Nuggets

Nuggets’ Michael Malone: Glad I Didn’t Watch One Minute Of All-Star Game

February 22, 2024

The Denver Nuggets are trying to win back-to-back championships. What happens besides that isn’t really of importance to coach Michael Malone.

That is likely one reason why Malone said he didn’t watch a second of the All-Star Game over the weekend.

Another reason is because a lot of people who did take in the game seem to have found it to be a big joke, or at least something that didn’t resemble basketball. The Eastern Conference defeated the West by a silly 211-186 count. Yes, in regulation.

“I didn’t spend one minute watching anything from the All-Star weekend,” alone said, via Bennett Durando of the Denver Post, “and I’m glad I didn’t.”

As for trying to make things more competitive … well, there may not be much the NBA can do, Malone suggested.

“I know the league is doing everything they can to try and make it more of a competitive game, and that wasn’t the case,” he said. “So I don’t know what the league can do. You can’t force players to play hard. You can’t force players to care. And I think a lot of the players, in their defense … you also worry about injuries. Your No. 1 duty and obligation is to your team, so I’m not sure. Maybe they should do it like the Pro Bowl. Have an All-Star weekend after the season’s over, and everyone can go there and have fun. There’s nothing competitive about it.”

The Nuggets (36-19 entering Thursday) are looking to become just the 14th back-to-back champs in league history and the first since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.

The starting backcourt of Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are expected to make their way back from injuries immediately following the break. “They look good, and hopefully they feel good enough tomorrow to where we can keep building and having them back in the lineup,” Malone said. “Because obviously we know we’re a much better team when they’re available.”
Per Durando: “Murray has been dealing with bilateral tibia inflammation, which caused him to miss the second half of Denver’s loss in Milwaukee and the entirety of the next game against Sacramento. Caldwell-Pope has been dealing with right hamstring tightness dating back a couple of weeks.”