Michael Malone Clarifies Nikola Jokic MVP Stance After Getting Heat from Nuggets Fans

Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is now working for ESPN as an analyst for the rest of the playoffs.

Michael Malone Clarifies Nikola Jokic MVP Stance After Getting Heat from Nuggets Fans

Michael Malone clarifies he would have voted Nikola Jokic for MVP (Image via FirstSportz)

Michael Malone was instrumental in the development of Nikola Jokic throughout his NBA career. The former Denver Nuggets head coach understood what the Serbian brought to the table and built the team around him.

That formula helped them win the franchise its first-ever title. But since then, things have not worked out, and the Nuggets lost in the second round last season. This season, it seemed as if matters were in order when the team looked like one of the best in the league.

But after the All-Star break, all hell broke loose, and they lost a lot of games. Then, just as they entered the month of April, the ownership fired Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth. Several theories came up, and even though Jokic confirmed it was the ownership’s decision, fans believed something was not right.

Then, after Game 1 of the West Finals, Malone claimed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved he was the MVP. This set off alarm bells all across the basketball world, as it seemed as if the coach was taking shots at his former player. But today, before Game 2 of the West Finals, he decided to clarify that claim.

Nikola won the first of his three MVPs, and I did vote for him again this year if I had a vote. Want to make sure the people in Denver know that, because right now, I’m getting a lot of heat back home.

Michael Malone said on ESPN

He clarified his stance that if he were still the head coach of the Denver Nuggets, he would be able to vote to decide the league’s MVP. But since he is out of a job, he could not vote for Nikola Jokic. Malone admitted that he received a lot of heat from Denver.

Michael Malone explains how crafty Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at drawing fouls

Michael Malone clarifying that he would have still voted for Nikola Jokic as the MVP can probably douse the flames he sparked. To help his case, he then proceeded to dissect why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is crafty at drawing fouls.

You think about trying to guard the best offensive players in the league nowadays, it becomes almost impossible. A lot of times, offensive players like Shai will initiate the contact or hook his arm looking to draw that contact. He is a foul artist. He is living at the foul line.

Michael Malone explained to Scott Van Pelt

The 53-year-old coach added that a team has to be disciplined on their defensive assignments to be able to slow someone like SGA. But it is harder than one can think, considering how brilliant an offensive player the Thunder star is. He saw the same problems in the season against his former team, the Denver Nuggets, and expects teams to struggle to contain him down the stretch.

David Adelman confirmed as Michael Malone’s replacement

After Michael Malone was sent packing, the Denver Nuggets promoted his assistant, David Adelman, to the role of interim-head coach. He was tasked with leading the team into the playoffs and push as far as possible.

Denver Nuggets announce David Adelman as next head coach
Denver Nuggets announce David Adelman as next head coach (Image via NBA/X)

The 44-year-old seemed to be doing a good job, but also had superstar Nikola Jokic help troubleshoot problems during the game. Thankfully, for him, there were not too many instances of that as the Nuggets soldiered on in both rounds of the playoffs.

If not for fatigue and the lack of bench strength, Adelman could have led the team to the Conference Finals. But even if they ended their season early, the ownership saw enough in that run to award the son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman a full-time head coaching contract.

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