Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic’s PERFECT Triple-Double + Decision to Start Peyton Watson

Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic’s PERFECT Triple-Double + Decision to Start Peyton Watson

Both ends of the floor uh 43 assists 12 turnovers is just an incredible number and uh the great part about that was even in that fourth quarter when we were up we continue to play the right way guys move the ball made plays for their teammates so uh thrilled with the the

Ball movement the sharing and the taking care of it uh scoring 64 in their paint plus 19 on the glass 20 in transition uh I mean Nia has a triple double in three quarters without missing a shot uh Murray was on fire I mean there were so many guys that contributed

To the win tonight and I thought Payton you know filling in for Aaron Gordon and obviously Aaron is in our thoughts and prayers and um you know been staying in contact with him and he’s uh he’s he’s on his way to recovering which is a positive but pH pton did a really good

Job tonight they didn’t guard him to start the game and uh you know he he stayed with it he didn’t lose confidence that can mess with you you know the guys when they just completely don’t guard you that can really mess with you but I thought Payton did a really really good

Job and the last thing I’ll say is you know obviously they were a much different team with John Morant uh so we we we caught a break with him being out tonight that team was playing great basketball and uh I was proud of our guys for once we learned about John KN

Playing right before tip off our guys handle their business there was no let down there was no we can just show up and win we played the right way what do you tell a guy like pyton in the situation is it a shoot around that you

Tell him that you starting is it just leading up to the game just was that conversation with him like and and then the way that they’re guarding him just how do you how do you keep him in it yeah obviously you know KNN that Aaron’s

Going to be out you know we went through some of their plays yesterday uh and then today as well and you know Payton’s been in the rotation he’s been closing games for us that time so I think he knows that we have confidence and belief in him and let’s be honest pton Watson

Is a huge part of our future and so for him to go out there and you know play against an All-Star and jiren Jackson Jr and have to guard him in the post and then for him to handle how they were guarding him and I we just told him at

Halftime listen and even even in the huddles in the first half if you’re open shoot the ball but if they’re not guarding you don’t feel like you have to stand in the corner cut move without it get on the rim uh nicoa Jamal they’re going to find you and I thought he kind

Of had a had a good mix in that second half of you’re not going to guard me I work on my shot I can make this and he did as well as moving without it and putting pressure on the rim what does it say about pton the fact that he took nine shots

You know the percentage was great but the fact that he took n shots confidence yeah I mean he’s he’s a young kid and like you know I just gave him a hug and he said coach thanks for trusting in me and I mean it’s these these are like

Growing opportunities and you know last year end of the season he showed the potential and this year obviously we’ made a full commitment to playing him and Julian and uh you know I think Payton’s learning curve and growth are just at a rapid rate right now and he’s

You know initially was pton is a Defender and now you’re getting Payton’s a complete basketball player he’s making plays for people he’s knocking down shots he’s attacking in transition uh on top of you know defending on the other end so um I think him shooting U to your

Point six of 14 four of 10 from three it shows that pton believes in his his game and all the time that he puts into it he lives in the gym and the hard work pays off what what do young players need to do to earn your trust um play hard

It sounds really simple but it’s uh you know you you just got to you know play hard and I got to know what I’m getting from you every night you know I don’t want it to be a box of chocolate like farest Gump said and I open it up and I

I have no idea what I’m getting I want to know when I put you in the game what I’m going to get you from every night and that’s not making threes field goals that’s energy effort discipline consistency one of the greatest things you can say about a players that you

Trust them and obviously I think Payton you know is has earned the trust and that’s that’s why he got to start today coach we’ve talked uh in the past about pton being so R you and me or everybody everybody okay yeah yeah uh but we’ve

Seen him grow and he he had never played a game in college where he even played 25 minutes and last year we started see him at the end of the year gets a couple starts how hard and difficult is it to take someone that’s maybe really raw and didn’t have that experience into

Situation where he’s being relied upon by a championship caliber NBA team yeah I mean that’s the uh that was a decision that we made as a franchise this summer I mean it’s um you know with the way the NBA is set now you know you have to

Draft some players and you have to develop those players and um I I think in Payton’s case to your point didn’t play a lot in college didn’t play a lot last year and um you know the challenge to him this off season was you know you have a great opportunity this year but

You have to earn it you know that was my message to him going into the preseason and regular season like right now you think these are your minutes you’re assuming so don’t assume you’re going to you’re going to be watching some somebody else play in front of you and

To his credit he owned that and he started earning the minutes and earning the trust so now he gets a start when Aaron is out he’s closing games like he did in uh uh in Brooklyn and the sky is a limit the kids got so much potential

Uh and I I think he has so much room for continued growth that that makes it really exciting to see where Payton was a year ago where he is now then to look into the future and see where he’s going to be and um you know it’s going to be a

Big part of our franchise as we move forward coach um this felt a lot of ways like a reminder game for Nicole and Jamal just it it reminded me a lot of the finals just the way that they’re controlling the game going back and forth and old handling the ball and

Being as as playmaking as forward as they were just how awesome is it to be able to rely on that and be able to go to that just night in and Night Out knowing that they’re going to they’re still getting better yeah I mean they were combined 20 for 23 tonight which is

Incredible so their efficiency their ability you what I love about both those guys too is that and I don’t know how many MVPs you can say this about um Nico doesn’t care likey how many shots am I getting I mean he was 11 for 11 tonight he doesn’t

Care about that if Jamal’s got it going he I he’s clapping for Jamal he takes more joy in his teammate success I mean that is the true definition of being selfless and he lives it every day and uh so if Jamal’s got it going we feed

Jamal if Nicole’s got it going we feed nicoa and um when those two are playing at the level Ryan that you talked about tonight um it just makes everybody else’s job that much easier because they attract so much attention so we make 23s tonight we have 43 assists because those

Two are kind of setting the table for themselves and everybody else one more did you come into tonight wanting to let pton have you know the starting job and let him have a Runway you know within wall erands out or have you thought about trying different guys in that spot

You know while AG out lineup yeah I to I won’t get into details but uh Payton was not originally supposed to start tonight but he did and uh you know you get a chance like that and all of a sudden you’re called upon um and you go out there and play

Like that you make my job that much harder to say Hey listen because in my opinion Harris it was when Aaron went out not knowing when he’s coming back I was going to take this almost like a game by game who are we playing what’s the best matchup who we playing next

Game what’s the best matchup you know but when you think about Payton’s Talent his potential and the fact that we’re going to rely upon him for many years nights like tonight are only going to speed up that process so um you know proud of him he was he was terrific but

Doesn’t mean anything you know we got a team tomorrow night that’s playing great basketball uh with one of the best guards in the whole world and Shay Gil just Alexander and they beat us at home last time and uh you know we I watched the game last night you know they got

Two guys and Shay and Jaylen Williams who can get their shot whenever they want it so tomorrow night is going to be a heck of a challenge so you enjoy this for a few minutes then you turn the page and get ready for tomorrow night thank

You coach we’ll get p and Nico in here shortly thanks everyone

Michael Malone Post Game press conference after Denver Nuggets beat Memphis Grizzlies 142-105. Dive into the latest Denver Nuggets game highlights where Coach Michael Malone discusses the team’s exceptional performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. Discover insights on Nikola Jokic’s triple-double, Jamal Murray’s fiery gameplay, and Peyton Watson’s impressive role filling in for Aaron Gordon. Experience the strategic plays and team dynamics that led the Nuggets to a remarkable victory. Perfect for Nuggets fans and basketball enthusiasts.

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