With three games left in the regular season, the Denver Nuggets decided to do a major shakeup–Both the GM, Calvin Booth, and the winningest coach of the franchise, Michael Malone, were shown the door. Reports started suggesting that both front office staff did not see eye to eye, and this move will hopefully provide a ‘jolt’ to the players. Now, amid all the chaos, Charles Barkley called out the ownership and lists failure to recover from the KCP trade as potential reasons for the head coach’s exit.

“I’ve always liked Mike and I thought Calvin has done a really good job. I do think they should have made some trades or kept some players the last couple years because when you got Joker, you know they let KCP go, they let Brown go, and they really haven’t replaced those two guys, in my opinion.” Chuck was on Altitude Sports Radio and shared his views, and his assessment was not wrong.

The Nuggets rank 20th in defensive rating this season. Last season, the team lost Bruce Brown Jr and, this year, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, their two best perimeter defenders. As per reports, the 2x NBA champion was waiting on a better offer from the Nuggets, but it did not arrive. That’s when Orlando Magic reportedly offered a three-year $66 million deal to secure his services.

The woes became more prevalent after the All-Star break as the team is currently fourth in the Western Conference, but at 47-32, they are only a half-game ahead of teams tied at fifth. Despite the issues, the 76ers legend wasn’t happy about the decision to let Malone go.

Charles Barkley continued, “But I’ve been reading some things about you know y’all decide to go the cheaper route uh so and uh so it’s a lot of stuff going on.” Furthermore, he highlighted that the man responsible for bringing the only championship to the franchise may have lost the locker room. “Well, it sounds like, uh Coach Malone had worn on their nerves. You know, cuz he coached the same way when they were winning. But now that they’re not really really winning, that can wear on you.”

Nuggets president Josh Kroenke called the move “carefully evaluated,” claiming it was best for another championship run.

Not just Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Carmelo Anthony, amongst others, hated Mike Malone’s departure

Yesterday, during the NBA on TNT show, Shaq was disappointed in the Nuggets’ front office. “I would have liked it to be done a little more professional,” he said. His suggestion was to wait until after the season’s end to evaluate a better solution. “I would’ve like to see him, if it didn’t work after the year, say, ‘Coach Malone, thank you for what you’ve done.’ To let him go now, a week or two before the playoffs…” and trailed off. His words hinted at disappointment with the front office.

Carmelo Anthony wasn’t pleased to see Malone go. Melo believes if a coach signs for four years, they should finish all four: win or lose. “If I pay you four years, you stay here four years. I don’t give a f— what the record is.” But that’s not what the Nuggets management thought. Some reports suggested the players’ role in pushing the manager out. It was in March when Michael Malone called out his players for lack of effort. Other reports also suggested that star player Nikola Jokic could also head out Lakers, being the odds-on favorite destination. But that’s for the future.

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Currently, Jamal Murray is nursing a hamstring, and Jokic is pushing through ankle issues. And now no Mike Malone to steer the ship. It’s the kind of messy shake-up that instantly creates hurdles for a smoother finish to the season’s end. Only time will tell if the decision brought any ‘jolt’ to the team’s performance.