Malone not taking Grizzlies lightly and more details on Murray injury – Full Presser 3/25
Respected and when they get healthy we know what they’re capable of yeah I mean every game is an opportunity you we have 11 to go you know we’re 14 and two since the break we’ve been playing at a high level we’ve been winning games at a high level um
You know but you know every every night you get a chance to go out there and play and when your number is called you have a a responsibility to go out there and play well and play with urgency and play with discipline you know to show
Not only me but the coaching staff and your teammates that you’re somebody that we can call upon and Trust in a big game in the postseason and uh so 11 games to go no Jamal no Zeke no Aaron you know other guys are going to get a chance to
Play so you know let’s see what you’re capable of would yeah just go out there play your game play hard it’s a pinky it’s a pinky ask Ryan bow about that um no I mean kyp is a warrior I mean on a series no kcb is a warrior uh
And obviously it has been you know you see him messing with it throughout the game but um I I don’t think a pinky is ever going to hold kcp back now that guy goes out there and plays at such a hard level every night I think I have to
Remind myself how fortunate we are to have kavus cwell Pope wearing a nuggets uniform because the job he does each and every night it’s amazing the job that he does how hard he plays and and the amount of game-winning plays that he makes I mean that that’s got to be
Celebrated more often by me first and foremost because I think what kcp does is just incredible so yeah I think that pinky is definitely bothering him but um you know worst case scenario we can cut it off he can keep playing I’m joking V I’ll make sure you’re aware of that
Obviously what are some yeah well obviously you know you want to protect your home court uh we’ve done a great job of that this year um and we’ve done a very good job on the road as well um taking it one game at a time but as you look at our team right
Now we’re doing so many things well but there are certain areas that we have to shore up and and the two that jump off the page are the are defensive rebounding we’re allowing way too many offensive rebounds which they’re converting into Second Chance points and
That is not just on our bigs that is on everybody if you watch the film there’s way too many possessions where the shot is taken and more and more teams are crashing four or five guys and we are not finding bodies giving them second and third opportunities and that’s taken
Away from our opportunity to get out and run uh so I think rebounding is by far number one then number two is and you saw this in that third quarter in Portland when we are back just our ability to guard the paint you I think we’re giving up last five maybe around
56 a night in the paint which is a number that you don’t want that starts with 101 containment that starts with discipline to guard tendency left hand right hand but also shrinking the floor and give the appropriate help behind it knowing that we can be in the shrink and
Also get out the shooters you know um I think since the All-Star break were first and fewest threes allowed made threes allowed per game so you can do both you can shrink the floor and still get out to a shooter but those are the
Two things that I’d love to sh up uh in these final 11 games just finding ways to continue to demand more from ourselves and be the best team that we can be yeah I mean I I I think it’s just um I think it’s better than it was
Obviously right after the game Katie but uh you know I I think for Jamal it’s it’s still swollen and when you couple the ankle with the shin splints and the knee it’s just he’s dealing with a lot um as I always talk about with Jamal one
Of the the tougher guys I’ve ever been around not just physically but mentally he can play through things that a lot of guys cannot and won’t even try to play through but I think it’s also us being smart and and and protecting Jamal from himself at times so uh yeah he’s just
Not ready to go tonight we’ll see how he feels for the next game and we’re not going to rush him back when Jamal feels he’s able to go out there and play his game then uh then he’ll be back with us thanks
Coach Malone on what the Nuggets are facing agains the Grizzlies
