Kiz: The Nuggets have learned the hard way. It’s far easier to change coaches than change the culture of a franchise. The conventional wisdom has always been that any team that plays at 5,280 feet above sea level needs to embrace fastbreak basketball. But has that philosophy ever rewarded the Nuggets with a championship? When an up-tempo Denver team couldn’t get out of the first round of the playoffs, Josh Kroenke fired coach George Karl. Less than 18 months later, you have to wonder: How hot is Shaw’s seat on the Denver bench?
Hooch: It has to be warm, if only because the Nuggets aren’t “just” losing, but they’re losing in the worst way possible — without passion. Some of these scores make the Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl score look like a nail-biter. This past week, when I tweeted the 130-113 loss to Portland, my buddy thought I was exaggerating for comedic purposes, like when I wrote that aging baseball player Michael Cuddyer was 78 years old. Nope, Denver allowed 130 points … at home … to a team playing its fourth game in five nights. If Denver can’t find passion soon, then Shaw will need to find a new job.
Kiz: I’ve done interviews with NBA coaches for 30 years. And I’ve never heard a coach talk so frankly about the possibility of his dismissal so early in a season, as Shaw did when he told me his “head is the one that’s going to be on the guillotine” if the Nuggets don’t improve quickly. There’s no way Kroenke likes the idea of firing Shaw without giving a fair amount of time for a new coach’s system to succeed. But here are the key questions: Do the players have this coach’s back? Do they trust him? I’m not sure Shaw and forward Kenneth Faried can coexist in the long run.
Hooch: Which brings up a good point — it’s not like Kenneth Faried is this franchise-changing, superstar player. Why can’t these two work it out? And we all know Ty Lawson isn’t a rah-rah leader, but Shaw must get No. 3 to buy into his system, not only because he’s Denver’s best player but also because he’s the point guard.
Kiz: The fans in Denver who still care about the Nuggets are ticked. They — gulp — compare Shaw to Josh McDaniels, the greatest disaster in recent Broncos history. General manager Tim Connelly honestly expected this team could make the playoffs. If the Nuggets are in last place when January arrives, I frankly doubt Shaw can survive as coach. Anybody have a phone number for Chauncey Billups?
Hooch: The question is, will the Nuggets hire a proven coach to replace the first-time coach, a la John Fox after McDaniels? Or is our town’s Billups the perfect fit? Let’s talk in 2015.
