Posted 4/8/2025

Michael Malone was the coach of the Denver Nuggets and is two seasons removed from an NBA Championship. The Nuggets had a 47-32 record at the time of his ousting, and they were in fourth place in the Western Conference. This seems like déjà vu. Another coach bites the dust right before the playoffs. If you don't recall, the Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins after he took the team to a 44-29 record. Maybe some NBA organizations don't understand that every coach can't win all the time. Even winning is no guarantee that you'll keep your job. Five of the past seven coaches to win an NBA Championship have been fired, which include Tyron Lue, Frank Vogel, Nick Nurse, Mike Budenholzer, and Michael Malone. Malone was with the organization for 10 years. Perhaps it was just time to move on, or the Nuggets organization thinks it's possible to have a dynasty with their superstar, Nikola Jokić. The Nuggets didn't perform that well on the defensive side of the ball this season, allowing 117+ points per game by their opponents. General Manager Calvin Booth got the ax as well. It would be pure speculation to say that they are looking to put players around Jokić to bring more championships to the mile-high city, but it looks that way. Tim Kroenke said that the move was made to give the team the best chance at competing for a 2025 NBA Championship.