Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone knows that the seat of an NBA head coach is never absolutely cool. Malone reminded everyone in the room about that prior to Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, while also offering his thoughts on the recent firing of Adrian Griffin from his job as Milwaukee Bucks head coach (h/t Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).

Michael Malone fields a question on what Doc Rivers brings to the Bucks by first offering sympathy to Adrian Griffin.”If you’re looking for security, don’t become a coach,” Malone said.”Tough to see a guy who’s in second or third place in the East get let go so early.”

Malone and the Nuggets are the first team to face a Doc Rivers-mentored Bucks squad, with the two legitimate NBA title contenders meeting at Mile High City Monday night.

Rivers takes over the spot left by Griffin, who was dismissed by the Bucks even though the team had a 30-13 record under him. The decision by Milwaukee to let Griffin go caught many by surprise, but that's now behind the Bucks, who believe that a former NBA champion head coach can be the one to fully maximize the strengths and address the issues of the team on both ends of the floor.

The Nuggets should be a great test right away for Rivers, who, like Malone, has one NBA ring as head coach after steering the Boston Celtics to the top back in 2008. Malone led the Nuggets to the top of the NBA world in 2023 when Denver defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.