April 19, 2025 • 29 mins
The Nuggets shocked the basketball world by firing both championship-winning head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with just three games left in the regular season, sparking a dramatic turnaround in team energy and performance. Stories revealed a toxic power struggle where Malone would purposely set up practice to humiliate players drafted by Booth while Booth would trade veterans to force Malone to play younger talent.
• Both men built the championship team but ultimately tore the organization apart through stubbornness
• Coach Malone transformed the Nuggets culture and should be remembered as the team's greatest coach despite the ugly ending
• Interim coach David Adelman has brought joy back to the team, winning three straight games
• Jokić's quote about the "beast being most dangerous when vulnerable" signals a potential playoff awakening
• The MVP race between Jokić and SGA shows Jokić has transcended the award – now recognized as the best player regardless
• Nuggets vs. Clippers first-round matchup will be a fascinating battle between the rejuvenated champions and one of the league's hottest teams
• Jamal Murray's performance against tough Clippers defenders could determine both the series and his future with the team
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
All right, everyone, welcome back to Fandom From Afar
.
We have a packed episode today.
So much to talk about.
If you listened to my lastepisode, I was extremely sad and
really down on the Nuggetssituation, so pretty sure the
(00:25):
Nuggets heard me.
And so the very next day theyfired Coach Malone and Calvin
Booth.
So we're going to talk aboutthat.
We're going to talk about theMVP race and, of course, we'll
talk about the playoffs, which,if you're listening to this, the
day it comes out, the playoffsstart today.
The Nuggets will take on theClippers and I think it's going
to be a fantastic series.
(00:46):
So so much to talk about.
Let's dive right in.
As I mentioned it, it wasunheard of what the nuggets did
with only three games left inthe season.
They fired coach malone, whohad just won a championship for
us.
They fired the general managercalvin, who had just won a
championship for us.
They fired the general managerCalvin Booth, who had just won a
(01:08):
championship for us.
But that just shows how badthings were, and the stories
that came out after thishappened were shocking, and it
really seems like those aroundthe team, whether it's reporters
or even players they they sawthis happening and everyone kind
(01:32):
of had their own little storyabout.
Oh man, I saw this or I heardthis, and it was really
incredible how both guys were atfault.
They both seem to be verystubborn, prideful guys that
seem to be more concerned aboutthemselves being right rather
(01:53):
than the team success, and itkind of it sounds like it just
kept going more and moredownhill and both guys just kept
digging their feet in deeperand deeper until the ownership
was finally sick and tired of it, like they.
It sounds like they were goingto do it right around the
all-star break, but the nuggetshappened to be on an eight night
(02:15):
game winning streak at the timeand so they couldn't do it then
.
But it just got to a boilingpoint and the Cronkies just said
hey, we appreciate both of youguys helping us win that
championship, but you aretearing this organization apart,
you're fired.
So there's there's so manypodcasts out there that I've
(02:36):
gone over, so so many storiesthat have come out since this
happened, and just just a coupleto highlight kind of what I
think the main issue was.
I love Coach Malone, but when Iheard a story that he was so
against any player that CalvinBooth drafted that he would come
(02:58):
into practice and switch teamsaround to purposely and switch
teams around to purposelyhumiliate Jalen Pickett.
Not only would he do that, hewould kind of berate and yell at
Pickett once his team that hehad set up to lose lost, and
then in the story apparently hewas like openly mocking him and
(03:23):
making fun of him and just kindof trying to tear him down.
And man, I'll go over somereasons why I love Coach Malone.
But when I heard that I wasjust like, oh man, it was
definitely time for him to goand it's just sad he's messing
with players whose dream wasprobably to make the NBA.
(03:45):
He's messing with their careersjust to prove that he's right
against a guy that he doesn'tget along with.
So there were many stories, butthat one really stuck out to me
that he just refused to getalong with Calvin Booth.
And then Booth, same thing.
He did not talk to the headcoach of the team that he was in
(04:06):
charge of.
He would get rid of veterans,just so Malone would play the
young guys.
And I get his plan.
Like I see what he was tryingto do, but this drama obviously
was never going to allow theplan to work.
He was trying to surround ourcore four with young, cheap
(04:33):
talent and let that talentdevelop around them and keep our
championship window open.
It really seems like he did notconsult Malone or purposely
went against Malone in a lot ofthe personnel decisions and then
Malone fought back by notplaying the guys that Booth
(04:54):
wanted him to, and it's just sosad.
We we did not have a great yearlast year, but I chalked it up
to maybe a championship hangover, but it sounds like the drama
behind the scenes was alreadykind of having a negative effect
on the team, and then this yearit was just so so bad that they
(05:16):
couldn't get past it.
And now both guys are out of ajob.
So I kind of wanted to speakjust really quick on what each
guy meant to the team Because,like I said, they did bring a
championship and so in a way, wecan't be too mad.
I never thought the Nuggetswould win a championship and
(05:37):
both of them had a big part inbringing that to Denver and to
fans like me.
And so for Calvin Booth, he tookover for Tim Conley.
Um, the core was there, areally, really good team was
already built, and he kind ofadded in you might call them the
missing pieces.
You might just say that he kindof did what almost any GM would
(06:01):
do, but he did it.
And so the KCP trade.
I know the Nuggets and Wizardshad talked about that for a few
years but he finally got it done.
He drafted Christian Brown andPeyton Watson.
Brown had more of an impact onthe championship than Watson,
but still he brought in DeAndreJordan and Bruce Brown.
Both guys were, I think,incredibly impactful for that
(06:23):
championship year DeAndre as aveteran leader and then Bruce
Brown, obviously on the courtand in the locker room, was the
perfect fit.
So I see what he did that yearand will truly, truly be
appreciative of it Again, bothguys totally at fault with what
(06:46):
happened and how it ended.
Um, I just, I just can't believethis happened.
So for coach Malone, I I havemaybe more of a soft spot for
coach Malone.
Um, the reason being when hetook over the nuggets they were
(07:06):
in such a dark place.
It just we were kind of a jokeand no real direction.
But he built.
He built the entire culture ofthe team that eventually led to
the championship.
He, he had that New Yorktoughness which I think the team
was really lacking and I thinkhe brought that not only to try
(07:27):
and get the guys tougher on thecourt, but he stuck up for
Denver and the nuggets obviouslyto the national media.
Just the way the nuggets werecovered back then was they were
just a flyover state, they werejust an also ran.
People would get us confusedwith Utah or Indiana.
Just we, we were nothing in thegrand landscape of the NBA and
(07:52):
coach Malone finally startedpushing back a little bit.
We've we've talked before abouthow much I love his take the L
on the way out to Lakers fans.
He would stick up for Jokicwhen Jokic was really rising and
all the national media wantedto do was cover Porzingis or
Carl Anthony Towns or eventuallyJoel Embiid, and he would stick
(08:13):
up for Jokic and make sure thatpeople were talking about him
and really just his toughnessset that tone and really, I
think, catapulted the Nuggets tobe a team that believed they
could win it.
I know Coach Malone.
He thought that they could winit and he fought every day, I
(08:35):
think to the point where itended badly because he literally
he'll chew through nails to getwhat he wants and it was.
It was a great run.
He has the most wins in teamhistory.
He should be considered thegreatest coach in Nuggets
history.
He brought the championship.
He believed in Jokic and he wasthe perfect fit for a team that
(09:01):
needed him the most, and hebrought us a championship.
I will always love coach Malone.
I hope, after some healing,that he'll come back and really
be an ambassador for the nuggetsand for the city of Denver.
I mean he has a, a maxi theminor tattoo on his body.
So I really hope that thenuggets embrace him and coach
(09:23):
Malone will see that he did havea part in how it ended and that
it was the right thing to dofor both sides, and so I really
hope that happens in the futureand everybody can celebrate
Coach Malone.
I hope he gets a banner up inthe rafters, just like Doug Moe
did with all his victories, andtruthfully I just think he
(09:45):
should be an all-time nugget.
So we will.
We will always love you, coachMalone.
Uh it it just to tie a bow onthat.
It really was a time for bothguys to go.
Uh, they, they both handled itabsolutely terrible, and I'm
kind of excited to see what theNuggets do in the off season.
(10:07):
Obviously, a lot of it has todo with how the playoffs go and
we'll talk about that a lot more, hopefully, for a long time in
these next couple weeks.
But yeah, I just want to touchbase on that because it just
happened to occur right after Ihad posted my most recent
episode, to occur right after Ihad posted my most recent
episode.
Now David Adelman has taken overand the team has three wins and
(10:32):
they're looking kind of great.
The team has joy again, theteam looks energized, healthy,
the coach is playing, the bestplayers I know what a novel
concept and they they look likea team again.
We we were so out of sorts attowards the end, before malone
(10:54):
got fired, everyone just lookedlike they had a giant weight on
their shoulder and there therewas zero joy.
Nobody was playing because theyloved it, they were doing it
because they had to and it wasshowing on the court with just
terrible losses and nomotivation, no energy.
But that seems to be back.
I know it's just the end of theseason and the games didn't
(11:17):
really mean anything, but theydid to the Nuggets and something
in them changed the Nuggets andsomething in them changed.
Like.
I don't think any player isgoing to come out and say, hey,
we're glad Coach Malone is gone,but something has happened to
the team and they lookcompletely different Now.
(11:38):
Whether that means anything forthe playoffs, it might be too
little, too late, but it doesshow that again, this was the
right decision.
Something was terribly wrongwith the organization and that
has been removed.
So whether they can build onthat and do something in the
playoffs this year or it's justkind of momentum going into next
(11:59):
year, one thing I will say isthat the Nuggets had to win
those three games so they didn'tfall into the play-in
tournament and they did win them.
And then the quote happened.
If you haven't heard, the quoteI'm talking about is Jokic was
(12:20):
getting interviewed after thegame and it was a national
reporter, and one of them askedso how has the team reacted to
these big changes with, withMalone and Booth getting fired?
And Jokic's quote was peoplesay that we're vulnerable,
vulnerable, and.
(12:40):
But the beast is always themost dangerous when it's
vulnerable.
Perhaps they have awoken thebeast.
I saw that and I was ready torun through a wall.
If that's his mindset right now, I love it so much.
Jokic doesn't do stuff likethat, like that's something that
(13:05):
you know he's been thinkingabout and if, if that's his
mindset that he's bringing tothe team and the other players
are buying into it and rallyingaround him, then you never know
we we could be getting ready towatch something special.
So that quote really got meexcited for the playoffs.
(13:26):
And if the best player in theworld is saying quotes like that
, then you never know what canhappen.
So, speaking of the best playerin the world, the MVP race is
finally over Now.
This year was not nearly as badas previous years.
The SGA fans were not terriblelike the Embiid fans and not
(13:53):
trying to tear Jokic down tobuild their guy up.
Sga had an absolutely amazingseason, not only individually,
but obviously the team won amillion games and it's just one
of those things that while it'sa privilege that Jokic is in the
MVP race every single year, itreally does get old.
(14:17):
He's kind of in competitionwith.
All they do is kind of comparethe guys and they can't just
enjoy two historical seasons.
Personally, I ignored quite abit of it this year.
I had just gotten so burnt outon it after the Embiid years
(14:41):
that it just I just for my ownmental health.
I did not involve myself in anyof it.
If I started seeing somethinggoing on on Twitter or anywhere
online, I would just kind ofignore it, whereas I was.
I was pretty into it the lastcouple of years.
So personal growth, hooray.
But SGA, like I said, had anamazing year.
(15:03):
He probably will win it.
Unfortunately, most people on TVor podcasts or writers they're
all saying very similar thingsif they have a vote and they all
say everyone knows Jokic is thebest player in the world, but
Shea Gildas Alexander led histeam to 67 victories and that's
(15:24):
got to mean something.
Shea Gildas Alexander led histeam to 67 victories and that's
got to mean something.
But I really think the truthbehind that is, if Jokic hadn't
won any MVPs in the past andboth of these guys were going
for their first, it wouldn'teven be close.
Jokic would win, just goingaway.
And it's okay, it is what it is.
(15:47):
Jokic will probably not win it,but everyone admits that he's
the best player in the world,and it happened to Jordan, it
happened to LeBron and I thinkit's almost a bigger honor that
it's now happening to Jokic,where everyone acknowledges that
he is by far the best player inthe world.
But they're just ready for anew storyline and they want to
(16:10):
give it to the new guy on thescene, and so SGA is totally
deserving.
He probably will win it.
But Jokic is now in a new placein history.
He is almost above the MVPconversation and it's now all
about winning championships tokind of secure his place in
(16:32):
history.
So you never know, I've heard alot of people say that they
just were thinking about theirvote and going back and forth,
back and forth, and then theyended up voting for Jokic.
So it might be a little closerthan people think, but I'm
pretty sure SGA will win.
He's had a great year and, likeI said, if Jokic is more
(16:54):
focused on championships, thenI'm okay with that.
Speaking of winningchampionships, the playoffs are
starting today.
Speaking of winningchampionships, the playoffs are
starting today.
So I thought I'd do a quicklittle preview.
I'm recording this on Fridayevening.
So the eighth seeds are goingto be decided tonight, but
(17:20):
truthfully I don't think itmatters in either conference who
wins the eighth seed.
I think both of them will getbeaten somewhat easily.
So we'll just go ahead andpreview those series, assuming
either team will get destroyed.
So I'd like to do it from leastinteresting series to most
interesting series and coming inat number eight, for the least
interesting series to me is theCavs versus either the Hawks or
(17:43):
the Heat.
I don't think it matters.
I think the Cavs will win 4-0,a good old sweep.
The Cavs are just too good foreither team.
The seventh most interestingseries is the Thunder versus
Grizzlies.
Like I said, I think bothnumber one seeds are going to
roll pretty easily.
I said Thunder 4-1.
(18:04):
I think whoever wins the eighthseed seed either grizzlies or
mavs they'll steal one, justbecause I think the thunder will
probably go up three, nothingand then give up game four just
because they just don't reallycare right now.
But thunder are amazing andit's going to be really
interesting to see how far theycan go.
Uh, sixth, the series started toget good at this point.
(18:26):
So the Celtics versus the Magic.
Now, celtics are a great team.
They're one of the favorites towin the championship, but the
Magic always give them trouble.
I actually got to go down toOrlando this year and watch a
Celtics versus Magic game andthe Magic actually won that game
.
If the Magic still had JalenSuggs, I think they would be
able to put up quite a fightwith the Celtics versus Magic
game and the Magic actually wonthat game.
If the Magic still had JalenSuggs, I think they would be
(18:47):
able to put up quite a fightwith the Celtics, especially
because Jalen Brown his knee'skind of bothering him a little
bit right now.
But Suggs is out and I thinkthe Celtics will probably take
the series four to two.
Now.
Knicks versus Pistons is mynext one, and I think this is
(19:09):
going to be an absolute battle.
Just a street brawl, a rockfight, whatever you want to say,
this will be it and it's goingto be fun to watch.
Both sides have players that Ireally like and they will not be
scared of each other.
I think there will be at leastone, if not more, close calls
(19:29):
for fights in the game andsomeone has to survive, even if
it's just barely, and I thinkthat's going to be the Knicks.
I think they'll.
They'll win it in game.
Seven, four to three.
Now, as the series get betterand better, the next one up is
the pacers versus the bucks.
I love the pacers.
I think they're fun to watch.
(19:50):
They're just up and down, kindof all over the place with a
bunch of super athletes, and thebucks they're an older team,
but yannis is just so amazingand I just heard today that dame
will hopefully be back for thisseries from his blood clot but
I really think it's aninteresting matchup, just in
styles, in terms of experience,and I think again, I think it's
(20:14):
going to go seven.
I know picking teams in sevenis such a wishy-washy way to
pick series, but I think theseseries are going to be pretty
great.
And so Pacers win game seven,move on to the next round over
Giannis just barely.
Now, the top three series.
Uh, I think you can make a casefor any of them to be number
(20:36):
one most interesting series.
For the casual basketball fan,basketball nerds, it doesn't
matter, they're all going to beamazing.
And so I put the Rockets versusWarriors at number three.
This game has so manypersonalities, so many
storylines.
I have no idea which one willcome out on top.
(20:59):
But the Rockets have so manyyoung, high, extremely talented,
just incredible players, andthe Warriors just have that
championship grit, draymond andand Steph, surrounded by all the
other guys they have, theycould still pull it off.
(21:20):
And so Draymond's going to bebattling with Houston's big guys
.
Houston has Dylan Brooks, whonever stops talking trash, imei
Adoku, who's the Houston headcoach and Steph Curry.
They got in a shouting matchthe last week of the season.
So there's almost like arivalry that's already there and
(21:40):
I think it's just going to getcranked up to 10 in this series.
So again, I think it's going togo seven games and I really
think the young rockets willpull it off.
I think they're a deeper team.
Their athleticism will justwear the Warriors down and I
(22:00):
think they'll pull it off.
The second most exciting seriesto me is the Lakers versus
Timberwolves.
These have been two of theNuggets' biggest rivals over the
last couple of years.
Obviously, we've played theLakers and Timberwolves each of
the past couple of years.
Obviously we've played theLakers and Timberwolves each of
the past couple of years.
We have a little bit bettersuccess with the with the Lakers
(22:22):
and T wolves obviously beat uslast year.
In one way I'm so happy thatone of these teams will lose in
the first round, but in anotherway I'm sad that one of them is
guaranteed to make it to thesecond round.
Both teams, I think, areexcellent Luca and LeBron versus
Anthony Edwards.
(22:43):
I love it.
It's going to be such goodbasketball.
Now I'm not too proud to admitthat I'm more scared of the
Timberwolves.
So I think this is going to bean incredibly close series, but
in my heart I want the T-Wolvesto lose because I'm scared.
So Lakers in seven.
So that leaves just one seriesand I'm sure this is a complete
(23:08):
surprise to anyone that'slistened to this podcast before.
The Nuggets versus Clippers isgoing to be just fascinating.
I think it's going to be agreat matchup.
The Nuggets obviously were leftfor dead and now have found new
life.
The Clippers they've won, Ithink, 19 out of their last 23
(23:29):
games or something like that.
They've been playing the bestbasketball probably in the
league for the last month or twoand they're looking scary.
I think I heard a stat thatover the last 15 games they have
the number one offense and thenumber one defense in the entire
NBA.
Kawhi Leonard is playing justlike vintage Kawhi, one of the
(23:52):
best players in the league.
James Harden has kind ofsettled into the kind of second
banana role and he's pretty muchthe best second banana that you
could hope for.
And then the biggest surprise,and I think the biggest factor
for them, is Ivaca.
Zubac is playing absolutelyincredible.
(24:13):
He's always been a solid player, but this year he has really
leveled up to the point wherepeople are talking about him
being an all NBA player.
And this is trouble for theNuggets because he always plays
Jokic well and if he's evenbetter this year, it's just
going to make it extra hard onthe big guy.
So they have an extremelytalented team, an extremely deep
(24:38):
team.
Uh, every team has one of thoseguys that whenever they play
against them, he always seems togo for a career high or just
always is on fire every timethat that, uh, they, they play.
And when the nuggets play theClippers, that guy is Norman
Powell, and so I am scared todeath of Norman Powell having
just 30 point game after 30point game against us, and it's
(25:01):
scary.
This is going to be such a toughmatchup but, like I said, the
Nuggets have new energy.
They have a new attitude.
Truthfully, they have nothingto lose.
Their season was over.
It was looking so bad beforethey fired Malone and Booth, and
so I almost feel like it's likea second shot at this.
(25:22):
And, yeah, we have to play theClippers.
It's going to be extremelytough, but they really have
nothing to lose.
I think most people are pickingthe Clippers to win and the
Nuggets are healthy-ish.
I'll say Everything depends onJamal Murray, just like always,
(25:44):
and we have home court advantage.
So if it does go seven, thatlast game will be at Ball Arena,
and I know last year it did notwork out.
But give me game seven at ballarena with the best player in
the world.
I will take that, so I couldreally see this going.
Either way, like I said, zubachcan guard Jokic, really really
(26:08):
tough.
Ag can guard Kawhi he's, he's,he's.
The reason why we traded for AGis to guard guys like Kawhi or
Luca, the big athletic smallforwards that most guys have
trouble with, but AG is actuallyexcellent at guarding.
Uh, christian Brown can guardJames Harden, as long as he
(26:28):
doesn't fall for any of thosefoul baiting tricks and stuff
like that.
And then the Clippers actuallyhave multiple guys that are
built to guard Jamal Murray.
This is going to be an extremelytough series for Jamal, just
like the Minnesota series waslast year.
I'm worried Jamal needs to behealthy, he needs to be able to
(26:52):
move quick, otherwise theClippers guards are just going
to swallow him up, just like theTimberwolves guys did last year
, and I think then I don't wantto see Jamal getting frustrated
like he did last year and kindof mentally checking out, and so
it's going to be fascinating.
We talked about it in our ourpity party episode last last
(27:14):
time.
If Jamal Murray doesn't have astrong playoff showing, I would
not be shocked if he gets traded, and so I think a lot is on the
line for Jamal in particular,and he's by far the biggest X
factor.
If he has a great series, Ithink the Nuggets can win.
Both teams have a tremendousamount of playoff experience.
(27:35):
I think it's really going tocome down to foul trouble.
Obviously, if either big guygets in foul trouble, that's
going to really hurt their teamHealth, not only for the Nuggets
in Jamal, mpj, aaron Gordonobviously we need those guys to
stay healthy.
But for the Clippers, kawhiLeonard has a habit of getting
(27:56):
hurt late in the season or inthe playoffs, and if one of the
teams does not stay healthy,that could be the end of them.
And then, obviously, turnovers.
I think turnovers are going tobe absolutely huge in a series
like this, because I don't thinkit's going to be a fast-paced
series.
If you turn it over and let theother team get an easy layup,
(28:17):
it's a huge swing, and so withthat I'm looking at Russell
Westbrook.
This is technically a revengegame for Russell.
He's played for the Clippers inthe past and in the last three
games he was used a little bitless, but he played really well,
(28:37):
and so we need Russell not toget so pumped up that he's
firing balls off the backboardor throwing them out of bounds
Like he wants a championshipmore than anyone, and I want him
to just play within himself andnot turn the ball over and just
use his athleticism to providekind of that spark that he did
(29:00):
at the beginning of the year.
So my prediction for thisseries it's so close.
I could see it going either wayin so many different factors,
but only one team has the bestplayer in the world, only one
team has the best player in theworld that says the beast has
(29:22):
awoken, and that's the DenverNuggets.
They're going to take it ingame seven.
Go, nuggets.
I hope you enjoy the playoffs,everyone.
You.
All right, everyone, welcome back to Fandom From Afar
.
We have a packed episode today.
So much to talk about.
If you listened to my lastepisode, I was extremely sad and
really down on the Nuggetssituation, so pretty sure the
(00:25):
Nuggets heard me.
And so the very next day theyfired Coach Malone and Calvin
Booth.
So we're going to talk aboutthat.
We're going to talk about theMVP race and, of course, we'll
talk about the playoffs, which,if you're listening to this, the
day it comes out, the playoffsstart today.
The Nuggets will take on theClippers and I think it's going
to be a fantastic series.
(00:46):
So so much to talk about.
Let's dive right in.
As I mentioned it, it wasunheard of what the nuggets did
with only three games left inthe season.
They fired coach malone, whohad just won a championship for
us.
They fired the general managercalvin, who had just won a
championship for us.
They fired the general managerCalvin Booth, who had just won a
(01:08):
championship for us.
But that just shows how badthings were, and the stories
that came out after thishappened were shocking, and it
really seems like those aroundthe team, whether it's reporters
or even players they they sawthis happening and everyone kind
(01:32):
of had their own little storyabout.
Oh man, I saw this or I heardthis, and it was really
incredible how both guys were atfault.
They both seem to be verystubborn, prideful guys that
seem to be more concerned aboutthemselves being right rather
(01:53):
than the team success, and itkind of it sounds like it just
kept going more and moredownhill and both guys just kept
digging their feet in deeperand deeper until the ownership
was finally sick and tired of it, like they.
It sounds like they were goingto do it right around the
all-star break, but the nuggetshappened to be on an eight night
(02:15):
game winning streak at the timeand so they couldn't do it then
.
But it just got to a boilingpoint and the Cronkies just said
hey, we appreciate both of youguys helping us win that
championship, but you aretearing this organization apart,
you're fired.
So there's there's so manypodcasts out there that I've
(02:36):
gone over, so so many storiesthat have come out since this
happened, and just just a coupleto highlight kind of what I
think the main issue was.
I love Coach Malone, but when Iheard a story that he was so
against any player that CalvinBooth drafted that he would come
(02:58):
into practice and switch teamsaround to purposely and switch
teams around to purposelyhumiliate Jalen Pickett.
Not only would he do that, hewould kind of berate and yell at
Pickett once his team that hehad set up to lose lost, and
then in the story apparently hewas like openly mocking him and
(03:23):
making fun of him and just kindof trying to tear him down.
And man, I'll go over somereasons why I love Coach Malone.
But when I heard that I wasjust like, oh man, it was
definitely time for him to goand it's just sad he's messing
with players whose dream wasprobably to make the NBA.
(03:45):
He's messing with their careersjust to prove that he's right
against a guy that he doesn'tget along with.
So there were many stories, butthat one really stuck out to me
that he just refused to getalong with Calvin Booth.
And then Booth, same thing.
He did not talk to the headcoach of the team that he was in
(04:06):
charge of.
He would get rid of veterans,just so Malone would play the
young guys.
And I get his plan.
Like I see what he was tryingto do, but this drama obviously
was never going to allow theplan to work.
He was trying to surround ourcore four with young, cheap
(04:33):
talent and let that talentdevelop around them and keep our
championship window open.
It really seems like he did notconsult Malone or purposely
went against Malone in a lot ofthe personnel decisions and then
Malone fought back by notplaying the guys that Booth
(04:54):
wanted him to, and it's just sosad.
We we did not have a great yearlast year, but I chalked it up
to maybe a championship hangover, but it sounds like the drama
behind the scenes was alreadykind of having a negative effect
on the team, and then this yearit was just so so bad that they
(05:16):
couldn't get past it.
And now both guys are out of ajob.
So I kind of wanted to speakjust really quick on what each
guy meant to the team Because,like I said, they did bring a
championship and so in a way, wecan't be too mad.
I never thought the Nuggetswould win a championship and
(05:37):
both of them had a big part inbringing that to Denver and to
fans like me.
And so for Calvin Booth, he tookover for Tim Conley.
Um, the core was there, areally, really good team was
already built, and he kind ofadded in you might call them the
missing pieces.
You might just say that he kindof did what almost any GM would
(06:01):
do, but he did it.
And so the KCP trade.
I know the Nuggets and Wizardshad talked about that for a few
years but he finally got it done.
He drafted Christian Brown andPeyton Watson.
Brown had more of an impact onthe championship than Watson,
but still he brought in DeAndreJordan and Bruce Brown.
Both guys were, I think,incredibly impactful for that
(06:23):
championship year DeAndre as aveteran leader and then Bruce
Brown, obviously on the courtand in the locker room, was the
perfect fit.
So I see what he did that yearand will truly, truly be
appreciative of it Again, bothguys totally at fault with what
(06:46):
happened and how it ended.
Um, I just, I just can't believethis happened.
So for coach Malone, I I havemaybe more of a soft spot for
coach Malone.
Um, the reason being when hetook over the nuggets they were
(07:06):
in such a dark place.
It just we were kind of a jokeand no real direction.
But he built.
He built the entire culture ofthe team that eventually led to
the championship.
He, he had that New Yorktoughness which I think the team
was really lacking and I thinkhe brought that not only to try
(07:27):
and get the guys tougher on thecourt, but he stuck up for
Denver and the nuggets obviouslyto the national media.
Just the way the nuggets werecovered back then was they were
just a flyover state, they werejust an also ran.
People would get us confusedwith Utah or Indiana.
Just we, we were nothing in thegrand landscape of the NBA and
(07:52):
coach Malone finally startedpushing back a little bit.
We've we've talked before abouthow much I love his take the L
on the way out to Lakers fans.
He would stick up for Jokicwhen Jokic was really rising and
all the national media wantedto do was cover Porzingis or
Carl Anthony Towns or eventuallyJoel Embiid, and he would stick
(08:13):
up for Jokic and make sure thatpeople were talking about him
and really just his toughnessset that tone and really, I
think, catapulted the Nuggets tobe a team that believed they
could win it.
I know Coach Malone.
He thought that they could winit and he fought every day, I
(08:35):
think to the point where itended badly because he literally
he'll chew through nails to getwhat he wants and it was.
It was a great run.
He has the most wins in teamhistory.
He should be considered thegreatest coach in Nuggets
history.
He brought the championship.
He believed in Jokic and he wasthe perfect fit for a team that
(09:01):
needed him the most, and hebrought us a championship.
I will always love coach Malone.
I hope, after some healing,that he'll come back and really
be an ambassador for the nuggetsand for the city of Denver.
I mean he has a, a maxi theminor tattoo on his body.
So I really hope that thenuggets embrace him and coach
(09:23):
Malone will see that he did havea part in how it ended and that
it was the right thing to dofor both sides, and so I really
hope that happens in the futureand everybody can celebrate
Coach Malone.
I hope he gets a banner up inthe rafters, just like Doug Moe
did with all his victories, andtruthfully I just think he
(09:45):
should be an all-time nugget.
So we will.
We will always love you, coachMalone.
Uh it it just to tie a bow onthat.
It really was a time for bothguys to go.
Uh, they, they both handled itabsolutely terrible, and I'm
kind of excited to see what theNuggets do in the off season.
(10:07):
Obviously, a lot of it has todo with how the playoffs go and
we'll talk about that a lot more, hopefully, for a long time in
these next couple weeks.
But yeah, I just want to touchbase on that because it just
happened to occur right after Ihad posted my most recent
episode, to occur right after Ihad posted my most recent
episode.
Now David Adelman has taken overand the team has three wins and
(10:32):
they're looking kind of great.
The team has joy again, theteam looks energized, healthy,
the coach is playing, the bestplayers I know what a novel
concept and they they look likea team again.
We we were so out of sorts attowards the end, before malone
(10:54):
got fired, everyone just lookedlike they had a giant weight on
their shoulder and there therewas zero joy.
Nobody was playing because theyloved it, they were doing it
because they had to and it wasshowing on the court with just
terrible losses and nomotivation, no energy.
But that seems to be back.
I know it's just the end of theseason and the games didn't
(11:17):
really mean anything, but theydid to the Nuggets and something
in them changed the Nuggets andsomething in them changed.
Like.
I don't think any player isgoing to come out and say, hey,
we're glad Coach Malone is gone,but something has happened to
the team and they lookcompletely different Now.
(11:38):
Whether that means anything forthe playoffs, it might be too
little, too late, but it doesshow that again, this was the
right decision.
Something was terribly wrongwith the organization and that
has been removed.
So whether they can build onthat and do something in the
playoffs this year or it's justkind of momentum going into next
(11:59):
year, one thing I will say isthat the Nuggets had to win
those three games so they didn'tfall into the play-in
tournament and they did win them.
And then the quote happened.
If you haven't heard, the quoteI'm talking about is Jokic was
(12:20):
getting interviewed after thegame and it was a national
reporter, and one of them askedso how has the team reacted to
these big changes with, withMalone and Booth getting fired?
And Jokic's quote was peoplesay that we're vulnerable,
vulnerable, and.
(12:40):
But the beast is always themost dangerous when it's
vulnerable.
Perhaps they have awoken thebeast.
I saw that and I was ready torun through a wall.
If that's his mindset right now, I love it so much.
Jokic doesn't do stuff likethat, like that's something that
(13:05):
you know he's been thinkingabout and if, if that's his
mindset that he's bringing tothe team and the other players
are buying into it and rallyingaround him, then you never know
we we could be getting ready towatch something special.
So that quote really got meexcited for the playoffs.
(13:26):
And if the best player in theworld is saying quotes like that
, then you never know what canhappen.
So, speaking of the best playerin the world, the MVP race is
finally over Now.
This year was not nearly as badas previous years.
The SGA fans were not terriblelike the Embiid fans and not
(13:53):
trying to tear Jokic down tobuild their guy up.
Sga had an absolutely amazingseason, not only individually,
but obviously the team won amillion games and it's just one
of those things that while it'sa privilege that Jokic is in the
MVP race every single year, itreally does get old.
(14:17):
He's kind of in competitionwith.
All they do is kind of comparethe guys and they can't just
enjoy two historical seasons.
Personally, I ignored quite abit of it this year.
I had just gotten so burnt outon it after the Embiid years
(14:41):
that it just I just for my ownmental health.
I did not involve myself in anyof it.
If I started seeing somethinggoing on on Twitter or anywhere
online, I would just kind ofignore it, whereas I was.
I was pretty into it the lastcouple of years.
So personal growth, hooray.
But SGA, like I said, had anamazing year.
(15:03):
He probably will win it.
Unfortunately, most people on TVor podcasts or writers they're
all saying very similar thingsif they have a vote and they all
say everyone knows Jokic is thebest player in the world, but
Shea Gildas Alexander led histeam to 67 victories and that's
(15:24):
got to mean something.
Shea Gildas Alexander led histeam to 67 victories and that's
got to mean something.
But I really think the truthbehind that is, if Jokic hadn't
won any MVPs in the past andboth of these guys were going
for their first, it wouldn'teven be close.
Jokic would win, just goingaway.
And it's okay, it is what it is.
(15:47):
Jokic will probably not win it,but everyone admits that he's
the best player in the world,and it happened to Jordan, it
happened to LeBron and I thinkit's almost a bigger honor that
it's now happening to Jokic,where everyone acknowledges that
he is by far the best player inthe world.
But they're just ready for anew storyline and they want to
(16:10):
give it to the new guy on thescene, and so SGA is totally
deserving.
He probably will win it.
But Jokic is now in a new placein history.
He is almost above the MVPconversation and it's now all
about winning championships tokind of secure his place in
(16:32):
history.
So you never know, I've heard alot of people say that they
just were thinking about theirvote and going back and forth,
back and forth, and then theyended up voting for Jokic.
So it might be a little closerthan people think, but I'm
pretty sure SGA will win.
He's had a great year and, likeI said, if Jokic is more
(16:54):
focused on championships, thenI'm okay with that.
Speaking of winningchampionships, the playoffs are
starting today.
Speaking of winningchampionships, the playoffs are
starting today.
So I thought I'd do a quicklittle preview.
I'm recording this on Fridayevening.
So the eighth seeds are goingto be decided tonight, but
(17:20):
truthfully I don't think itmatters in either conference who
wins the eighth seed.
I think both of them will getbeaten somewhat easily.
So we'll just go ahead andpreview those series, assuming
either team will get destroyed.
So I'd like to do it from leastinteresting series to most
interesting series and coming inat number eight, for the least
interesting series to me is theCavs versus either the Hawks or
(17:43):
the Heat.
I don't think it matters.
I think the Cavs will win 4-0,a good old sweep.
The Cavs are just too good foreither team.
The seventh most interestingseries is the Thunder versus
Grizzlies.
Like I said, I think bothnumber one seeds are going to
roll pretty easily.
I said Thunder 4-1.
(18:04):
I think whoever wins the eighthseed seed either grizzlies or
mavs they'll steal one, justbecause I think the thunder will
probably go up three, nothingand then give up game four just
because they just don't reallycare right now.
But thunder are amazing andit's going to be really
interesting to see how far theycan go.
Uh, sixth, the series started toget good at this point.
(18:26):
So the Celtics versus the Magic.
Now, celtics are a great team.
They're one of the favorites towin the championship, but the
Magic always give them trouble.
I actually got to go down toOrlando this year and watch a
Celtics versus Magic game andthe Magic actually won that game
.
If the Magic still had JalenSuggs, I think they would be
able to put up quite a fightwith the Celtics versus Magic
game and the Magic actually wonthat game.
If the Magic still had JalenSuggs, I think they would be
(18:47):
able to put up quite a fightwith the Celtics, especially
because Jalen Brown his knee'skind of bothering him a little
bit right now.
But Suggs is out and I thinkthe Celtics will probably take
the series four to two.
Now.
Knicks versus Pistons is mynext one, and I think this is
(19:09):
going to be an absolute battle.
Just a street brawl, a rockfight, whatever you want to say,
this will be it and it's goingto be fun to watch.
Both sides have players that Ireally like and they will not be
scared of each other.
I think there will be at leastone, if not more, close calls
(19:29):
for fights in the game andsomeone has to survive, even if
it's just barely, and I thinkthat's going to be the Knicks.
I think they'll.
They'll win it in game.
Seven, four to three.
Now, as the series get betterand better, the next one up is
the pacers versus the bucks.
I love the pacers.
I think they're fun to watch.
(19:50):
They're just up and down, kindof all over the place with a
bunch of super athletes, and thebucks they're an older team,
but yannis is just so amazingand I just heard today that dame
will hopefully be back for thisseries from his blood clot but
I really think it's aninteresting matchup, just in
styles, in terms of experience,and I think again, I think it's
(20:14):
going to go seven.
I know picking teams in sevenis such a wishy-washy way to
pick series, but I think theseseries are going to be pretty
great.
And so Pacers win game seven,move on to the next round over
Giannis just barely.
Now, the top three series.
Uh, I think you can make a casefor any of them to be number
(20:36):
one most interesting series.
For the casual basketball fan,basketball nerds, it doesn't
matter, they're all going to beamazing.
And so I put the Rockets versusWarriors at number three.
This game has so manypersonalities, so many
storylines.
I have no idea which one willcome out on top.
(20:59):
But the Rockets have so manyyoung, high, extremely talented,
just incredible players, andthe Warriors just have that
championship grit, draymond andand Steph, surrounded by all the
other guys they have, theycould still pull it off.
(21:20):
And so Draymond's going to bebattling with Houston's big guys
.
Houston has Dylan Brooks, whonever stops talking trash, imei
Adoku, who's the Houston headcoach and Steph Curry.
They got in a shouting matchthe last week of the season.
So there's almost like arivalry that's already there and
(21:40):
I think it's just going to getcranked up to 10 in this series.
So again, I think it's going togo seven games and I really
think the young rockets willpull it off.
I think they're a deeper team.
Their athleticism will justwear the Warriors down and I
(22:00):
think they'll pull it off.
The second most exciting seriesto me is the Lakers versus
Timberwolves.
These have been two of theNuggets' biggest rivals over the
last couple of years.
Obviously, we've played theLakers and Timberwolves each of
the past couple of years.
Obviously we've played theLakers and Timberwolves each of
the past couple of years.
We have a little bit bettersuccess with the with the Lakers
(22:22):
and T wolves obviously beat uslast year.
In one way I'm so happy thatone of these teams will lose in
the first round, but in anotherway I'm sad that one of them is
guaranteed to make it to thesecond round.
Both teams, I think, areexcellent Luca and LeBron versus
Anthony Edwards.
(22:43):
I love it.
It's going to be such goodbasketball.
Now I'm not too proud to admitthat I'm more scared of the
Timberwolves.
So I think this is going to bean incredibly close series, but
in my heart I want the T-Wolvesto lose because I'm scared.
So Lakers in seven.
So that leaves just one seriesand I'm sure this is a complete
(23:08):
surprise to anyone that'slistened to this podcast before.
The Nuggets versus Clippers isgoing to be just fascinating.
I think it's going to be agreat matchup.
The Nuggets obviously were leftfor dead and now have found new
life.
The Clippers they've won, Ithink, 19 out of their last 23
(23:29):
games or something like that.
They've been playing the bestbasketball probably in the
league for the last month or twoand they're looking scary.
I think I heard a stat thatover the last 15 games they have
the number one offense and thenumber one defense in the entire
NBA.
Kawhi Leonard is playing justlike vintage Kawhi, one of the
(23:52):
best players in the league.
James Harden has kind ofsettled into the kind of second
banana role and he's pretty muchthe best second banana that you
could hope for.
And then the biggest surprise,and I think the biggest factor
for them, is Ivaca.
Zubac is playing absolutelyincredible.
(24:13):
He's always been a solid player, but this year he has really
leveled up to the point wherepeople are talking about him
being an all NBA player.
And this is trouble for theNuggets because he always plays
Jokic well and if he's evenbetter this year, it's just
going to make it extra hard onthe big guy.
So they have an extremelytalented team, an extremely deep
(24:38):
team.
Uh, every team has one of thoseguys that whenever they play
against them, he always seems togo for a career high or just
always is on fire every timethat that, uh, they, they play.
And when the nuggets play theClippers, that guy is Norman
Powell, and so I am scared todeath of Norman Powell having
just 30 point game after 30point game against us, and it's
(25:01):
scary.
This is going to be such a toughmatchup but, like I said, the
Nuggets have new energy.
They have a new attitude.
Truthfully, they have nothingto lose.
Their season was over.
It was looking so bad beforethey fired Malone and Booth, and
so I almost feel like it's likea second shot at this.
(25:22):
And, yeah, we have to play theClippers.
It's going to be extremelytough, but they really have
nothing to lose.
I think most people are pickingthe Clippers to win and the
Nuggets are healthy-ish.
I'll say Everything depends onJamal Murray, just like always,
(25:44):
and we have home court advantage.
So if it does go seven, thatlast game will be at Ball Arena,
and I know last year it did notwork out.
But give me game seven at ballarena with the best player in
the world.
I will take that, so I couldreally see this going.
Either way, like I said, zubachcan guard Jokic, really really
(26:08):
tough.
Ag can guard Kawhi he's, he's,he's.
The reason why we traded for AGis to guard guys like Kawhi or
Luca, the big athletic smallforwards that most guys have
trouble with, but AG is actuallyexcellent at guarding.
Uh, christian Brown can guardJames Harden, as long as he
(26:28):
doesn't fall for any of thosefoul baiting tricks and stuff
like that.
And then the Clippers actuallyhave multiple guys that are
built to guard Jamal Murray.
This is going to be an extremelytough series for Jamal, just
like the Minnesota series waslast year.
I'm worried Jamal needs to behealthy, he needs to be able to
(26:52):
move quick, otherwise theClippers guards are just going
to swallow him up, just like theTimberwolves guys did last year
, and I think then I don't wantto see Jamal getting frustrated
like he did last year and kindof mentally checking out, and so
it's going to be fascinating.
We talked about it in our ourpity party episode last last
(27:14):
time.
If Jamal Murray doesn't have astrong playoff showing, I would
not be shocked if he gets traded, and so I think a lot is on the
line for Jamal in particular,and he's by far the biggest X
factor.
If he has a great series, Ithink the Nuggets can win.
Both teams have a tremendousamount of playoff experience.
(27:35):
I think it's really going tocome down to foul trouble.
Obviously, if either big guygets in foul trouble, that's
going to really hurt their teamHealth, not only for the Nuggets
in Jamal, mpj, aaron Gordonobviously we need those guys to
stay healthy.
But for the Clippers, kawhiLeonard has a habit of getting
(27:56):
hurt late in the season or inthe playoffs, and if one of the
teams does not stay healthy,that could be the end of them.
And then, obviously, turnovers.
I think turnovers are going tobe absolutely huge in a series
like this, because I don't thinkit's going to be a fast-paced
series.
If you turn it over and let theother team get an easy layup,
(28:17):
it's a huge swing, and so withthat I'm looking at Russell
Westbrook.
This is technically a revengegame for Russell.
He's played for the Clippers inthe past and in the last three
games he was used a little bitless, but he played really well,
(28:37):
and so we need Russell not toget so pumped up that he's
firing balls off the backboardor throwing them out of bounds
Like he wants a championshipmore than anyone, and I want him
to just play within himself andnot turn the ball over and just
use his athleticism to providekind of that spark that he did
(29:00):
at the beginning of the year.
So my prediction for thisseries it's so close.
I could see it going either wayin so many different factors,
but only one team has the bestplayer in the world, only one
team has the best player in theworld that says the beast has
(29:22):
awoken, and that's the DenverNuggets.
They're going to take it ingame seven.
Go, nuggets.
I hope you enjoy the playoffs,everyone.
You.
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