The Denver Nuggets’ late-season collapse has raised alarms throughout the NBA, and head coach Michael Malone isn’t sugarcoating the situation. After the team’s fourth consecutive loss, a 125-120 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, Malone gave a brutally honest assessment of what’s gone wrong in what was supposed to be a championship-contending season.
“Obviously the defense, I’ve talked about it a ton. That’s been the most disappointing part of this year is just the huge drop-off. I mean, you’re talking, but we didn’t go from eight to 12. We didn’t go from eight to 15. We’ve gone from eight to, I don’t even know what it is right now, maybe like mid 20s.”
“And that’s a severe drop-off and you just can’t rely upon your offense to outscore teams. I mean think about it, tonight 33 assists, only 13 turnovers. Scored 120 points, had 76 in the paint, had 15 on the break and we lose. Because our defense wasn’t able to give us the stops when we needed them to.”
“I mean like TJ McConnell came in the game. I mean it was Bob Cousy reincarnated, just driven wherever he wanted, made big play after big play. And we have to be able to guard guys, sit down and guard guys.”
“So, you know, we got a couple of days before our next game, we fly to Sac. They’re fighting for something. Memphis is fighting for something. And who knows what Houston will be fighting for last game of the season. But we just have to get this bad taste out of our mouth because I hate losing. And I know it’s driving me crazy.”
Malone’s frustration is justified. Last season, the Nuggets finished with a 57-25 record and held the 8th-best defensive rating in the Western Conference.
They steamrolled through the playoffs until falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a grueling seven-game second-round series. That loss was supposed to serve as motivation. Instead, the defending champs look unrecognizable down the stretch.
Currently sitting at 47-32, Denver has slipped to the fourth seed, and a terrifying scenario looms: the possibility of falling into the play-in tournament.
Four teams—the Warriors, Timberwolves, Clippers, and Grizzlies—are just half a game behind, all with 32 losses apiece. Denver holds the tiebreaker only over Golden State, and that might not be enough to save them.
Even Nikola Jokic’s historic season hasn’t been able to hold the team together. The three-time MVP is averaging a triple-double (30.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.2 assists) while being in the top 3 in four major categories—points, rebounds, assists, and steals. No player in league history has ever finished in the top three in all four statistical categories. And yet, his brilliance has not translated into wins lately.
Russell Westbrook, who was brought in mid-season to bolster the second unit, didn’t hide his own frustration after the game. Asked about the locker room’s sense of urgency, he responded flatly, “I don’t know, man. I’m not sure.”
Westbrook has been solid—averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists—but the Nuggets are asking him to do too much in Jamal Murray’s absence. Murray’s lingering injuries have been another dagger in Denver’s chances of closing strong.
The final stretch offers little relief. Denver finishes the season with three high-pressure games against the Kings, Grizzlies, and Rockets—all teams with something to fight for. If the Nuggets don’t win out, they could go from home-court advantage to facing elimination in the play-in tournament.
For Malone, for Jokic, and for the franchise, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
