Nuggets Insider Reveals 'Off-Court' Issues Were 'Even Worse' Than 'On-Court' Issues

Even though the Denver Nuggets' late-season slide could have provided some of the impetus for firing head coach Michael Malone and moving on from general manager Calvin Booth after this season, there were bigger problems beyond just the results of games.

One Nuggets source told The Athletic's Sam Amick and Tony Jones that the issues off the court were worse than what had been happening in games.

"The stuff off the court was even worse than the stuff on the court," the person said. "Everyone felt the weight of it."

Denver announced both Malone's firing and Booth not returning as general manager next season on Tuesday.

Even though the decision to part ways with Malone was surprising given his success with the organization over the past 10 seasons, there had been talk of a deep divide between the coaching staff and front office for some time.

Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill reported on Tuesday that Denver's ownership had gotten "fed up with the infighting" between Malone and Booth, including Malone not taking kindly to suggestions from the GM about who players should get more opportunities.

Amick and Jones noted Booth wanted to see young guys like Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson get more playing time over someone like Russell Westbrook, which "truly soured" the relationship between Booth and Malone.

It didn't help matters that the Nuggets were limping to the finish line in the regular season. They are 9-11 in 20 games since March 1 and lost four straight games before Wednesday's victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Nikola Jokić is having another MVP-caliber season, but Denver's defense has cratered this season to 21st in rating after ranking in the top half of the NBA in each of the previous four years.

The 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers have the worst defensive rating by an NBA champion since 1980. They ranked 21st in that category during the regular season before going 15-1 in the playoffs.