Former Bruin's Playing Time Impacted Nuggets HC Firing

Former UCLA Bruins star guard Russell Westbrook is once again entangled in another coach firing as Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was fired mere days before the NBA playoffs begin. Seemingly, Westbrook's playing time was a factor that led to Malone's exit.

Malone has been the head coach of the Nuggets since 2015, leading the franchise to an NBA title in 2023. Westbrook joined the organization this season, averaging 13.3 points on 45.1% shooting with 5.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was unsatisfied with Malone's lineup decisions, favoring minutes toward the veteran players rather than younger stars. Westbrook averages 28.1 minutes per game for the fifth-place team in the Western Conference.

Despite Denver being 22-12 when Westbrook is in the starting lineup, Westbrook's high number of minutes were an issue.

“Booth wanted Malone to use younger players that he drafted and wanted Malone to stray away from using veterans for so many minutes," Jones wrote. "Jalen Pickett is a good example of this, according to league sources. Booth was dismayed that Malone went with Russell Westbrook over Pickett down the stretch of multiple games last week.”

A portion of this could have been attributed to a foolish play from Westbrook when the Nuggets were leading by one point in the final minute against Minnesota. Westbrook received the inbound and, instead of wasting clock, decided to go for a layup that he missed.

Minnesota would then gain possession, being fouled by Westbrook on a 3-point shot with just seconds remaining. The Timberwolves made the free throws, and Denver ultimately lost the game. Still, Westbrook is a guy that you want on the floor in that situation with his experience.

Interestingly enough, Booth was fired from his general manager position swiftly after Malone was let go. An extremely odd series of decisions as the Nuggets prepare for their seventh-straight playoff run.

You would think that organizations that are competing for an NBA title would want to see their experienced, veteran players leading the charge and gaining many of the minutes. Instead, they had an issue with Westbrook's playing time and will now search for an interim coach to finish the year.

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