NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 4, 2023

Michael Malone

Denver Nuggets

Game 2: Pregame

Q. Coach, the Heat again ruled out Tyler Herro for today, but there's a chance he's working to come back. Is that something you've game-planned for, and how do you think his potential return might change the dynamic of the series?

MICHAEL MALONE: We've talked about knowing he's going to come back at some point in this series. Hasn't played since Game 1 of that Milwaukee series. He's been out for a while. We know what kind of talent he is. His ability to play off the bounce, create for himself, create for his teammates and obviously shoot the three ball.

If and when he becomes available, our guys will be ready, from a personnel standpoint and a game plan standpoint. We understand this is Game 2, he is out and we're going to see a much different Miami Heat team than we did on Thursday night.

Q. There's a lot of attention on Miami and likely attempt to get to the foul line more often. That means that your guys end up with more fouls. Is it replicable that you're able to defend without fouling as well as in Game 1?

MICHAEL MALONE: Well, if we give them as many open threes, maybe. That's the thing no one is talking about. They didn't get to the foul line a lot, and we gave them a ton of open looks from three.

But yeah, I'm not banking on the Miami Heat getting two free-throw attempts tonight. We knew that without hearing anything they said, but then you listen to their comments yesterday, and whether it was Jimmy or anybody else on their roster, they know they're going to have to play more aggressive, attacking the basket, putting pressure on the rim.

That's why your attention to detail and your KYP (Know Your Personnel) discipline come into play. You've got to stay down on shot fakes. You've got to show your hands and try to limit that. Because when they get to the foul line, that's when they control the tempo and can implement their defensive game plan.

Q. I'm curious, how proud are you of the defensive progression of this core group since you've been here?

MICHAEL MALONE: Yeah, eight years is a long time. You look at the steady improvements on that end of the floor, and this year I think with about maybe three weeks to go in the season, we were right on the edge of top 10, and then we did not finish the regular season off very well and we dropped down to 15. But I knew full well that when we were locked in, this team could step up and defend at a high level. I believe we finished third in the regular season in clutch defensive rating. So when the game was on the line, they proved night in and night out they could go out and get timely stops in close games.

Very proud of the buy-in, the commitment. When you add guys like KCP, a guy like Bruce Brown and then guys like Michael, Nikola and Jamal just continuing to evolve and improve on that end, and then you've got a guy like Aaron Gordon, as well.

The guys understood for us to win a championship this year, we'd have to make improvements on defense. I think in these Playoffs, we've done that.

Q. At halftime of Game 1, cameras caught you walking with Ish in that hallway. I'm curious, has Ish served as somewhat of a quasi-assistant for you, maybe like a liaison to the players, or what is that relationship with Ish like at this point?

MICHAEL MALONE: I think -- and you know this because you've been with us the whole year -- I feel really, really fortunate to have veterans like Ish, like DeAndre, Jeff and KCP, guys that have been around the block a few times. When you can have veterans that are truly selfless and not worried about hey, I'm not in the playoff rotation, but they're still invested in the team and the team's success and they're willing to use their voice in a positive manner, that is really impactful.

Ish has always great things to say. He has the respect of our locker room, as do all the other veterans I mentioned. They've had an impact. Even without playing many minutes in these Playoffs, they have had a real impact on our team, our culture and the locker room.

Q. I'm curious, in your years coaching Nikola Jokic, he seems to have this lighthearted but kind of businesslike approach to basketball. Has he always been that way, and has that trickled down to the rest of the guys over the years?

MICHAEL MALONE: Yeah, you look back to his rookie year, he's always been kind of a lighthearted, funny -- I think as the years have gone on, he's definitely matured, grown up. I'm sure being a father, being a husband has helped that. Not that he was immature. I'm not saying he was just goofing off all the time. But he has a great personality. He doesn't take himself too serious.

When you walk through a locker room and all our guys are hanging out and talking with each other and having a good time, I think that speaks to how together and connected our group is.

But Nikola has matured. He hasn't changed who he is at his core. But he definitely, during this time of the year, has very much a businesslike mindset.

Q. You guys have gone up 2-0 every series this postseason. How has that helped the momentum for you guys going on the road throughout these Playoffs?

MICHAEL MALONE: Going on the road up 2-0, you know that you've maintained your home-court advantage and you're going into the opposing team's arena with a 2-0 lead, and the pressure squarely on them as you go on the road.

But for us, we're just worried about tonight. We're not worried about going down to Miami, Game 3, Game 4. This is truly a one game, one quarter at a time mindset. We've done a great job at home.

But once again, I don't think we played great in Game 1. They didn't play great in Game 1. I expect both teams to play a hell of a lot better tonight.

Q. You mentioned after Game 1 you guys wanted to work with your pick-and-roll coverages a little bit. I'm curious how you guys find that balance of playing Nikola up a little bit higher against Vincent, Lowry, and also assuring that somebody like Bam isn't getting into the short role, making mid-range shots or spraying into the corners?

MICHAEL MALONE: I think you have to mix it up. This time of the year, we can't give them a steady diet of one thing. I think we have to read flow of the game, time and score. You have to read personnel, who is involved in the pick-and-roll with Bam, and then give them different looks. We gave up four pull-up threes in Game 1, three to Kyle Lowry, one to Gabe Vincent. Bam in the pocket is not only a lethal scorer in that mid-range, but he's also a very good playmaker. You have guys like Jimmy Butler and Haywood Highsmith cutting behind the defense, what we would call a ghost cut, and really putting a lot of pressure on the rim and your low man.

It's definitely a challenge. But as long as we're contesting all those shots and adhering to the game plan with discipline, hopefully the results will be in our favor.

Q. You just mentioned the beginning what the team said during the media day yesterday. Not every coach seems to pay attention to what the other team is saying. How much do you take what is said into account in your preparation of games and how much do you believe in what they say when they say it?

MICHAEL MALONE: Well, I'm getting it from my assistant coaches. I'm not sitting there reading the ticker. But we meet a lot, we talk a lot. When an opposing team only has two free throw attempts as a team and Jimmy Butler, who was third in the Playoffs coming into this series at 9.1 per game and he gets zero, it's just common sense that they're going to be a hell of a lot more aggressive, understanding that they have to get there more than two times a game, because that's who they've been. I think Game 1 obviously was not who we've seen from the Miami Heat throughout these Eastern Conference Playoffs.

That's one thing, without hearing them, we knew already that they were going to be a lot more aggressive because that's what every team tends to do in these Playoffs.