NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

September 24, 2020

Michael Malone

Denver Nuggets

Game 4: Pregame

Q. You were with LeBron in Cleveland for five years. Is there anything you learned from just being around him, seeing his approach, that might be able to aid you guys?

MICHAEL MALONE: I wish I could answer yes. One, it was a long time ago. But we had a great five years together, a great run as a franchise. As I mentioned a few times, we got to the Finals my second year there. Best record in the NBA twice.

To me, LeBron has always improved from those days, which is hard to even imagine. But you understand his IQ is off the charts. You understand his work ethic. He's looking at everything and figuring out ways that he can be better, and more importantly, how he can help his teammates be better.

That's what I've always respected about him. It wasn't just the sheer size, athleticism, it was the work ethic, the IQ. That's why every team he's ever been on has had a chance to win it because he's truly one of the greatest to ever do it.

Q. In the wake of the Breonna Taylor ruling, in light of the game coming up, how was the mood in the locker room today?

MICHAEL MALONE: The mood is good. I won't speak for our players, but the mood is one of disappointment. I don't think our players are surprised, nor are most people surprised at the verdict. But, yeah, there's disappointment, there's frustration. You balance that out with the task at hand, which is to try to even up this series in the Western Conference Finals.

Yeah, I think definitely frustrated.

Q. It feels like we're watching Jamal make that jump from great player to a really great player. How difficult is that step in a player's evolution? Why do you think he's been able to make it here?

MICHAEL MALONE: Yeah, I would actually say - this is no disrespect to Jamal - but I think he's gone from a very good player, I don't think he was a great player, I think he was a very good player coming into this whole thing. And now on this stage has showed himself to be a great player, a superstar.

When you play 17 Playoff games and you average 27 points, six and a half assists, five rebounds, shoot 50 plus from the field, 47 plus from three, you don't see those numbers very often. Mind you, that’s from a player that's only in his second year in the Playoffs.

I know a lot of people are trying to compare Jamal to Steph Curry, similar career path in the Playoffs. I think it's unfair to Steph Curry, an MVP winner. And I think it is very unfair to Jamal Murray. Let Steph be Steph and Jamal be Jamal.

It has been fun to watch. Last year I think Jamal was a big part of us getting to the Playoffs, getting to two Game 7s. But these 17 games have just been Jamal on steroids, man. He's just taken his game to a whole 'nother level in all facets.

For me, I think I'm most proud of him in terms of the emotional leadership he's provided our team and the defense that he has played. This is the best stretch of defense that I've ever seen Jamal Murray put together. It couldn't happen at a better time for our club.

Q. You talked about the rebounding disparity, how it didn't get enough attention. Not that it will be that sustainable, but what do you attribute that to and do you think you can carry that into tonight?

MICHAEL MALONE: We hope so. The reason I say that is coming into this series, you all heard me say it even before Game 1 started, it was going to be about our transition defense, the paint and the glass. Not so much what plays are they running, it's going to be those three areas.

If you simplify that, it's trying to limit their easy baskets. Obviously in Game 3, four offensive rebounds for four points was a marked difference from Game 2, 13 offensive rebounds, 16 points.

They have tremendous size, length, athleticism. I attribute it to a heightened awareness, attribute it to being a lot more physical, hitting first. It's not just on the bigs. When we speak about gang rebounding, that means all five on the floor.

Jamal Murray, starting point guard, goes out and gets eight rebounds. We need everybody in the fight. If we could replicate that same efficiency on the glass, that would definitely put us in position to hopefully try to tie this series up.

Q. You mentioned a couple days ago that Jamal came to you after the last Playoff run, was kind of talking to you about those inconsistency issues. The open communication that you have had, do you think the seeds were planted for that in his first, second year? How open you were, how much you challenged him, and we're seeing a little bit of that now?

MICHAEL MALONE: Yeah, I think so. I think that has been something that has been in the works since we drafted him. I go back to the night we drafted him, how truly excited we were that he fell to us at seven.

I also laugh, Jamal and I both laugh often, when you look back, his rookie season he was Gary Harris' backup. We had Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson manning the point guard position. Jamal was backing up Gary Harris. Just the transformation and the rise of Jamal from those early days to now.

But as far as our relationship, just constant communication, talking to each other, texting each other, watching film together. Asking him, what do you see out there? What are you feeling? There's always that constant communication back and forth, which I think is important for all players, but especially your point guards.