Denver Nuggets GM Calvin Booth has sparked controversy thanks to some bizarre comments he made about Bruce Brown, who departed in free agency this year.
“Some of these teams were trying to get Bruce, trying to make it worth it; it’s like, just be careful what you wish for,” Booth told the Ringer. “Peyton’s (Watson) bigger. He’s longer. He’s more athletic. He guards better. He passes better. He doesn’t have the experience, and he’s not as good offensively yet, but we need defense more than we need offense on our team.”
While I’d have no issues with Booth hyping up Peyton Watson, who is entering his second season in the NBA, I don’t get why he had put down Brown in the process. He was arguably their most important role player in the playoffs, averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
He played his part in them winning the first championship in franchise history and as he entered free agency, was very much a man in demand. Ultimately, the Indiana Pacers signed Brown to a two-year, $45 million deal, and by all indications, he left the Nuggets on good terms.
It is why these comments were such a shock. Booth isn’t some rookie either, having been the GM since 2020, and it wouldn’t really have been difficult to find a way to praise Watson without talking negatively about Brown.
D’Angelo Russell Thinks Losing Bruce Brown Was A Big Blow For The Nuggets
Brown was perhaps at his best in the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. He certainly made a huge impression on D’Angelo Russell, with Russell stating the Nuggets won’t be the same without Brown.
“Bruce Brown is unpredictable bro. He could go 3-of-5 from the 3, play point guard, get you in the bonus, shoot 10-12 free throws. He’s just a problem, I think. I think any team that wants and appreciates him, he’s only going to get better, respect.”
Every team in the league could really use a player like Brown, who can do a bit of everything fairly well. While his leaving obviously isn’t some sort of death blow to the Nuggets, as they have Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, he will certainly be missed. Whether Watson or Christian Braun can fill his shoes in 2023-24, remains to be seen.
Calvin Booth Called Out Michael Porter Jr. And Bones Hyland As Well
Booth really seemed to have had no filter during this interview with the Ringer. He freely spoke his mind and thanks to that, we got a lot of interesting comments.
The 47-year-old had only taken over full control after the departure of team president Tim Connelly last year, and one of his first big moves was trading away Bones Hyland. He explained the decision during this interview and called out Hyland as well as Michael Porter Jr. in the process.
“I knew you couldn’t have two guys that couldn’t guard, and we couldn’t have two guys that were young and kind of more ‘me guys,’” Booth said. “(Michael Porter Jr. makes $30 million. He’s one of the best shooters in the NBA. So, Bones, there’s no place for you.”
Booth publically called Porter Jr. a “me guy,” something that probably isn’t going to sit too well with him. It wouldn’t be all that surprising to me if Booth comes out at some point and claims to have been misquoted or that his quotes were taken out of context.
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