The Denver Gazette

NUGGETS ROAD TO THE GOLD

Nikola Jokic and Nuggets ready for their international close-up in Denver’s NBA Finals debut

BY VINNY BENEDETTO The Denver Gazette

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The only change Nikola Jokic has noticed in Michael Malone over the years isn’t exactly a new development.

“He gives me the ball a little bit more,” Jokic said on Saturday with the Nuggets still waiting to learn of their opponent in the NBA Finals.

“I think he still have passion. He’s still into it. Still, you know, basketball-wise, he’s giving me the ball more, but like (as) a person, I think he didn’t change a lot.”

Jokic’s only NBA coach would disagree, though they are smaller changes that might not be as noticeable over time. Malone took a binary approach to the question of whether or not he has changed much. The coach’s philosophy was simple: if you’re not getting better, you’re going the opposite direction.

“If I’m the same coach I was in year one, then I’ve failed,” Malone said.

“I challenge myself to continue to grow, and not just as a coach but in all facets of life. If you’re not growing and improving, then you’re probably getting worse.”

Malone noted a few changes from when he arrived in Denver in 2015. After his first head-coaching stint with the Kings, a short-lived experiment which began in 2013 and ended in 2014, Malone took the job in Denver ahead of the 2015-16 season. Since then, he’s learned to dial it back at times. He said he doesn’t coach every action anymore and has learned to live with the occasional loss in a league where every team loses at least 15 of its 82 games in a typical regular season. This year, the Bucks finished with the best regular-season record at 58-24 before losing in the first round of the playoffs. “It’s not life and death,” Malone said. “You try to pick your spots when you need to be emotional. It can’t be every game. It can’t be every halftime. It can’t be every postgame, but over the years, I’ve challenged myself to look in the mirror, be honest with myself, listen to those around me and become the best version that I can be.”

That refined approach is paying off in historic fashion. After finishing with the best record in the Western Conference, 53-39, Malone led the Nuggets to the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals by beating the Timberwolves, Suns and Lakers in five, six and four games, respectively. Malone’s not the type to be satisfied with the best season in franchise history when there’s a title on the line. Denver’s third-winningest coach — Malone has 367 regular-season wins in Denver behind Doug Moe (432) and George Karl (423) — watched his father, Brendan, help the Pistons win championships in 1989 and 1990.

“I had his dad in Detroit as an assistant coach,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said Monday. “I’ve been knowing both of them for a long time. He’s just very professional about his job. He wants to get it done, no matter what.”

This run could have come under a different coach. Malone has often voiced his appreciation for Stan and Josh Kroenke’s patience after Denver came up short in overtime of a tie-breaking Game 82 — or the play-in round before the play-in, in Malone’s words – for the final spot in the 2018 postseason.

“Probably 80%, 90% of pro sports teams probably would have said, ‘We have to pivot here. We have to go in a different direction,’” Malone said. “I can remember after that game being really dejected and down because we failed in that quest.”

After that game, Malone said Josh Kroenke was encouraged by the performance of Denver’s young stars in a decisive game. It wasn’t enough, but Jokic had 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Murray recorded 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Nuggets have been back to the playoffs in each of the five seasons since, gradually building up to the team’s Finals berth against the Miami Heat.

“This has been really fun to be a part of that process,” Malone said. “I can’t thank the ownership, front office (enough) for being as patient as they have been.”

The Nuggets are now the prototype for many of the NBA’s midsize or smaller markets. Drafting well and developing that talent can bridge the gap for franchises that can’t rely on attracting star free agents. That’s how Denver, under Malone’s direction, is four wins away from the franchise’s first championship. That and giving Jokic creative control of the Nuggets’ offense, but that’s nothing new for the perennial All-NBA player and two-time Most Valuable Player.

“And by the way,” Malone said. “I think I’ve given him the ball for a long time.”

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2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.denvergazette.com/article/282218015173986

The Gazette, Colorado Springs