After the Denver Nuggets were eliminated from the playoffs, head coach Michael Malone revealed that he is not watching the Western Conference Finals, highlighting the parity and depth in the conference this season.
The Nuggets, who were the number two seed, were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.
Malone emphasized the competitiveness of the Western Conference, noting the absence of both the top two seeds in the Conference Finals. He praised the quality of depth and the level of competition across the board in the West.
The Nuggets head coach expressed pride in his team’s consistency, having made the playoffs for six consecutive years. However, he acknowledged the tough competition in the Western Conference and the challenges that come with it.
“I think it speaks to the parity in the NBA. I think it speaks to the quality of depth in the Western Conference especially,” he said. “We’re the only team to make the playoffs six years in a row. Not even close, no one’s even close to that.
“And for the number one seed, the number two seed to be out watching the Western Conference Finals, I’m not watching, but it speaks to the parity and the excellence across the board.”
Speaking during an end-of-season press conference, Malone acknowledged the efforts of teams like the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves. He highlighted the Mavericks’ aggressive moves at the trade deadline and the Timberwolves’ resilience and improvement since last season.
“Dallas at the trade deadline, they went all in. I mean they traded picks, they traded players to get P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford,” Malone continued.
“And then you have a team in Minnesota that we knew who they were last year. We them 4-1 in the first round and a lot of us felt that that might have been the toughest series that we played. And we knew Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels did not play in that series.
“All I can say, Adam, on that front is I think the Western Conference is a deep, deep, deep conference and parity is alive and well,” Malone added.
