The Nuggets are moving on from Michael Malone, but do they have a better option?

On Tuesday afternoon the Denver Nuggets shockingly fired long-time head coach Michael Malone. The news comes less than two weeks away from the start of the playoffs.

Malone joins Taylor Jenkins as the second coach this season to be fired before the playoffs. He was the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the league and led the Nuggets to a championship in 2023. Furthermore, this tied for the latest coaching change in league history matching Hubie Brown in 1980-81. 

What makes this situation even more bizarre is that Denver also fired general manager Calvin Booth. The head coach and GM being fired on the same day especially with the playoffs approaching is truly unprecedented. Let's explore where the Nuggets will go from here.

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Why Mike Malone was fired

While Malone was a respected and successful coach, he was notoriously an old-school style of coach. This led to a public disconnect between Malone and Booth. Malone's style also likely caused him to lose the locker room. Despite a solid overall record of 47-32, the Nuggets are on a four-game losing streak and are 3-7 in their last 10 games. In a now-viral rant, two weeks ago, Malone called out his players for not watching film. The Nuggets' ownership is hoping this move gives the team a jolt heading into the playoffs.

David Adelman will take over as the interim head coach

Longtime Nuggets' assistant David Adelman is set to take over heading coaching duties, but it's unclear if he's the long-term solution. Adelman is one of the league's most respected assistants, he has interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs, most recently the Cleveland Cavaliers opening. As a younger coach (42) with a presumably more modern style, Adelman is likely to resonate better with the players. If Adelman leads the Nuggets to at least one playoff series win, he could become the full-time head coach. However, if the Nuggets are a first-round exit, the Nuggets would likely look in a different direction.

Other options

Outside of Adelman, there are several qualified assistants throughout the league, most notably, Sam Cassell of the Boston Celtics and Chris Quinn of the Miami Heat. As former players, Cassell or Quinn would resonate with the team better and would likely implement a modern style of offense around Nikola Jokić. The Nuggets would be wise to hire a former player, especially given how Malone fizzled out.

If the Nuggets want to hire an experienced head coach, the recently fired Taylor Jenkins and James Borrego, the former Charlotte Hornets coach, are two solid options. Both coaches are creative offensive minds and on the younger side. However, both coaches are more floor raisers, not ceiling raisers The Nuggets should avoid someone like Mike Brown or Frank Vogel given their similar style to Malone. Most of the retread options aren't ideal.

Ultimately, firing Malone could be the right move, but the timing is beyond strange. The Nuggets should have waited to fire him after the season or earlier in the season, this close to the playoffs makes things quite complicated. Perhaps Adelman will prove to be the right man for the job and go on an improbable playoff run. It's likely that Adelman or another coach will benefit Denver in the long term. However, in the short term, it could make a deep playoff run less likely considering the complexities of a new coach at this point in the season.