The Denver Nuggets fought back against the Los Angeles Clippers. They weathered a double-digit lead in the first half and turned it into a lead of their own. But then vintage James Harden happened. The Beard played a sensational game, using his veteran instincts to dig the LA side out of a rut. For the Nuggets, it was another poor display of defense, one that ranks 6th most points to the opposition. It marked their third loss in the five games since Nikola Jokic returned.

However, tonight they had more reinforcements return to the lineup. Aaron Gordon, a vital piece to the team, came off the bench after being sidelined with a calf injury. Even then, the Clippers’ tandem of Harden and Norman Powell led a surgical offense to sink Denver.

While concerns are beginning to mount, the Nuggets weren’t bad tonight.

In fact, their offense was fluent, with them shooting 58% from the field, their third-highest mark from any game this season. However, the defensive errors came to bite. Particularly, their choice of fouling. “We fouled at least five jump shooters,” he told the media.

That’s where the game turned. The Clippers secured a 12-point advantage from the line and attempted eight more free throws. But on the other side, the Nuggets too had 19 attempts. They missed nine of them in the four-point loss to the Harden-led Clippers. That fine line is what separates the two sides.

That doesn’t stop the fans from being upset, though. The pressure is slowly mounting on Malone with the expectation of consistent results. But it seems the very fans who once celebrated him at their championship parade feel his time in Denver might be up.

Denver Nuggets fans call for replacing Michael Malone after Nikola Jokic’s performance

The Nuggets, only two years removed from their championship haul, currently sit 9th in the West. Although injuries and abrupt absences have had an effect, it’s a disappointing outcome thus far. And the fans feel it has something to do with how the players are being coached. Likewise, one proposition is growing larger.

“It’s just time for Michael Malone to go. He’s lost the team. They don’t respect or listen to him. The effort is embarrassing every player should be ashamed of it. Not to mention Malone isn’t an X’s and O’s guy. He has no clue how to gameplan or how to get guys integrated,” a fan mentioned. However, not only has Malone led the team to the championship, but he also became the Nuggets coach with the most wins as part of the franchise.

Even though it seems like a roadblock, the fans are still not convinced. It could be because of the Herculean production of Nikola Jokic not garnering regular results. Even tonight, the Joker recorded a 28-point triple-double, his 8th of the season. However, it wasn’t enough to usher Denver. Hence, fans feel “Michael Malone is an overrated coach, no adjustments, horrible rotations, players don’t even listen to him, look at the efforts.”.

In terms of effort from the players, it’s been a request Malone has made since their last loss. After conceding 145 points from the Knicks, a belligerent Malone didn’t mince any words. “So, yeah, leadership would be great, toughness would be great, physicality would be great, playing like you actually care would be great, and we didn’t do that tonight,” said the renowned head coach.

But while defensive effort might have lacked tonight, Malone may have made some poor decisions regarding his rotations. Hence, some believe the fourth-longest tenured coach may not have great control over game situations. “Michael Malone is horrendous with rotating players. He’s horrible at his job,” one angered fan wrote.

The one decision that might have stung the Nuggets is the involvement of Michael Porter Jr. today. The shooting forward went unconscious by only missing three shots of the entire game and scoring the most points behind Jokic. However, not only did he only get one three-pointer off, but Porter Jr. only featured for 31 minutes in the close loss.

Such decisions have intensified the sentiments of fans wanting Malone out. They feel he might not be fit to lead the Nuggets to another title. Moreover, some fans also believe the players have lost respect for him. “Michael Malone is just a sorry a** coach been saying it for years,” a fan wrote.

Yet, his most vital characteristic is the belief he fosters in his team. Nikola Jokic, the ace agrees with Malone and feels the players are to blame. After the Knicks’ loss, he articulated these feelings. “Coach was right. We are in the games, and we are always down 20 at a half. I don’t know [what’s going on]. We don’t warm up, we don’t wake up, or we just don’t play hard enough. I don’t know what it is, but collectively, we need to do a better job,” said the Joker.

Do you think Michael Malone needs to be let go? Let us know your views in the comments below.