Some would say two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is the biggest reason Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone won his first ring Monday night. Others would credit the return of Jamal Murray from ACL surgery, the defensive play of Aaron Gordon, or Malone’s fiery intensity. But that would be disrespecting the caterpillar to rave about the caterpillar.
Because like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Marreese Speights, Malone learned how to win from former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson. He was Jackson’s lead assistant from 2011 to 2013, when the Warriors jumped from 23 wins in 2011-12 their first year to 47 in 2012-13.