hand in managing Westbrook. Former coach Mike Malone, multiple sources said, had erred on the side of giving Westbrook the kind of latitude on and off the court that Jokic and Murray got -- which didn't sit well with everyone. And which, ironically, was why Westbrook wasn't in town when Malone and general manager Calvin Booth both were fired and Adelman was given the job on an interim basis.
He'd been granted permission to spend the off day at home with his family in Los Angeles, which in turn led to a conversation among the Nuggets decision-makers whether he should be asked to return to Denver and be with the team as it tried to regroup, or meet them -- as previously planned -- in Sacramento the next day. Ultimately, he met them in Sacramento.
John Gambadoro: Saw these odds on http://Bookies.com’s Phoenix Suns Next Coach Odds Mike Malone, former Nuggets HC | +350 (22.2%) Taylor Jenkins, former Grizzlies HC | +450 (18.2%) I would say neither one of those are happening.
Denver Nuggets interim coach David Adelman emphasized the need to stick together and stay focused on the postseason during his first meeting with the players since Mike Malone was fired a day earlier. Adelman spoke to the team Wednesday before their game in Sacramento against the Kings and reminded the Nuggets that they’re still in the mix of a crowded playoff race in the Western Conference. "The last 30 hours have been pretty crazy, pretty stressful for everybody," said Adelman, who was Malone’s top assistant. "But the bottom line was we have to stay unified. I think it was a good thing for everyone to sit in a room together and realize that we have not played to our expectation as of late. That’s not just the players (but) everybody that’s a part of this."
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Adelman acknowledged that he has spoken to Malone since the firing but declined to go into details. Instead he took the opportunity to praise the man who has worked alongside for eight seasons. "What he did for this team, best coach in history, can’t argue it," Adelman said. "Percentage-wise, wins, Finals championship, the experience he gave me, allowing me to grow as a coach "What this is right now, the national narrative or whatever it is, I look at it as a hell of a run. And he’s not done. Honored to work for the guy and honored to take this seat and do the best I can."
Gerald Bourguet: Grayson Allen evaluating Mike Budenholzer: "There's a lot more that goes into it than just wins & losses. You can do a bad job and win a lot of games, you can do a good job and lose a lot of games" On Mike Malone: "It's kinda crazy how fast this league moves on from people now" pic.x.com/hhlvpLEVPj
Before the game, Malone strongly pushed back on criticism that you all sat a lot of your guys against the Warriors. What perspective can you give on that? Eichenberger: “I don’t really care what people say on that. We try to keep the guys on the court as much as possible. For the guys like Jamal and Nikola that aren’t playing, they have such a passion for the game. So they’re not sitting out. There are multiple reasons for it. "This is a team that I can tell you how much they like playing basketball. That might not always be the case with professional athletes. But with this team, we have some hard workers. If they’re not playing, then there’s a big reason for it.”
Anthony Slater: Mike Malone said he doesn’t think Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will be able to play tonight vs Warriors. Said it’ll be confirmed soon. Would put a damper on spotlight matchup.
Brian Lewis: Mike Malone on Jordi Fernandez: "(His) hunger and an appetite for learning and growing, and his ability to just relate and get along with the players. You could just tell that it was just a matter of when he was going to be given that opportunity." #Nets #Nuggets
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There was direct evidence of Malone's lack of trust in the younger players in that Game 7. Only Christian Braun played meaningful minutes, and he had just 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther didn't play. "I have empathy for Mike there because rookies are actually generally pretty bad in their early NBA time," a rival general manager told ESPN. "You normally aren't a playoff positive player until at least your second year, and that's some of the better picks."
Mike Curtis: Monty Williams on what Mike Malone has built in Denver: “It’s the model for what I think NBA organizations should strive for…I don’t think I would’ve had a clue as to what an NBA season was supposed to look like from a head coach perspective (without Malone).”
They are the first club to earn a trip to the conference finals for more than a reason. “Great continuity. Been together for what? How long Mike Malone been there, six years?” Durant said. Denver’s play-caller has, in fact, steered the Nuggets since 2015-16, the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the NBA after Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra and Steve Kerr. “That’s a good advantage to have when your coach knows your players on the team and you have a system in place for that long.”
Jokic got whatever he wanted on Tuesday as he led both teams in points, rebounds and assists. His MVP-type performance helped the Nuggets take a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven. "Nikola never forces anything. He’s a guy that literally will just read the game and take what the game offers. This series everyone is talking about Devin Booker, and rightfully so. The performances he’s put on in the first round against the Clippers and against us have been spectacular. But sometimes we maybe take Nikola Jokic for granted. What he is doing is just incredible," Nuggets coach Mike Malone said to reporters. "He makes everyone around him better. He never gets rattled. Cool Hand Luke. We are so thankful that he’s a Denver Nugget."
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