Within two weeks, two head coaches in the playoff chase out West were let go: Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins and Denver’s Michael Malone, occurring Tuesday.
While Jenkins’ dismissal was still shocking, the writing was more on the wall for him than Malone, who is less than two calendar years removed from helping lead the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Title over the Miami Heat.
It hasn’t been a perfect season for either team, though both teams are in the thick of a deep Western Conference. Both head coaches were also the winningest in their franchise’s history.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra offered his thoughts on Malone’s dismissal
“It’s tough. I have such deep respect for Mike,” Spoelstra said on Wednesday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I feel for him and his family. He’s done so much for the organization, giving his heart and soul to it and building a culture that’s respected. But also to the city of Denver. He and his family have been very active in the community. It’s just tough news. He’s a championship-level coach. Everybody in our organization understands how good he is.
According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Malone’s firing was tied for the latest coaching change in NBA History; Hubie Brown was let go by the Atlanta Hawks very late into the 1980-81 season, but they were also 31-48. Malone’s Nuggets were 47-32 upon his dismissal.
While we can’t say Spoelstra, the second-longest tenured head coach in the NBA (Gregg Popovich — Spurs), has had a great season (he hasn’t), Heat fans should be thankful for the organization’s continuity. Four of the last six NBA champion head coaches–Malone, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer–have all been fired. In Malone’s case, he’s one of the best in the NBA–as is Spoelstra.
Miami’s brass is far from perfect, but the Heat’s process has worked over the last 30 years. Spoelstra has helped the Heat win three NBA Finals with seven Eastern Conference Finals titles to his name–even though the former is far more important.
“The tough part of this business is you have to come to the realization that there are a lot of things that can be true,” Spoelstra said. “That’s why I’m also so appreciative of our organization, not only the stability, the consistency over the years, but the support, especially through some tough waters.”
The Miami Heat, in the play-in game for the third-straight season, are 36-44 with two games left in the 2024-25 season. They close the season with the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards, two of the worst teams in the NBA.
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Very interesting article in allucanheat/FANSIDED. Here’s an excerpt.
“If the Heat do miss the playoffs, they will enter the NBA draft lottery. Right now, they have the 11th-best odds in the lottery, with a 9.4% chance of moving into the top four and a 2% chance of getting the No. 1 pick.
The Heat are a game ahead of Portland and Phoenix in the standings. Moving even one spot higher in the lottery odds would double Miami’s chances of landing a top-four pick.
Is it a guarantee that losing out would improve their lottery odds? No. But winning even one of the final two games guarantees that they wouldn’t.
So, the only approach that makes sense is to shut down the starters, give the Summer League Champs some run and throw these final two games.
And here’s the best part: They can do all of this under the guise of competition! Coaches and players can claim they are resting up for a playoff run, and Heat Culture can avoid the stink of tanking!”
https://allucanheat.com/my-grand-plan-save-miami-heat-season-shut-it-down?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
Good sentiments bro…but we all know if starters sit, specially in Miami, its an obvious tank and an all out one. And for me nothing bad about it given the things the Heat went through this season. Its forgivable. Also 2% chance? I love the odds lol
Two things can be true. The Heat can rest their starters and go absolutely all out trying to win the play-in tournament (which draws eyes to it and is what the NBA wants), while still helping themselves out with draft position if they DON’T win the play-in. Resting starters at the end of the season has always been a thing, tanking or not. I don’t think karma would bite the Heat if they did it here.
Good points. Since the Heat practically can’t finish better than 10th in the east, but can improve their lottery odds by losing their last two games, it does make sense to rest their best players. There is no gain in winning in the remaining games, but there is potential gain in losing them. Plus it is only logical to avoid risking any injuries before the play in/play off. It’s an easy decision – rest the core players and finally give the G-leaguers enough play time.
Excellent plan. It’s really not tanking if you give your best players time off to rest the last two games of the season, if those games have absolutely no bearing on the final standings. It’s makes sense to have them rested for the play-in game(s) which do matter. Got my vote.