The Nuggets improved Michael Malone’s first season as coach. They improved again his second season. And third. And fourth. They’re on pace to improve in his fifth season, too.
Denver wants to continue that momentum.
Nuggets release:“This season and team has been about continuity, with Coach Malone being the first piece of that,” stated Josh Kroenke. “We are thrilled to continue to have him lead this promising young roster and are excited about what the future holds. Coach Malone has been pivotal in this organization’s success and will continue to be so.”
“We have been very fortunate to have Coach Malone lead our resurgence. His tireless work ethic and passion are clearly reflected in the continued improvement of our roster,” said Tim Connelly. “We are all extremely excited for him to continue to lead our team as we try to build a championship level organization.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The Denver Nuggets extension with coach Michael Malone takes him through the 2022-2023 season, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 24, 2019
Malone signed an extension last year. This adds another two seasons.
Denver has a good young core with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. The Nuggets would be rising with any competent coach.
They have one in Malone. There’s no reason to disrupt the status quo. Malone has shown an ability to reach his players, even in hard times. His offense is creative around Jokic as primary playmaker, and his defense is coming around.
Last season was the first time Malone head-coached in the playoffs, and he showed growing pains. But he can learn on the job along with his players.
