The Denver Nuggets fired their head coach and basic supervisor days earlier than the top of the season as a result of they could not get alongside. They’re risking the identical hassle with their unorthodox entrance workplace hires.
Denver changed their outdated basic supervisor, Calvin Sales space, with two executives each holding the title of govt vice chairman. Ben Tenzer, who has labored within the Nuggets entrance workplace since 2012, is accountable for the enterprise facet of basketball, whereas Jon Wallace, who labored beneath former Nuggets GM Tim Connolly with each the Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, will likely be accountable for participant personnel.
It is an uncommon association for many NBA groups to have twin decision-makers, although not unusual for the Nuggets beneath the possession of the Kroenke household. From 2006-2010, Mark Warkentien was the VP accountable for basketball operations whereas former participant Rex Chapman ran participant personnel. In that stretch, the Nuggets received 50 video games or extra in three seasons, reaching the Western Convention Finals in 2009.
But it surely’s a shocking transfer after the Nuggets needed to cope with two decision-makers — Sales space and former head coach Michael Malone — who weren’t on the identical web page. Particularly, Sales space tried to construct out the Nuggets rotation with a group of mid-draft picks, and Malone most well-liked enjoying veterans.
The final word result’s that neither of the Nuggets’ two new executives is really in cost. That function falls to group governor Josh Kroenke, who made headlines this week by speaking about each providing Nikola Jokic a long-term extension and the potential for buying and selling their three-time MVP.
Thursday, Tenzer needed to stroll Kroenke’s feedback again, telling reporters that the group “would by no means commerce Nikola,” regardless of Kroenke saying the other.
Maybe Nuggets followers haven’t got to fret about Jokic getting dealt. However they could rightly marvel if a setup that places two first-time basic managers in a job-sharing association is one of the best ways to maximise their famous person’s prime. Or if Kroenke, who has let quite a few rotation gamers go for monetary causes since Denver received the 2023 title, is the fitting man to make the ultimate selections on the Nuggets’ enterprise.
If nothing else, Kroenke has two extra fall guys if issues go bitter.
