How Malone’s Next Move Could Haunt the Nuggets

Michael Malone remains available on the coaching market, making occasional media appearances as a guest analyst on NBA Countdown and reflecting on his Nuggets tenure in some interviews. This is undoubtedly surprising given his championship pedigree and proven ability to develop a young core into title contenders. You would think most NBA franchises would do everything possible to secure a coach of his caliber.

While many see him as an old-school disciplinarian, his X’s and O’s capabilities often fly under the radar. The revolutionary offensive system he built around Nikola Jokic maximized the center’s unique talents in unprecedented ways, granting him a level of offensive control rivaling what we see from the most heliocentric perimeter players without requiring the same ball dominance.

Perhaps, though, him not having signed with another team is not due to a lack of interest. Malone may simply be waiting for the right opportunity rather than accepting the first available position offered to him.

And one situation seems tailor-made for him—one involving another young big man with an equally unprecedented skill set and physical profile, a situation that could both cement his coaching legacy and create a formidable obstacle to Denver’s championship hopes in the future.

That situation would be in San Antonio, with Victor Wembanyama.

How Malone’s Next Move Could Haunt the Nuggets

Throughout his coaching career, Malone has worked with two uniquely gifted centers: DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Jokic. His tenure in Denver with the latter has been his most successful and impactful stint, leaving a lasting legacy in the Mile High City. His most impressive accomplishment has been the offense he built around the Serbian superstar—a system that fully capitalizes on Jokic’s point guard-like skills while staying true to his big man roots through heavily featured post-ups. The offense completely reinterpreted traditional basketball conventions. Inverted pick-and-rolls became as common as conventional ones, and guards routinely have to set screens for their center, not just in pick-and-roll situations, but also in sets designed to create post-up opportunities.

There’s no reason the same couldn’t be done with Wembanyama to elevate his offense to the next level. In fact, it would closely resemble how Vincent Collet utilized him when he was still playing in France with Metropolitans 92. And having a Wemby that has fully unlocked his offensive potential would create one of the biggest obstacles in Denver’s path to another championship.

Wemby and the Spurs are Becoming a Threat Already

To be clear, the Spurs have been genuinely impressive under Mitch Johnson this season, and there’s no pressing need for a coaching change in San Antonio. What was once an unstructured offense built almost entirely around letting Wemby figure things out—often at the expense of team performance—has evolved into a coherent system tailored to the roster’s strengths. By playing faster and prioritizing smarter shot selection and decision-making in the half-court, the team has taken a major step forward offensively. The defense has also drastically improved from the absolute disaster we saw two years ago, mainly thanks to smart veteran additions like Harrison Barnes and the internal growth of players such as Stephon Castle and Julien Champagnie.

But even with those improvements, the Spurs will ultimately go only as far as Wemby can take them. Fortunately, there has been a visible evolution in his game this season, especially on offense. He no longer settles for as many threes and uses his ball-handling ability to consistently get to his preferred mid-range spots, rather than chasing the flashy ankle-breaker that so often led to live-ball turnovers.

Still, even with this progression in mind, we have yet to see the best version of Wemby on offense. During his time in France with Metropolitans 92, he was far more effective in the post, leveraging his size, touch, shooting, and footwork to be a formidable threat with his back to the basket. Regular post touches allowed him to find a rhythm, showcasing his plethora of moves to consistently generate quality looks. In the NBA, he has significantly reduced that facet of his game, and to reach his true offensive ceiling, he must reestablish himself as a legitimate back-to-the-basket threat.

Wemby Under Malone Could be a Sight to Behold

If Malone were to take the reins in San Antonio and implement an offense similar to what we saw in Denver, Wemby could unlock his full offensive potential. Not only would his efficiency skyrocket, but he’d also become a more central playmaking hub for the Spurs.

The former Nuggets coach might also put a bigger emphasis on inverted pick-and-rolls—something the Spurs ran effectively when Tre Jones was playing alongside Wemby in his rookie season. In transition, Malone’s fast style of play would fit Wembanyama’s rare blend of length and mobility perfectly, turning him into an even more devastating lob threat in transition situations. But to be fair, Mitch Johnson has already tapped into that strength, with Castle emerging as an excellent alley-oop passer not only to Wemby but also to Luke Kornet.

Defensively, the Spurs already have a strong foundation built around the league’s best shot-blocker. Malone could give the defense more variety by incorporating aggressive pick-and-roll coverages that take advantage of Wembanyama’s absurd length on the back line. His ability to protect the rim and also being able to close out effectively to the corners—without overcommitting—would add a never-before-seen facet to this sceme, though the physical toll on Wembanyama’s body is a legitimate concern here. This system could prove particularly impactful in two-big lineups with Kornet. We saw brief flashes of it in Paris, where Wemby thrived in that role, albeit with a very limited sample size.

The Spurs can Still Wait… But not Indefinitely

So far, the Spurs have been impressive under Mitch Johnson. The team is emerging as a legitimate threat, fueled by meaningful internal development from both the players and Johnson himself. Their commitment to continuity—promoting from within as they navigate the post-Popovich era—is admirable and has helped maintain the Spurs’ identity. Even with injuries to both Wemby and De’Aaron Fox limiting their shared minutes, San Antonio has still managed to secure one of the NBA’s best records. They also have the luxury of time to evaluate how this core performs throughout the regular season and into the playoffs, especially in a Western Conference stacked with elite teams.

But if the Spurs ultimately fall short and doubts emerge about whether Johnson is the right coach to unlock Wembanyama’s full potential, Malone is the type of leader who could transform this core into championship contenders.

And there’s something undeniably poetic about that scenario: the greatest coach in Nuggets history—the one who delivered their first championship and helped shape their greatest player—returning as perhaps their biggest obstacle with the Spurs. The storylines practically write themselves.