Denver Nuggets: Get that Mike Malone guy a beer

Some believe Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone needs better offensive feel, improved game management skills or different rotations. I say he needs a beer.

What message do you relay to Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, fresh off a season in which Denver secured the 2-seed and made the playoffs for the first time since the ancient, angry reign of George Karl?

Here’s my verse: Coach, if you ever get the time, there’s a beer waiting for you on my tab.

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The days of Brian Shaw were cold, dark and dreary, the peak of it coming when the players chanted “six weeks,” a cry of relief anticipating the end of the doomed 2014-15 campaign.

The tone has quickly changed under Malone, as the Nuggets went from just 33 wins in 2015-16 to 40 dubs the following year. They grew to win 46 games two seasons ago, and then 54 contests last campaign, matching their second-highest win total in franchise history.

What’s next? ESPN.com projects the squad will finish first in the Western Conference after Golden State lost a significant chunk of its stardom. And you sure can’t find lower-deck Nuggs tickets on StubHub for $15 anymore, as you could just a few years back.

Malone deserves due credit for this climb. Not as a philosophically perfect coach, but as a sturdy leader who knows his personnel, rolls with the punches, and instills toughness and resilience.

Times are changing across the league and the Nuggets are rapidly speeding towards a potential dynasty. Many are quick to credit Tim Connelly, and rightfully so, but how many obstacles has Malone navigated the squad through, even just last season?

In Game 2 of the first round, things were looking bleak in the Mile High, as Denver trailed by as many as 19 points and appeared set to hit the road in an 0-2 hole.

Jamal Murray appeared to belong anywhere but on an NBA court, as he’d shot 0-of-8 through the first three quarters and had just three points to his name.

Fans and analysts alike cried for Malone to send Murray pine-picking, but Malone trusted his youngster the whole way, demonstrating Denver’s faith in its core.

Sure enough, Murray rode his coach’s confidence in a major way, sinking eight straight shots in the fourth quarter to overtake the Spurs and give Denver the much needed dub.

Or how about the ultra-sensitive Isaiah Thomas situation, a free agent bust involving one of Malone’s dearest former players who signed to play for his old coach and was eventually deemed a poor basketball fit?

Don’t underestimate the difficulty here, as intangibles such as these aren’t easy to steamroll past. Coaches are real people with genuine emotions and attachments … only a small few are eager weed whackers.

And then there’s the Will Barton situation, another tough play-’em-or-sit-’em scenario in which Barton simply wasn’t himself after suffering such a tough core injury.

Once Malone swapped defensive-minded Torrey Craig in for Barton, the Nuggets stifled the Spurs’ attackers and went on to win the series despite their early blunders.

Coach Malone was right in all of these instances, and has the blue and gold wheels steered towards the top of the Western Conference.

So now his job is easy, right? Think again.

As the young Nuggets have matured before our eyes, a whole new set of challenges await Malone and the coaching staff.

A few to anticipate …

Nikola Jokic‘s mood after a weird FIBA World Cup with Serbia
Jamal Murray’s attitude after signing his lucrative extension rendering him the highest-paid Canadian athlete
The battle for the season-opening starting small forward spot
The integration of newly acquired Jerami Grant
Potential logjams for bench minutes, as Jerami Grant, Michael Porter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt join the fray

The Eagles will tell you there ain’t no rest for the wicked and they would be correct.

Such is the life of an NBA head coach, as there’s constant offensive, defensive, teamwork-oriented, and personality-based challenges to tackle on the daily.

There’s savvy opposing defenses, scrutinizing media outlets, player personality battles, road trip logistics, and constant game strategizing.

Yes, life at the helm is harder than it looks from the outside, but Malone has proven himself up for the challenge. One thing is apparent: This Nuggets team is on the up-and-up, and Malone is very much to thank for their growth.

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It’s time you receive your dues, Coach Malone, and this next one’s on me. Cheers to a bright future in Denver led by a low-key stellar coach.

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