skywalker33 wrote:The Rebel wrote:skywalker33 wrote:Some things that are becoming more apparent are that Malone has particular types of players that he wants for his system and that the FO have their own type of players that fits more with Jokic-ball. This clearly indicates there is a clear disconnect between the FO and Malone, their vision of how the team will win is going different directions. Malone isn't utilizing the team he has properly and the FO isn't making player moves to get players. While Malone has clearly helped improve the team (+13 wins over two seasons), his tenure with this team is limited. I feel the FO is wanting this team to learn all it can from Malone before it moves on, search for a coach that can identify and utilize Jokic ball while continuing to learn to win. Should Malone learn a way to utilize Jokic-ball to it's fullest, he may get to come back but I see him set in his way. Potentially I see yet another year of missing the playoffs because of Malone ( I don't see him as a coach who understands the X's and O's or player management), his firing and yet another new coach.
I swear we had this same discussion a year ago. The issue is that we do not know what Malone is really preaching to these guys. He talks about defense but I do not see guys really improving on defense, as his whole system is based on guys fighting through screens and Jokic trying to cover the entire paint. We know what he likes on offense, but he is doing a disservice to guys like Juancho, Jokic, and the other young guys when he is preaching things that fit in an iso system but does nothing for the Jokic system that we all know fits these guys.
People can talk about how Malone is so good with the guys, and how he is improving, but at the base of my issues with him has been his stubborn refusal to use the roster as designed and put a system in that fits the talents of the team.
I agree, seems Malone doesn't really know what he's doing. Says one thing but it never appears on the court. Part of me thinks Malone is walking in daddy's shadow, Brendon coached in a different NBA andMike doesn't realize it. ISO only work when you have players like Kobe, Harden or LBJ and even then it's not team basketball and has never worked in Denver. Jokic-ball can work in the Mile High City, almost perfectly designed for it. If you can't adapt the team to fulfill your best players talents, either times have past you by or , as you stated, you're too dang stubborn (or too stupid IMO)
It is not just his dad, look at Malone's own history.
He was an assistant with the Knicks in 2003-2004 which was an iso team built around Marburry and Francis that struggled to take advantage of their offensive talent.
Next he was with the Cavs during the 1st Lebron era from 2005-2010, where the whole offense was based on Lebron iso creating for the entire team and everybody playing defense.
coached for the Hornets for 2010-2011 for a team that was built around Chris Paul controlling the offense.
Then he went to the Warriors from 2011-2013 where he was named the best assistant coach in the league, and that team was built around ball dominate guards and very little movement off the ball.
Next was the Kings where Malone got Cousins to put up huge numbers, and made Cousins a very ball dominate player, but the rest of the offense struggled, especially when Cousins was out.
Then he came here.
Now look at the way Malone used Barton, remind you of any teams? the Knicks were a mess trying to use 2 ball dominate guards that did not fit and were a mess. The 1st time in Cleveland the Cavs were becoming known for the place role players went to have their carriers die as Lebron did everything, it was not until he left that he figured out how to get his teammates more involved. Remember the Hornet's Nuggets series a few years ago where Dahntay Jones shut down Paul and that team was destroyed in the playoffs? Notice how Kerr brought in a ball movement offense and suddenly the Warriors were champions? NOw I will say that some of those team's defenses improved while Malone was there, but is that a Malone thing or a head coach thing? As the Kings did not exactly become even a good defensive team while Malone was there, despite Cousins obviously trying harder on defense when he was there
Malone came up in the NBA only working with teams with a ball dominate player, usually guards, that is the mind set he is stuck in. He does not know how to use Jokic as he is not going to iso and dominate guys on the perimeter, he is not going to out muscle some of the bigger centers around the league, he is going to out think and out maneuver them. He destroys guys by finding their weakness and having the all around game to destroy them, and if someone doubles him, even on a soft double than he destroys them with his passing. His vision and BBIQ are what sets him apart and yet Malone does not understand how to use it.
With guys like Lebron, Paul, early Curry, Monte Ellis, Cousins, and all the other ball dominate players guys were best off finding a spot that the ball handler could find them and get set in that spot. Barton, Millsap, chandler, Craig, and Plumlee are really the only guys on this roster who fits that type of offense, the rest are primarily built to be best in motion/ball movement offenses. It is why Malone was so quick to change the offense to Millsap and Barton isos at the beginning of the year, why Chandler seemed to always be on the court, and why he struggles to figure out how to use guys like Juancho and Beasley. It is also why he is so comfortable using guys like Plumlee and Craig who are more old school garbage offense types that set screens and work hard on defense, but refuses to use Jokic ball when he has options.
Really it comes down to the front office either changing philosophies to match the coach, or the coach changing his offensive philosophies to match the roster. This team is never going to win trying to play iso ball as they just do not have the ball dominate guard, so they can go out and trade Murray for a guy like Walker to pair with Jokic and trade the young guys like Juancho, Lyles, Beasley for defensive guys who are going to either be spot up shooters or garbage men, or they can move on from Malone and let this young roster take the next step. I know which way I prefer and which way I believe will make them contenders, but I am not sure about the front office, and I am not sure that Malone can change.
Which of us is anticipating and hoping and waiting until the season's roster is set and then waiting until we see how the Nuggets are playing after a couple of months? 
