Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone strongly denies a report from ESPN stating that point guard Isaiah Thomas will make his season debut sometime in February.

Isaiah Thomas underwent arthroscopic hip surgery in March of last year. ESPN reported on Friday the Nuggets are expecting Thomas to play either before the 2019 All-Star break or right after it.

Michael Malone, however, says that report is not true:

It's interesting that Malone is saying this. Isaiah Thomas reacted to ESPN's report on Twitter, seemingly implying that it was accurate.

Maybe Malone is just mad someone in the organization talked when they shouldn't have.

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Isaiah Thomas signed a one-year free-agent deal with the Nuggets last summer. The lefty averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from beyond the arc last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.

The hip surgery was a procedure Thomas probably should have had in the summer of 2017. Nevertheless, it's good that the two-time All-Star had the injury addressed.

Whenever Thomas does play, the Nuggets are going to welcome him with open arms. Denver is 31-14 on the season and will be even better on offense once the scoring guard plays.