LAS VEGAS– The people at the NBA who make the schedule for its annual Summer League don’t do anything by accident. For the second year in a row, the featured game on the first day of action pitted this year’s top two draft picks against one another.
So Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings was meant to be an awkward, bittersweet affair. In the middle of it all was Mike Malone. Fired in the middle of last season after a strong start for Sacramento, Malone is now Denver’s new coach. The general manager forced to fire him, Pete D’Alessandro, is now assistant GM of the Nuggets.
In a one-on-one interview with SheridanHoops, Malone discussed his relationship with the Kings, his new role as Nuggets coach and whether he thought he would ever get another opportunity to coach an NBA team.
Before the teams took the court, Malone was seen shaking hands with Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins, who is still a big fan of Malone, the first of three coaches he had last season. Malone also greeted other Kings players and current Sacramento brass, including lead decision-maker Vlade Divac.
“It was bittersweet,” Malone told SheridanHoops. “You know I miss them, from DeMarcus Cousins to [athletic trainer] Pete Youngman to all the guys in the Kings family. I miss those guys. We had a great year and a half there and I’ll always have a special place in my heart for all of them. I miss working with them, so it was great to see them and to kind of reconnect with a bunch of people.”
Malone was axed last December despite an 11-13 start. But eight losses in 10 games while Cousins was sidelined with viral meningitis and reported stylistic differences with ownership did him in. After being sent packing, he spent some time away from the game and wondered if he’d get another NBA head coaching position.
“To be very honest, I sat out and I looked at my own father,” Malone said. Brendan Malone, Mike’s dad, was the first coach of the Toronto Raptors and was fired by general manager Isiah Thomas in 1996 after just one season on the job. Brendan never got another full-time head coaching job.
“He did a hell of a job and never got another chance.,” Malone said. “So there are only 30 jobs and I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen.”
Ironically, Sacramento’s well-documented struggles since Malone’s ouster likely helped his candidacy around the league, which Malone acknowledged.
“I think what happened after I got fired in Sacramento kind of validated the job that I did and my staff did,” he said. “And I’m fortunate and blessed to have another opportunity as a head coach.”
That opportunity with the Nuggets presents its own set of challenges. Denver hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2012-2013 season, when they were led by current Sacramento coach George Karl.
Denver still plays fast on offense – it has been in the top five in the league in possessions per 48 minutes for the last six seasons- but has been horrendous on defense. The Nuggets were 26th in points allowed per 100 possessions last season and gave up the fourth-most points per game overall.
“The biggest challenge is going to be getting them to buy in on the defensive end of the floor,” Malone said. “If we could do that and use the altitude to our advantage, I think we have a chance to be a tough team next year.”
This may not be the best thing for a team that won 30 games last season, but Denver maintains a good deal of continuity as we stand here in mid-July. Malone said he’s excited to coach the team’s talented players – including Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson, Jusuf Nurkic, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari – but was extremely excited by how rookie Emmanuel Mudiay looked in Summer League thus far.
Malone described Mudiay as a double-double player who makes everyone around him better.
“Gifted playmaker, has great vision, makes the right play, great size, great strength,” Malone said, rattling off one positive attribute after another. “And as his shooting continues to get better, he’s going to be that much tougher to guard.”
Malone may have a tough time getting the Nuggets back to the playoffs as currently constituted, but he is nearly always upbeat and ready for what lies ahead. For someone with a family history of not getting second chances, Mike Malone is very pleased, and deserving, of getting another head coaching job.
Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who focuses on analytics, profiles and features. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. You should follow him on Twitter.