Michael Malone Compares Denver Nuggets to Warriors & Spurs Dynasties

Michael Malone Compares Denver Nuggets to Warriors & Spurs Dynasties

Anybody Michael the defense got gradually worse as the game went along anything changed or was that just more of an effort an attitude issue no I don’t think it was an effort issue I think the guys played hard I think uh they got going they played last night

And I think they started to find a rhythm and late in the game uh dearon Fox took over nia what not his best night from him tonight just what do you guys need from him on nights like tonight where obviously you’re very short-handed we need everybody to be better you know I

Mean it was I mean a bench the starting unit um when you without your starting back court uh it’s not just on Nia because he’s the MVP it’s it’s on everybody’s shoulders to go out there and play to the best of your ability and uh thought our guys played extremely

Hard we gave ourselves a chance uh we’re up four late and I think they Clos 13 to5 um just too many mistakes down the stretch you know some guys just making things up defensively and then uh costly turnovers um obviously um tough way to go into the break losing three in a row

But got a chance to get our bodies right our minds right and attack these last 27 games are you seeing bad habits building up over these three losses or do you think it’s more you need the reset mental for you know the allar break coming up I think it’s

We’re not healthy I mean we have the best fiveman starting unit in the league in the last three games we haven’t had those five guys together so I think it’s more of that uh at least be defended tonight I mean that was my big thing to

Our team today Harrison was the last two games we are 30th in three-point percentage we are 30th in field goal percentage so if you’re not making shots which we aren’t you got to get stops to try to stay in the game and we didn’t do that at sack we didn’t do that at

Milwaukee I felt like tonight yes as Vinnie said the defense surely got uh worse as the game went along but overall 102 points allowed 43 from the field and only nine May 3es those are really really improved numbers from uh the earlier games against that team what

Were you seeing on some of those defensive possessions laid against Fox that that sort of made him tough to contain in the last couple yeah just getting downhill getting to his spots um you know that’s what he had 40 points last night goes out and gets 30 tonight

He’s one of the more Dynamic guards in the league so uh give him credit and we have to be better how would you describe the mentality that Gordon up uh attack aggression uh I I thought AG’s 25 and 15 were uh impactful he played downhill and

Um when Aaron plays with that kind of mentality as you know ktie um he’s a different player and he makes us a different team um so we need that from him got to the foul line eight times too so um it’s it’s just too bad man that

Was a game that I felt I wanted to win for our guys you know they worked so hard and um obviously we just were not able to close it out Mike Brown was talking before the game about his experience with go state in that um that’s defending champ getting

Everybody’s in that shot joke you guys felt that this year say it again kid that getting everybody’s Best Shot no joke as defending champs to what extent have you felt that oh yeah no I couldn’t agree more and you know you try to prepare guys for that you know you talk to him

About it going into the season you know that was the main uh point of emphasis in training camp in San Diego is that know we have a bulls ironer back now and for 82 games we’re going to get everybody’s best um you know from a team

In Sacramento or from teams that may be down in the standings there are no easy nights for us and um give them credit they played last night and even yes we were underman but you know they came in here and you know took it from us at the

End so uh we got to regroup and we got to realize that those 27 games to go most importantly we just can’t think we’re going to ease into the 27 games we have to hit the ground running we stumbled going into the break well we

Got to sprint out of the break yeah he said that you know when you have that confidence as defending champs there’s a tendency to say yeah we can switch it on when we need to but in this leag that isn’t very easy it’s not easy and look

At the standings I mean we lost three in a row and you know we went from being tied for first to being maybe I don’t know two games out of first place now uh Minnesota’s playing at a high level OKC’s playing at a high level Clippers

Are playing at a high level so and then you have teams like Phoenix like Dallas like New Orleans like Sacramento who are all waiting for somebody to drop so if if you’re thinking that there’s a switch that we can just turn on well now you’re

Going to drop down to the you know a Feeding Frenzy and so we just have to be really mature and responsible with our approach and we’re not going to go 27 and0 but we just got to make sure we’re bringing it every night and playing the right way outside of just getting

Healthy and making sure everybody’s ready to go was one thing that would be an indicator to you that would say we are approaching things the correct way the final oh always going to start with our defense you know I mean like it’s um I think maybe we’re 10th or 10

Or 11 in the on the season a defensive rating um you know but then you had last two games that sack at Milwaukee where we guarded nobody and so we just can’t be uh we’re just really Jackal and hide right now like each night I don’t know which team’s going to show up

Defensively and uh that that can’t be that we’re going to miss shots like we against Milwaukee we were eight of 30 on wide openen threes so after the game they talked about how they locked us up we generated 30 wide openen threes the nearest Defender was from me to you we

Made eight so we’re not making shots but when that happens Ryan I I I just want our defense to be a hell of a lot more consistent and uh I know that in clutch games our defense has been great but it’s got to be just be more consistent

And game to game quarter to quarter and half to half one more question when you’re on the grind of Defending Your title how imp pack can a week off at this juncture and the season be for you guys oh I’m hoping it’s I’m hoping it’s very rewarding for everybody you know um

And as Jamal and I were talking about it today this is the first time we’re going through it you know Golden State went through it you know four times um you know pop and San Antonio they went through it a bunch of times well this

You can talk you can talk to people how hard is it but you got to walk that you got to go through it yourself to really understand it and we played into June and our guys that were here last year are definitely physically mentally and emotionally worn out played a lot of

Basketball and so I think getting away I feel bad for Nia you know he’s got to go to Indianapolis and hopefully he can find a way to just rest his mind but uh I’m hoping that this break allows everybody to come back rejuvenated and um you know kind of with a

Um a new uh pep in their step if you will to attack these 27 games that’s what I’m hoping for thank you coach thanks everybody

Michael Malone Post Game Press Conference after Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets lose 102-98 over Sacramento Kings. In the aftermath of the Denver Nuggets’ narrow 102-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Head Coach Michael Malone offered insights during a press conference, reflecting on both the team’s performance and broader challenges. Malone dismissed the idea that effort was lacking, instead highlighting how the team found its rhythm as the game progressed, despite being shorthanded and facing a dominant late-game performance by De’Aaron Fox of the Kings. He stressed the collective responsibility on the shoulders of every player, especially in the absence of key starters, and acknowledged the need for improvement across the board. Malone also touched on the broader context of defending a championship, comparing the Nuggets’ current situation to the experiences of the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs dynasties, emphasizing the mental, physical, and emotional toll it takes on a team. This comparison underscores the Nuggets’ aspirations and challenges as they navigate the remainder of the season, looking to rebound from a three-game losing streak and adjust to the heightened expectations and competition that come with being champions.

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