Nuggets’ Michael Malone “would love” Will Barton back, bracing for loss of assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn’t want to take anything away from the Phoenix Suns, who thoroughly dismantled his team in a 4-0 second-round playoff sweep. And so he didn’t.
At his end-of-the-season news conference on Friday, Malone lauded Phoenix and said being humbled by the Suns would provide all the motivation he needed this offseason. In a 30-minute press conference with reporters, Malone touched on all several topics.
Having just returned from New York, where he and his family were able to visit his parents for the first time in two years, Malone appeared refreshed. Here is a sampling of his most insightful remarks.
On Will Barton’s pending $14.6 million player option: “I would love for Will Barton to be back. Everything he brings to the team. That’s on the court, off the court, in the locker room, from a culture standpoint. … He means a ton to me personally. He means a ton to this team and everything we’ve been able to accomplish these last six years. … Me, personally, I hope he’s back here for a long time.”
Analysis: That’s a loud endorsement from a coach. After the season, Barton told the media he wanted to “be appreciated” when considering his future. Malone made clear how much Barton means to the Nuggets’ franchise. And assuming Barton is fully healthy entering next season, he would, in all likelihood, be Denver’s starting shooting guard if he returns. Malone may not have meant it like this, but his “long time” remark suggested the possibility of an extension with Barton in Denver.
On associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who is a candidate for head coaching jobs in Orlando and Washington: “Wes Unseld probably doesn’t get nearly enough credit, in my opinion, because obviously I know him, he’s been on my staff now for six years. …. I’ve been reaching out to different people with these job openings, trying to really pump him up because he’s not a self-promoter. That is one thing that I love about Wes, but I also wish he was more of a self-promoter at times because he’s content to just do his job, do it very well and allow the results to speak for themselves. And unfortunately, you see all these other people being interviewed, having their name plugged and getting jobs, and it seems like Wes is never one of those guys. And I have a feeling that’s going to change this summer. That would be a huge loss for me, but I couldn’t be more happy for Wes … He’s more than paid his dues …”
Analysis: The Denver Post first reported the Magic had requested an interview with Unseld, the Nuggets’ defensive coordinator. The Post also reported he was expected to be in the mix for the Wizards job as well. According to Malone, who specifically mentioned both of those openings, Unseld has a significant chance at landing one of them. Known as a soft-spoken coach, Unseld has cultivated a strong rapport with numerous Nuggets players, not only for his basketball acumen but also his communication skills.
On what Nikola Jokic told Malone after their Game 4 loss to Phoenix: “‘Hey coach, before you leave, I’ll come downstairs and we’ll have a beer together.’ We wind up hanging out for like two hours after that game. Talking about the season, talking about the summer, talking about his horses, talking about everything. … I don’t know many owners like Josh Kroenke. Josh Kroenke was there with me, Nikola … for two hours after getting eliminated in the second round. When I went home that night, I said, ‘Man, we got a really unique set up here.’ We’re all disappointed we lost, no one was happy. … But to have an owner and an MVP who are just so down to earth and committed to doing whatever it takes to be better and find ways to win a championship, those two hours were so important. I joked with Nikola, ‘Hey, I’m coming over (to Serbia) soon.’ He goes, ‘Coach, you can come, but you’re not going to find me.’”
Analysis: The Nuggets’ management team is committed to winning a title. When president Tim Connelly or Malone talks about organizational alignment, this is what they’re referring to. An owner, a coach and a franchise player reflecting and assessing over one (or two) cold ones.
On “load managing” Jokic next season: “We almost have to do it ahead of time. What I mean by that is, look at the schedule ahead of time, see when there’s a really condensed schedule, four-in-five, back-to-backs, and do it ahead of time because now you’re taking all the emotion out of it. Because what happens is this. We’re getting ready to play this game, maybe that’s a game that Nikola can sit. Then you lose a game that you’re supposed to win, then you say,’ We can’t have Nikola sit. We gotta win this game.’ And you want to avoid that.”
Analysis: Malone spoke a lot about self-reflection and assessing where he could be better. In this example, he talked about being in the bunker of a season and not seeing the bigger picture where a championship might be realized. If the Nuggets get out ahead of Jokic and convince him it’s not in anyone’s best interest for him to play every regular season game, there’s a better chance he won’t be drained by the postseason, like he was this year. Without Jamal Murray, who won’t be back from his torn ACL for months, the Nuggets need to be even more careful about not overburdening Jokic during the regular season.
