DENVER — Nuggets head coach Michael Malone will be on the bench again next season, team president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said Friday.
"There's improvement across all levels of our team," Connelly said. "I guess (questioning Malone's job status is) the unfortunate narrative of professional basketball, but 'Mo's done a fantastic job.'"
The Nuggets finished 46-36 — a six-win improvement over last season — and one win shy of clinching their first playoff berth since 2013. That progress came despite missing four-time All-Star and marquee free-agent singing Paul Millsap for 44 games due to wrist surgery and second-leading scorer Gary Harris for 11 games down the stretch due a knee injury. Denver ripped off six consecutive wins late to put it on the verge of a postseason spot, before falling in overtime at Minnesota in Wednesday's regular-season finale.
"Over the last several weeks of the season, I thought 'Mo did just a brilliant job kind of using our roster, being creative and thinking outside the box," Connelly said. "I can't say enough (about) how proud of him and his staff I am, faced with insurmountable odds after a rough start to (a seven-game) road trip...
"We had every chance to lay down, and we did the opposite. I think our coaching staff should be lauded for a fantastic job."
Denver has improved its record by 16 wins during Malone's three-year stint in Denver. Connelly declined to talk about a potential contract extension for Malone, whose current deal runs through next season after the Nuggets exercised their team option for 2018-19 last summer.
Other highlights of Connelly's postseason media session:
On the season:
"I'm really proud of our guys. I thought we showed tremendous growth. When we initially did this at the start of the season, I thought 46 wins would have us firmly in the playoffs (and) in a pretty good spot. Certainly disappointed we didn't make it. The game the other night had a playoff feel, a playoff intensity, playoff refereeing. That flight home was tough. (I had) kind of a sleepless night last night. Rewatched the (Minnesota) game several times. But as you reflect on the season and all the growth that we showed, I'm unbelievably proud of our team."
On the contract status of Nikola Jokic, who can be signed to a max deal as early as this summer:
"That's a huge decision we're gonna figure out. Nikola's gonna be here for a long time. He's a guy that's been tremendous in how quickly he's developed and a guy that we love. And he loves Denver. The sooner we can get his signature on a long-term contract, the better ... our motivation is to get it done sooner rather than later. Whatever keeps him here the longest is best for us and best for the team."
On the contract status of Will Barton, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer:
"As you guys know, Will and I have a pretty unique relationship. We played for the same high school coach for a little bit. Will has grown so much here and I think has really become a guy that we've relied upon. Not many guys in the NBA can start at three different positions or come off the bench at three different positions. He's a workaholic, a basketball guy. Will and I talked extensively after the (Minnesota) loss, just about how neat it's been to see him grow. And I think that growth process is just beginning, quite frankly. We're hopeful we can get something done. He's our guy. We love him. I think if he's back in a Denver jersey, it's good for both him and the team."
On the team's inconsistent play throughout the season:
"When you don't make (the playoffs), you look at every game. Certainly there's a lot of games that we left on the table at home, (against) teams that, with all due respect to their records, we probably shouldn't have lost to if we take ourselves serious as a playoff team. I thought we had extended stretches of very good basketball. I think, at times, we had games where they were inexcusable, and those games come back to haunt you."
On if next season is "playoffs or bust":
"I think we're there. How many times can you be the bridesmaid? Our young core, three of our best players are 23 (Gary Harris), 22 (Jokic) and 21 (Jamal Murray), and they've proven they're capable of doing it at the highest level. I think all of us are, quite frankly, sick of this time of the year having a press conference."
On how the Nuggets will approach the offseason:
"This is the most confident I've felt in our core group since I've been here. I think we have the makings of a team that can enjoy sustainably high-level success. Certainly when you're on the outside looking in, you have to address some needs. I think there's gonna be some pretty interesting financial decisions that we'll make this offseason. But standing in front of you guys now, I think I finally can say with full confidence, we have a core that can be really good for a long time. They all want to be here and they're all about the right things."
On what the Nuggets want to add in the offseason:
"We're looking for toughness. Two-way players. Versatility. I think when you look at Jamal, Gary, Nikola, how do you complement them? How do you augment their skillsets? But also how do you kind of protect them, as well?"
On Jamal Murray's development:
"Leaps and bounds. I'm especially hard on Jamal. I think he is a guy that likes to be challenged. He's a guy that has a chance to be special. (He had) very well-publicized early struggles. The next step with Jamal is consistency. He had flashes of brilliance, and then some games where we knew we had more in him. But that's expected for his age, a guy that turned 21 during the season. Super proud of Jamal. I think he's reflective of everything we want to be as a person and as a player. I think he can be special, special as an elite guard in our league."
On Paul Millsap's injury-riddled season:
"Paul never had a serious injury, so it was uncharted territory. He was so motivated to come back. He really wanted to get our team to the postseason — that's what he's used to. I think Paul's impact both on and off the court has been excellent. "
On how the Nuggets can improve defensively:
"We need to become a little bit more aggressive. I think some of it is just young players. You're not going to find a lot of very good young defensive players. I though Jamal took great strides defensively. I thought Nikola was much more active and engaged on the defensive end. I thought Gary was a pretty good defender last year, and was a very good defender this year. A lot of it is just teaching these guys the importance of defense and understanding that you're not going to get to where we want to be without defending. I thought on our late streak to the playoffs, I thought you saw a more engaged and aggressive defensive team."
On if he believes Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez and Tyler Lydon can develop into consistent contributors:
"I say this with complete sincerity — I think we have 17 really good players. Unfortunately, those 17 guys can't all be in the rotation. I think if you have quality depth, it's a huge advantage as you grow from within. Sure, there's always going to be attrition. There's always going to be movement. I think you throw Monte Morris and Torrey Craig's name in there. We have really, really good young players. Malik Beasley showed flashes of being a high-level two-way guy. Lydon's season was cut short by injury. Juancho, it was a fluke season. He had the mono. We just thought he was tired for a long time. He's a tough kid (and) he wouldn't speak up. Had a fantastic summer last (year) with the Spanish National Team. We're just as high on Juancho as we were last year. I think he has a chance to be a huge, impactful player."