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Baxter Holmes, ESPN Senior Author
DENVER — With a blue banner commemorating the crew’s 2023 NBA championship hanging behind him on the Denver Nuggets‘ apply facility, head coach Mike Malone described a way of urgency for the 2024-25 season, a sentiment shared by star guard Jamal Murray lately throughout a locker room speech.
“He reminds his teammates, do not take this without any consideration,” Malone stated through the Nuggets’ media day held Thursday. “He goes, ‘We have now a championship window, not each crew has a championship window. And what do you do? Do you benefit from that, or do you look again in 20 years and have regrets?'”
Murray, who agreed to a four-year, $208 million most contract extension earlier this month, says all the crew must strategy this season with the best mentality.
“The younger guys, as we grow old, they will see us [struggle] to win on this league and that it is powerful for GMs to create a crew like this, that is this proficient and that will get alongside this nicely off the courtroom as nicely,” stated Murray. “So I simply stated, benefit from the second. We bought an opportunity to do nice issues, let’s benefit from it.”
And one of many causes the Nuggets are in a rush is that they are within the prime of celebrity middle Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP.
“In a best-case state of affairs, I believe Nikola has a major 10-year rivalry window,” stated Nuggets GM Calvin Sales space. “I believe we’re about midway by way of it. So, we in all probability have about 5 extra comparable pictures and all of the pictures depend. We hit one among them, that is nice. The sooner we hit it, the extra we will have conversations about different issues, however it’ll be extremely laborious to win one other one.”
“I believe Nikola Jokic might be going to go down as the most effective to ever play the sport,” added ahead Aaron Gordon. “[I’m] working my tail off, working my ass off to maximise his time within the NBA.”
The Nuggets entered final season as title contenders and reached the second spherical of the playoffs earlier than blowing a 20-point lead in a Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“After a season the place everyone says you failed, it is my job to be sure that we do not learn all that bulls—,” Malone stated. “We’re an excellent crew. The final six years, nobody within the West has come near doing what we have executed.”
This offseason, the Nuggets misplaced one among their high gamers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed with Orlando. His departure got here after the crew misplaced ahead Bruce Brown, a key cog of their 2023 title run, final offseason.
In a hypercompetitive Western Convention, the Nuggets are hoping a few of their younger gamers, together with Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, may also help fill within the gaps and shore up their depth. They’re additionally relying on new acquisitions, together with 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and reserve middle Dario Saric, who may assist lighten the minutes load for Jokic.
Westbrook, who signed a two-year deal with the Nuggets in July, stated it was an “honor” to play with Jokic. In previous experiences, Westbrook stated the scouting report of enjoying in opposition to him was merely saying “good luck” whereas hoping Jokic missed a shot.
“You wish to be on a crew with somebody that’s actually unguardable,” Westbrook stated of Jokic, “and I am grateful to be on his crew.”
Jokic, who helped lead his Serbian nationwide crew to an Olympic bronze medal within the Paris Olympics in August, stated he did not dwell on the Nuggets’ disappointing postseason end. When reminded that Tuesday marked his tenth media day, the often-humorous Jokic replied, “Yearly it is the identical factor. And I do not know why we’re doing it yearly. Yearly, it is utterly the identical.”
However Jokic stated he was excited for Westbrook, noting, “In fact, we did not have an excellent relationship on the courtroom [before]. We have been combating rather a lot and speaking backwards and forwards. However I do know who he’s slightly bit outdoors of the courtroom, so [he’s a] nice teammate, vocal management, the man who desires to pay attention, the man who will comply with within the gymnasium. So I believe he is an awesome participant for us, and I believe he will carry us all the great things.”
Although Jokic can at occasions appear disinterested within the sport — and extra desirous about his horses or life again dwelling in Serbia — he made clear: “Simply because I do not smile or do not chuckle and do not no matter, does not imply that I am not excited. I am excited to see what we will do.”
Malone additionally mentioned the more restrictive collective bargaining agreement and the way it has redefined team-building throughout the NBA whereas additionally addressing hypothesis that it has created friction between himself and the Nuggets’ entrance workplace.
“Me, Calvin, [Nuggets president/governor Josh Kroenke], I believe so long as we’re aligned, speaking, collaborating and in addition difficult one another — like, Calvin and I should not all the time agree,” Malone stated. “If we’re all the time agreeing, then we’re not likely conducting what we have to accomplish. However by way of these selections and thru these conversations, you come to a better good. And it is a actuality. You look throughout the NBA panorama, groups are letting nice gamers stroll as a result of they do not wish to strategy that actually soiled phrase of ‘second apron.'”
Malone was referring to changes made to make life more difficult for the league’s highest-spending teams and enhance parity across the league. Groups that cross the primary apron after which the second apron of the luxurious tax line will face harsher restrictions in how they assemble their roster. The Nuggets are one among a number of groups which can be hard-capped on the second apron, which means they can’t exceed roughly $189 million in crew wage.
“And as a coach, I’ve to coach myself as a result of I put blinders on [and think,] ‘How will we win the sport tonight,'” Malone continued. “However I’ve to provide respect to Calvin, I’ve to provide respect to Josh and perceive that it is extra than simply tonight. It is also a a lot larger perspective on how we’ll be arrange for fulfillment not simply tonight and this season however for down the street.”
Relating to the CBA, Sales space talked about attempting to win now whereas growing their younger gamers — a path that hasn’t all the time labored for some groups, particularly the Golden State Warriors.
“I believe there’s been loads of conversations about successful or growing,” Sales space stated. “I am an enormous fan of Jim Collins and skim [his] ebook ‘Good to Nice.’ What we have been attempting to perform just isn’t novel. You may win and develop. As soon as you’ve got gained, you could have an obligation to develop. Oklahoma Metropolis has sufficiently developed their crew and now they’re attempting to win. I believe we’re obligated, with the intention to be nice, to attempt to develop.”
The Nuggets can enter into contract extension negotiations with Gordon starting Friday. Gordon is eligible to signal a four-year, $143 million extension, and each he and Sales space stated they’re optimistic in regards to the two sides reaching an settlement.
The Nuggets start coaching camp Friday earlier than heading to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason video games in opposition to the Boston Celtics on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6.
