But Denver has a small problem as they go through the rebuilding process: the division they’re in has become far more competitive. Slowly but surely Denver is putting together a roster that in time should be able to contend for a playoff spot. The Denver Nuggets finished last season with a 33-49 record, with young players such as guard Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic leading the way for head coach Mike Malone. Then there is Porter Jr., another guy the Nuggets could have so easily traded out of frustration as injuries hindered the former Missouri forward’s development on the court.Nikola Jokic was one of the best rookies in the NBA last season (Getty) Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP “He’s playing a different role, and that’s why he sacrificed himself and that’s why he’s a great teammate, and that’s why he won us the game today,” Jokic said of Gordon after Game 4.Īaron Gordon was an unsung hero for Denver all season long. Gordon has also proven himself capable of being more selfish when it is in the team’s best interests, exploding for a career-high 27 points in Denver’s Game 4 win over Miami. Take Aaron Gordon, the perfect glue guy who was miscast as a primary option in Orlando and has instead thrived in Denver as the dependable two-way player the Nuggets desperately needed. Jokic’s personality has quickly become an extension of the entire squad, one that has been built around a culture of selflessness and without the egos that have so easily brought talented teams undone in the past. “And I think I, and we, are a perfect example of the results of being patient and saying, ‘You know what? Let’s continue to let this grow and marinate and mature and then we can see what we really have.’ And I think we’re seeing it.” Patience is not something you talk about in the NBA, or pro sports. Just the ability of ownership to be patient and not overreact (was key). “There are countless, different examples (like that). Let’s f***ing take our time and build this the right way. “I said ‘No.’ Like, ‘What? Let’s not rush this. “I remember Tim calling me up, (and saying), ‘Hey, we can trade Jamal for this guy.’ (This was) probably three or four years ago - (and it was) a marquee player,” Malone said. Staying healthy though was something that was proving particularly challenging.Īnd when Murray went down with a torn ACL after his bubble breakout, even he was seemingly convinced it was the end of the road.īut speaking to The Athletic last month, Malone revealed there was a time that the subject of trading Murray did come up, floated by then-Nuggets president Tim Connelly.Īgain, Malone’s response once more reflected the level of confidence he and Denver’s ownership had in this core group of players. They knew what they had and knew they were good enough to contend, but only when they were healthy. leaving the Nuggets in a state of basketball purgatory. That was far from the only time their patience would be tested though, with injuries to Murray and Porter Jr. Justin Edmonds/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP Head coach Michael Malone benefited from patient owners. “For them to have patience after that third year, 46-win effort that came up just short of the playoffs, they saw something in Nikola, in Jamal, in myself, and allowed it to come to fruition. “I was now just hugging Josh and Stan Kroenke because we all know in this business patience is not a word that comes easily,” Malone said after the Nuggets’ Game 4 win over the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
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