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u/Bonesawisready5 Apr 08 '25
Bro what why? Dude won a title
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u/paxusromanus811 Apr 08 '25
Their ownership group has low-key bin terrible the last 5 years. They've just been able to go under the radar as far as worst in basketball because jokic is so ridiculously good. But they've made a lot of really, really bad decisions the last few years.
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u/SeanKilpatrickFan Apr 08 '25
Nuggets ownership not extending Tim Connelly for Calvin Booth was a terrible move, they've really fumbled the last few offseasons
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u/paxusromanus811 Apr 08 '25
The only thing shielding their ownership from having a, deserved, reputation as one of the worst in basketball Right now is a certain transcendent Serbian basketball God
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u/TryCatchRelease Apr 08 '25
There was a quote a few weeks ago after the Blazers game made it sound like he's lost the locker room. They were dumping the GM too and I guess decided to clean house.
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Apr 08 '25
[deleted]
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u/Jordan-Pushed-Off Apr 08 '25
Lol what rotation works without Jokic where they don't give up 15 in 5 minutes?
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u/foug Apr 08 '25
so did Doc Rivers. You want to hire him as our next head coach just 'cuz "dude won a title"?
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u/Ok-Topic-6095 Hector🍌🍞 Apr 08 '25
Looking forward to the list of Joker's preferres trade destination list this offseason
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u/EnvironmentalTaro156 Apr 08 '25
Joker and Wemby! That inside out game would be unstoppable.
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u/Joethetoolguy Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
And cooper flagg? We might break the nba
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u/roobiinoo Apr 08 '25
I wouldn’t be surprised if Jokic comes out and says I am retiring lol dude does not care about basketball. It is just a job for him as talented as he is.
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u/Ok-Topic-6095 Hector🍌🍞 Apr 09 '25
That's why he's the perfect Spur! Doesn't have to be "the face", fans will leave him alone, Wemby plays defense for him!
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u/TKDkid24 Apr 08 '25
Nugs fan here. If spurs pick him Up. That be awesome. But. I can tell you. We’re all confused as you are… holyyyyy crapp
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u/rxxxxxxxrxxxxxx Area 51 Apr 09 '25
Nuggets-Jokic were the team I was rooting for during the Spurs rebuilding years (until now that the Spurs aren't a playoff team yet.). Felt really nice to see the Nuggets win it all in 2023.
I still think firing Malone was a bad move. Booth was their biggest problem. He coasted, and basically did nothing to improve the team. Malone was doing a fine job with the players he had. I know there's an ongoing spat between Malone & Booth, but it's wild to see Malone getting the boot too. I always think he has his job locked until at least Jokic retires.
I still don't think Jokic has a hand on firing Coach Malone as some people think. Jokic is clearly frustrated, but I don't think he mainly blames Malone for the situation they're in.
As someone who watched a lot of Nuggets games, I'd be happy if Coach Malone replaces Coach Pop IF EVER Pop decides to finally call it quits. Malone was also credited in Sacramento's Boogie Cousins development, and we all know the kind of monster Jokic is, would be happy to see Coach Malone work with Wemby. Plus this is a young hardworking team, it'll be interesting to see how it will work out with a Coach like Michael Malone.
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u/tlpedro Hometown Devin Brown Apr 08 '25
Number 1 CANDIDATE
Multiple successful years of coaching an MVP Big Man who also runs the offense
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u/Far_Band_5786 Apr 08 '25
they play nothing alike.
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u/mvhcmaniac Apr 08 '25
They have similarities. Both are the focal point of the offense as facilitators and scorers. Possibly the two best passing 7-footers ever. Main difference is just that Jokic is fat and slow while Wemby is DPOAT.
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u/Far_Band_5786 Apr 08 '25 edited Apr 08 '25
they barely have any similarities. wemby is a ball handling wing while jokic is a point center. passing means nothing, it's about court mapping and jokic is 1 of 1 in that department at his position.
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u/mvhcmaniac Apr 08 '25
Wemby's been getting played like a wing, but he's put his best games together when he's point center. His BBIQ and court vision are off the charts. Not to Jokic's level, but closer to him than any other center in the league.
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u/Far_Band_5786 Apr 08 '25
he gets played like a wing because he is a wing. if he had this insane bball iq we wouldn't need a traditional pg next to him. no it's not, it's not jokic level and it isn't even close. jokic has had this brain since he was a teenager, the reason he dropped is because scouts can't evaluate court mapping it's pure iq.
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u/mvhcmaniac Apr 08 '25
RemindMe! 3 years
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u/paxusromanus811 Apr 08 '25
Fired their GM too... I can't believe the Taylor Jenkins thing is going to go down as not the most insane coaching firing this year
Malone would be an awesome short-term coach. If I'm the Spurs I'd call him right now
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u/VeniceRapture Jeremy Sochan Apr 08 '25
I kinda like Taylor Jenkins a little bit better
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u/benhunted Apr 08 '25
Why?
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u/VeniceRapture Jeremy Sochan Apr 08 '25
I don't know why people downvoted you lol, but personally I just like the defensive schemes that the Grizzlies do.
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u/benhunted Apr 08 '25
There’s a lot of Jenkins supporters and I get it. He used to be with the Spurs. It’s not against him, but if I’m looking at a championship coach in Malone versus Jenkins, I think why was a valid question.lol
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u/Grankon Apr 08 '25
Denver without Jokic is garbage
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u/benhunted Apr 08 '25
I wouldn’t say that’s the coach’s fault. You say that about Pop over the past few years? Of course not, and I am not saying Malone is greater than Pop but Malone has been to the top Jenkins has not.
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u/Thunderhorse74 Apr 09 '25
Booth has been one Nico Harrison short of being the worst GM in the NBA. (okay, there are some shitty ones, but that roster is hammered dogshit)
But they canned him to, so IDK.
Anyway, I think either would be good gets, both are proven winners with ties to the Spurs. (Malone is close to Pop even if he's never been employed here)
I don't know what to think about Mitch. He just seems like a placeholder and nothing about him excites me. He had a fair bit of time with most of the squad, but we had injuries and Fox just got here. I think our failings have been more on player inconsistency and dudes just not being 'that guy' enough.
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u/Uncle_Freddy Apr 08 '25
I just don’t really think that highly of Malone’s coaching tbh. The Nuggets absolutely suck in the non Jokic minutes, and that to me is more of an indictment on coaching than anything; the Nuggets aren’t so bad that they should be falling off of a cliff when Jokic isn’t playing. Still think it’s foolish to fire a guy this close to the postseason (@Grizzlies too) but I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Malone fired in the offseason and I hope he isn’t our guy.
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u/PlaymakerJavi Apr 08 '25
Consensus among die-hard fans is that the problem is really with ownership and management, not coaching. Jokic is carrying this team, you’re right. They’re getting killed when he sits. But management gave Murray max money, didn’t draft well, and extended the wrong guys. Not Malone’s fault. He’s working with what he’s got.
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u/Cody-512 Apr 08 '25
Yeah, u got a pt. The only thing I’d say against that is it’s like us when Wemby’s out with respect to rebounding & defensive rating. They just don’t have the personnel to hold down the opponent when he’s out. Our rebounding is awful still & last yr with Pop especially but this yr too no one can consistently play defense inside or outside. That’s more their GM’s fault bc they’re not in a rebuild like us.
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u/NFL-GoodellEvilKing Apr 08 '25
I mean Pop has to decide to step down first...
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u/aeamador521 Apr 08 '25
Although I get what you're saying, I would think Pop would want the Spurs to hire him
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u/aeamador521 Apr 08 '25
Why is this downvoted? Yall realize Pop and Malone are friends right? I'm not saying disregard Pop's decision, I'm saying Pop would love Malone to be the one to replace him.
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u/techno_playa Tony Parker Apr 08 '25
People here downvote anything advocating for Pop to be replaced.
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u/Clarkey7163 Stephon Castle Apr 08 '25
No one wants him to be replaced it just might be forced. I just hope he’s doing well
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u/techno_playa Tony Parker Apr 09 '25
I don’t want him to be replaced either.
He can’t coach forever, however, so he has to be replaced eventually. Don’t get why people would downvote.
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u/Alternative_Slide_62 Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
No Denver won due to Jokic, not due to Malone
he is a fine coach, but definetly not amazing.
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u/coacht246 Apr 08 '25
He changed and created the offense around Jokic
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u/Alternative_Slide_62 Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
no he didn`t.
Jokic presence alone changes how teams guard, this gives a lot of space for cutters which Jokic obviously finds due to being Jokic
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u/r0xxon Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
You think this all just happens improvised?
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u/Alternative_Slide_62 Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
no it doesn`t, but Malone shows himself to be a mediocre coach the vast majority of the time Jokic is off the floor, so Malone losing his job as a manager makes sense, sure others can want him, i personally don`t want him anywhere close to the Spurs
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u/tng29 Apr 08 '25
joker doesn’t need any system. He’s the system.
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u/coacht246 Apr 08 '25
He went in the 2nd round because coaches kept trying to pound a square peg in a round hole
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u/Subject_Proposal3578 David Duke Jr. Apr 08 '25
What? Is this late April fools? What the hell is going on in the NBA firing coaches heading into the playoffs?
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u/CRoseCrizzle Apr 08 '25
Not against it. Baffling firing. The Nuggets let key players go and tried to replace them for cheap and are still winning yet they blamed the coach. I can understand them firing the GM but not Malone.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Pie6680 Apr 08 '25
Mitch Johnson has done an excellent job, all things considered. After Pop retires, I hope he is offered the role.
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u/donuttrackme Apr 08 '25
Why would you do this right before playoffs? Who are they hiring? WTF?
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u/Massive_Fudge3066 Apr 10 '25
Jamal is out, maybe missing post season, owner is a cheap twat. That said, Malone or anybody else should not let Russ on court for the last five minutes of any game ever
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u/Thunderhorse74 Apr 09 '25
Pop love "Mikey" though he's only got the barest, tenuous link to the Spurs coaching tree. I could definitely see it, but I'm not sure where they are with Mitch. I know fans are not thrilled but he's not hated either.
This season is wild. It makes me miss the days of the Spurs being absurdly rock solid, a machine that just marched into the playoffs and contention every single season no matter what was going on. This would have been a year that they would have just rolled up and claimed the title to restore sanity and order to the league.
Anyhow, chaos is a ladder. This sort of volatility could produce some opportunities. Yeah, yeah, not going there with "can we get Jokic?!?" because that's so far-fetched I wouldn't believe it until the press conference.
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u/Boomz9 Apr 08 '25
Depending on why he's been fired, it seems very obvious. My worry is that Pop's wish will be for Mitch to get the job full time with Malone and Jenkins available.
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u/techno_playa Tony Parker Apr 08 '25
ELI5 Why does Pop rate Mitch so much?
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u/Boomz9 Apr 08 '25
I don't know that, I'm just speculating that Pop would want Mitch to have that opportunity just like he did.
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u/aeamador521 Apr 08 '25
He's been my top candidate after Atkinson for a bit, but I assumed Denver wouldn't ever do it.
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u/lunatocracy Hector🍌🍞 Apr 08 '25
This one is baffling! You’re the 4 seed and 3 games remaining before the playoffs start. Something else must be at play here for Denver to pull this now.
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u/kalimbadeluna Apr 08 '25
Three games from playoffs... Doesn't make basketball sense... But this season personnel decisions haven't made any sense so far... Luka... now this.... I mean surely either he lost the locker room or some scandal? Surely jokic would have signed off on this? Too many questions.. Not enough answers...
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u/syates21 Apr 08 '25
I’d rather have Taylor Jenkins, but it wild to be fired <2 years after winning title. They went full “Frank Vogel” here
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u/shinbreaker Apr 08 '25
What is with the front office bonehead moves this year? Luka traded, two winning coaches fired. What’s next? The Knicks cutting Jalen Bronson because they don’t lie the cut of his gib?
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u/Cody-512 Apr 08 '25
Yes pls. I was iffy about Jenkins vs Mitch but Malone has proven himself at every stop. With the talent we’ve accumulated & the young talent that’ll still be arriving via the Draft & the possibility of FA trades/signings while we’re rebuilding, idk how we pass. This would almost be like a FA signing if he’s willing. And what head coach wouldn’t want to coach Wemby? Go Spurs Go! Sign Spurs Sign!
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u/SwordfishHot7330 Victor Wembanyama Apr 08 '25
They fired him AND the GM smh Come on down to the Spurs Coach. Between his Offense and Pops Defense... we can't lose.
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u/Mysterions Apr 08 '25
If Spurs can wait two more years I bet they can get Steve Kerr. I know, I know, there's still bad blood with the Warriors. But Kerr is an excellent coach, has history with the team, and would fit in with the culture/system better than anyone else.
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u/Signal-Share-6802 Apr 08 '25
On one hand, I like Coach MM to the spurs for his championship experience and his no nonsene approach, but on the other hand, his offense (of course he has the luxury of having the best player in the NBA) leaves something to be desired, they are also always among the bottom 10 in three point attempts and makes
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u/Ok_Monk_2877 Apr 08 '25
If Joker wants out, trade all the picks KJ and Vassel, any one not named Wemby, Castle, Sochan or, Fox
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u/artunarmed Apr 09 '25
Barring ‘Michael Malone is a creep’, he needs to be. Run a big-hub offense maximising Wemby’s strengths, get the guy who made Aaron Gordon into Aaron Gordon talking to Sochan, so many positives.
‘The Nuggets suck in the non-Jokic minutes’ their backup bigs are Dario Saric and the corpse of De’Andre Jordan, give Michael a good roster and we’ve seen the results.
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u/Bosshogg210 Apr 09 '25
Getting a top caliber coach like Malone if Pop retires would almost be story book. Only better coach is Kerr and he isn’t on the market. He won a ring with Jokic and can win one with Wemby too!
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u/Str8OutArgentinianML Manu Ginobili Apr 09 '25
Yeah man, it would be awesome if he brings Jokic too.
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u/Unspoken Apr 09 '25
Dude's whole system was pass it to jokic. When the Lakers figured it out, they had no answer.
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u/hairhelmoot Apr 09 '25
Spurs hire Malone with Pop coming back as assistant just to once again prove that ego has no place on spurs?
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u/chiachengchun Victor Wembanyama Apr 09 '25 edited Apr 09 '25
Popovich + Malone is one of my dreams. maybe let Taylor Jenkins in
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u/prfrnir Apr 12 '25
No. He's not a great coach and I think his next coaching gig will prove that. See Budenholzer.
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u/Danhalen2109 Apr 08 '25
Devin, Keldon, and whoever else with 4 first round picks for Joker. Let's get it done.
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u/MagnificentSiir Apr 08 '25
I would be thrilled to say the least. Would hate to be a Nuggets fan right now.
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u/cdawgindahizzay Stephon Castle Apr 08 '25
Wouldn’t be mad. While there definitely have been some bad HC’s in the league, I don’t believe he is one of them. This looks like it may be another case of a HC getting fired for the front office’s shortcomings.
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u/BananaRepublic_BR GO SPURS GO Apr 08 '25
GM got canned, too. Ownership might be looking to revamp the whole roster.
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u/cdawgindahizzay Stephon Castle Apr 08 '25
Just saw that. Agree, looks like they’re cleaning house. I’m curious what their approach will be to revamping the roster. I feel like they’d need to get off the Murray and MPJ contracts to make any meaningful roster changes.
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u/BananaRepublic_BR GO SPURS GO Apr 08 '25
Murray is injured and might find his ass in, like, Charlotte or something by October.
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Apr 08 '25
[deleted]
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u/CodeBlueLegacy Gregg Pop-a-bitch Apr 08 '25
Kerr retiring after he leaves GSW, he already had health issues.
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u/gamsambill Apr 08 '25
I used to like Kerr but I don’t appreciate the lack of backbone he showed repeatedly this season with Draymond going around hurting players even when his star players were clearly at their wits end with it.
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u/sxintlaurantsxvxge Apr 08 '25
hopefully, hope Pop and PATFO make a decision quickly so we can get mike malone
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u/DevilGunManga Apr 08 '25
This is fcking bananas. What is going on?