Inside The Nuggets

Celtics Legend Blasts Denver Nuggets After Mike Malone Firing

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce chimed in on the Denver Nuggets' shocking decision to fire Mike Malone.
Philip Lindsey|
Oct 21, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone reacts during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Oct 21, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone reacts during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

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Paul Pierce is the latest person to comment on the revelation that the Denver Nuggets fired its head coach, Mike Malone.

The news rocked the league on Tuesday, as the team is three games away from completing the regular season and starting their playoff push. The Nuggets are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference, with a record of 47-32.

Malone led the Nuggets to their first championship ever to cap off the 2022-23 season, defeating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Nevertheless, the organization abruptly fired its head coach after 10 seasons, leaving many to question the reasoning and direction moving forward. Pierce didn't bite his tongue when he spoke about the move on Speak.

"For me, it just tells me Denver is not serious," Pierce said. "Since they won a championship, they failed to re-sign the players they had to help them win a championship. The regressed in the role players and they said, 'Hey, we're just going to plug and play and just hopefully our best player can cover our weaknesses'"

"This is just telling me that the Denver Nuggets, by firing their coach a week before the playoffs this does not give their best chance to win a championship," he said. "What this is telling me is that you're wasting one of the greatest players of this generation. You're wasting his prime now."

Pierce went on to question how the team will be able to focus on winning a championship when the coaching change will remain a topic of discussion for the rest of the year. If there was tension between Malone and the players or ownership, it's hard to understand why the organization couldn't wait until the offseason.

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Philip Lindsey
PHILIP LINDSEY

Philip Lindsey is a columnist and the co-host of Grapsody. He's a long-time basketball fanatic with writing published at Bleacher Report and Complex. A lifelong and commiserating Bulls Bears fans, Lindsey was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago.

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