Michael Malone to Return as Nuggets Coach Despite Missing Playoffs

The Denver Nuggets will bring back head coach Michael Malone for the 2018-19 season, Nuggets team president Tim Connelly told reporters Friday.

Malone, 46, is 119-127 in his three seasons on Denver's bench. The Nuggets have improved their record each season under Malone but narrowly missed the playoffs this year.

Center Nikola Jokic is a star, while Jamal Murray and Gary Harris are emerging youngsters in the backcourt. Paul Millsap is the only long-term rotation player who is in the latter half of his career.

Malone's coaching acumen has also drawn praise around the league.

"I think he has a good vision for what he wants to bring to Denver," Warriors guard Steph Curry said in 2016 of Malone, an assistant coach for Golden State from 2011 to 2013, per Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. "He knows the game, has a great IQ for the game. I think he expects a lot out of us players and is not afraid to say it. When you have a guy that's that invested in each individual, hopefully things work out."

Malone was fired amid controversy from his first head coaching gig. The Sacramento Kings removed him 24 games into the 2014-15 campaign despite an 11-13 record and a strong relationship with star DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins felt jilted by the decision to fire Malone and often feuded with George Karl, who eventually took over as head coach following Malone's dismissal.

"I'm definitely motivated. No one ever wants to get fired. I don't care what your job is. I don't care if you're working the graveyard shift at the junkyard," Malone told Michael Lee of The Vertical in 2016. "But the way it turned out in Sacramento was kind of a blessing. You couldn't have asked for a better script, the way their season turned out ... it became a nightmare. By the end of it, I became John Wooden."

Malone by all accounts has done a good job on the court and from a developmental standpoint and is well-liked in Denver. He'll get another chance to prove he's moving the team in the right direction next season.