The Denver Nuggets have been one of the league's most pleasant surprises this season, owning a record of 29-13 and sitting in first place in the Western Conference. However, it hasn't always been this easy for head coach Mike Malone.
Last season, there were some calling for Mike Malone to be fired after the Nuggets missed the playoffs in spite of winning 46 games. But this past October, Denver and Malone actually agreed to a two-year contract extension, and it's one that is well-deserved.
The Golden State Warriors will be in Mile High City to battle the Nuggets on Tuesday night, and Warriors big man Draymond Green had high praise for Malone, saying he is the perfect coach for Denver.
“Ah, man, he's done great with them,” Draymond Green said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “It's funny, because when you look at last year, I was hoping they didn't fire him. I honestly felt in my heart that that was the coach for that team. He's showing that this year. He's got those young boys rocking. The confidence he's instilled in (Nikola) Jokic—and no one will say, ‘Oh, this guy helped give him confidence'—but he did. And that's the difference in their organization right now is they've got a guy who's a guy, if that makes sense.”
This is Malone's fourth year as head coach of the Nuggets. Overall, he owns a 148-140 record.
Prior to coaching in Denver, Malone served as head coach of the Sacramento Kings for a year-and-a-quarter, going 39-67 before being fired 24 games into the 2014-15 campaign.
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