The back story of the double dismissal of the Denver Nuggets before the playoffs

The Vice President of the Denver Nuggets, Josh Kroenke, publicly explained on Monday the reasons behind the surprising decision to fire coach Mike Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, just three games before the end of the regular season. Fear of losing Nikola Jokic?.

Kroenke revealed that he had doubts on two previous occasions before making a final determination. The first was in November when the team had a rocky start, and the second was in February, just before the All-Star break, during an eight-game winning streak that, according to him, masked deeper internal problems.

“Which would be crazier: doing what I did last week or doing it in the middle of an eight-game winning streak?,” Kroenke questioned, referring to the difficult decision he ultimately made. Out of those eight wins, only one was against a team that made the playoffs: the Orlando Magic.

The executive pointed out that beneath that seemingly good streak, there was a toxic dynamic between Malone and Booth, marked by differences in the team-building philosophy. That tension, he stated, ended up affecting the team in the final stretch of the season.

“I believe those eight games hid a trend that was happening behind closed doors and began to seriously affect the end of our campaign,” explained Kroenke, who also considered making changes during the Thanksgiving holiday but chose to wait.

Despite both being key in the franchise’s first championship in history, achieved in 2023, the friction between them led Kroenke to intervene. "Neither deserved what happened, so I apologize for that," he stated.

The executive also denied rumors that accused him of being against a possible trade involving Michael Porter Jr. due to his connection with the University of Missouri. “That is completely false. I am very proud of Michael, but any idea that we are not open to trading anyone to improve the team is not true,” he affirmed.

Kroenke emphasized that neither the players nor the staff requested the dismissals, although he mentioned consulting three-time MVP Nikola Jokic about the decision, which had already been made. The Serbian's response was a simple nod of agreement.

“When you have a player like him, you have a special responsibility. But even more so as a person. I would be foolish not to ask for his opinion on some things. Still, it is my responsibility to make decisions for the good of the organization,” he asserted.

Since Malone and Booth's departure, the team has won all three matches under interim coach David Adelman, ensuring their third consecutive season with at least 50 wins and the fourth position in the West. The Nuggets will start their playoff journey this Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kroenke stated that he will begin the search for a new coach and general manager at the end of the season. In the meantime, Ben Tenzer has been appointed interim general manager for the postseason.

Kroenke's nearly 30-minute press conference began with words of thanks: “I want to start by saying thank you to both Calvin and Coach Malone… And, to be honest, neither of them deserved this. But I hope that with this decision, we can revitalize the group's energy and reestablish a positive mindset before the playoffs. I think we accomplished that in these last three games… although there is still much to be done.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La intrahistoria del doble despido de Denver Nuggets antes de playoffs