Here's what Mark Daigneault said about Michael Malone's firing from the Nuggets

Enjoying the crown for the most shocking coach decision in NBA history, the Memphis Grizzlies were only in the spotlight for less than two weeks.

The Denver Nuggets one-upped them when they shockingly fired Michael Malone on Tuesday in the final days of the regular season.Less than two years removed from an NBA championship, Malone was kicked to the curb with the playoffs around the corner.

That ends a 10-year coaching tenure at Denver where he was tied to the hip with Nikola Jokic's ascension into a three-time MVP winner.As the news shocked the NBA world, Mark Daigneault had a chance to talk about Malone's shocking termination ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder's get-back win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday."I was surprised just like everybody else.

I also don't pretend to know the ins and outs of everything but I do know competing against their team over the past couple of years, I have great respect for their whole team.

They're really, really hard to compete against," Daigneault said.

"They put you in a lot of dilemmas, they're organized, they're tight.

I think that's a reflection on their players and the continuity they had and a reflection of their coaching staff and Coach Malone.

I always had a lot of respect for him as a competitor."It's a sudden culture shift in the NBA.

Teams usually don't wait this late in the regular season to fire their head coach.

The last time something similar happened to Taylor Jenkins and Malone was in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers when they fired David Blatt despite having the East's best record.

And even then, the move happened at the All-Star break.Lakers head coach JJ Redick said both Malone and Jenkins are victims of impatience.

In a world where everything needs to happen now, fewer NBA franchises have given coaches the leeway to build up a culture or figure stuff out.

In both of their cases, it was a situation where their respective teams likely thought their season was salvageable.For Daigneault, he's now the seventh-longest tenured NBA head coach.

Despite the Thunder graduating into title expectations, he doesn't feel sudden pressure to win right now even though that's the case on other NBA franchises.My reality is more is in this organization with this team.

Ive been here a long time.

Ive felt a lot of support.

Mr.

Bennett is as steady and impressive and humble of a governor as there is.

Sam in the front office are steady-hand decision-maker.

Not only with the coach but with everybody.

If you come here, you get supported to do your best work, you get empowered to do your best work," Daigneault said.

"There is a standard and theres accountability to that standard but theres also a level of fairness with that I think everybody else here feels.

Theyve held onto that for a long, long time.

Ive felt that.

I don't really look around and take the temperature in other places.

I've only worked in one NBA organization.

I've had an amazing experience here and thats my reality.The Nuggets' and Grizzlies' shocking decisions to fire their head coaches over the last two weeks directly affect the Thunder.

Both are candidates to fall in the play-in tournament range.

In that case, they could be teams they face in a first-round series.Mark Daigneault on Michael Malone being fired: pic.twitter.com/Z9EFsCIqEX Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 8, 2025JJ Redick on Michael Malone being fired.

Said its part of a culture where patience is thin.

Praised the Thunder for continuity and patience with Sam Presti and that he expects Mark Daigneault to be here for a while pic.twitter.com/6UDiMiY8GK Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 8, 2025This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Here's what Mark Daigneault said about Michael Malone's firing.

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