Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth has a tough job.
While players are battling on the floor and head coaches are playing chess on the sideline, Booth has to compete with at least 29 other leading front office executives to get the best assets. He has to understand the big picture but track short-term progress. If the team fails to meet expectations, he has to figure out how to get them back on track.
Yet, there’s been a feeling that Booth hasn’t always given the Nuggets the best chance to win. In fact, after Denver was bounced from the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the second round, the frustrations were directed towards him. Even Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has been at odds with him.
Nuggets’ Calvin Booth Opens Up About Mounting Tension
Booth, who doesn’t shy away from being asked tough questions, addressed the rumors of internal tension in an interview with ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne.
“There was this urge to compete, especially from the players and the coaches and even myself,” Booth says. “You want to win, especially coming off the heels of winning the championship. And that’s probably where the tension started.”
“What are you guys trying to do? Are you trying to win? Are you trying to develop? I think everybody had the best intent going in. There was buy-in. But I think competition and the focus on that can distract you from the buy-in.”
“It’s hard,” he admits. “You’re a coach, you’re trying to win the next game, and you want to see a proven product. I think that’s where conceptually, even though it sounds like a good concept and the coaches bought into it, once you start getting into it and competitive juices going again, you get why [Malone] had a tough time with it sometimes.
“There’s no enemies, there’s no villains in this,” the 48-year-old concludes. “We did play very well in the regular season. We played a lot of young guys… I think our team is in a good position because we did that.”
Nothing To See Here, Folks
The Nuggets’ decision to invest in their youth while being a championship contender is not new. Shelburne herself notes that it’s a path that’s recently been taken by the Golden State Warriors, whose organic roster-building transformed them into a dynasty in the first place. The Oklahoma City Thunder, another Western Conference title contenders, is the NBA’s youngest team this season.
So, as Denver looks to maximize their chances of winning another championship in the Jokic Era, Booth isn’t wrong to believe in the value of young players. After all, similar to the Warriors, most of the Nuggets’ top players were drafted by them.
Nikola Jokic, the best second-round pick in NBA history, was selected 41st overall in 2014. Just two years later, Denver took Jamal Murray with the No. 7 pick. Michael Porter Jr. was yet another lottery pick, drafted 14th overall in 2018.
When the Nuggets went 53-29 in 2022-23 on their way to being crowned the NBA champions, that trio was front and center. Christian Braun, then a rookie who was drafted with the 21st pick, played a big role as well. Who’s to say that Jokic, Murray, Porter, Braun, and whoever else the team drafts can’t do it again?
This season, 2022 No. 30 pick Peyton Watson will get to keep building on his 2023-24 campaign. Like Braun, his ability to play within the team’s system and defensive impact are understated, but invaluable.
2023 No. 29 pick Julian Strawther may become part of their championship equation as well. He’s not a defensive menace like Braun or Watson, though he received great instruction from Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. However, he’s a more advanced scorer, which could help him play a major role off the bench.
