Denver Nuggets Accused of Hurting Nikola Jokic as Conflict Allegedly Unfolds Between Coach Malone & GM

A year after not being able to make it to the Finals, the Denver Nuggets is back, energized, and revamped for the preseason game today. Expectations are high, as were last year after they delivered a promising win in 2023. Everyone expected Nikola Jokić and the team to build on their success, but the hopes died quickly. Many comments came in from the former coach, George Karl, after the loss, which people believed were directed at Jokic. But that wasn’t quite the case.

The comments were directed towards the Nuggets front office, who reportedly didn’t do enough to make the best use of Nikola. Now, with reports of tensions arising between the HC and the front office, Charles Barkley steps in to agree to what Karl said earlier.

In a conversation on the Jim Jackson Show, Barkley talked about the Conference semi-finals between the Nuggets and the Timberwolves. “I think last year, they did Joker a disservice because not having him a backup really hurt him when they played those Twin Towers (Towns and Gobert) against Minnesota because they had enough, but they had zero bench, that the front office of the Nuggets let him down.”

While Nikola and the squad attempted to hold their own, taking the series to Game 7, Anthony Edwards’ offense and the presence of KAT and Rudy Gobert proved too much to overcome. Barkley feels both players and the management are to be blamed here.

Barkley seems to be defending Jokic right after ESPN reporter Zack Lowe revealed that all wasn’t well in Denver. “There are rumblings. Rumblings! That the coaching staff and front office, or at least the head coach and the front office, aren’t exactly seeing eye to eye in Denver.”

Apparently, issues are arising because of many disagreements on team building in the long run. HC Michael Malone wants to place more importance on veteran players, while GM Calvin Booth wants to build a team of young players. Both bring quite different viewpoints and experiences to the table. Of course, a clash is expected!

Such disagreements aren’t too new in NBA history. But the impact of this one was visible in the previous season. The Nuggets brought in Reggie Jackson as Bruce Brown’s replacement. And that did not go well. Losing both Brown and Jeff Green left quite a void in their team’s depth. Adding Justin Holiday wasn’t enough as well. It did not help in maintaining the bench’s vital production. Then, as Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled in the latter part of the 2024 playoffs, cracks began to come to the surface. All of this ultimately led to Denver’s early exit.

Now, even when Dario Saric was added as a potential backup, there are quite a few doubts surrounding the Nuggets. So, is this move a season too late?

Despite all the narratives floating around, one thing that the coaching staff and the front office will agree upon is to build up the hype of the championship contention that Jokic brings in. So, with the pre-season starting, management is working on sending positive signals to fans.

As Michael Malone downplayed conflict rumors, Calvin Booth highlighted the duration of Nikola’s Jokic championship contention window

The Denver Nuggets Media Day provided the perfect opportunity for the team management to address the rumors. A discussion about the franchise’s future would be remiss without touching base on Nikola Jokić. Despite the mistakes made during the previous season, Calvin Booth assured that things would be different in the coming days. After all, the window on using the Serbian for a championship is closing swiftly.

“In a best-case scenario, I think Nikola has a prime 10-year contention window,” said Booth, according to ESPN reporter Baxter Holmes. “I think we’re about halfway through it. So, we probably have about five more similar shots and all the shots count. We hit one of them, that’s great. The earlier we hit it, the more we can have conversations about other things, but it’s going to be incredibly hard to win another one.”

Meanwhile, the head coach had to dispel the rumors of a rift. Referencing the GM when addressing reporters, Malone stated “I think as long as we’re aligned, communicating, collaborating and also challenging each other — like, Calvin and I shouldn’t always agree. If we’re always agreeing, then we’re not really accomplishing what we need to accomplish.” Malone revealed that he himself needs to understand the bigger picture and not concentrate too much on what can be improved for the present. As long as no further issues trouble Nikola Jokic, Denver fans can expect a highly competitive run this season.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.