(Given the news of the week, while the timing was weird, it was obviously done to serve as a quickie in-season and postseason audition for coach David Adelman on Josh Kroenke’s part. The Nuggets got their groove back, and DA got the job.)

After being fired following nearly 10 years of coaching three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander’s biggest competition for this year’s award, Malone was effusive in his praise for Gilgeous-Alexander after his 31 points and nine assists led the Thunder over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

"Nikola [Jokic] won the first of his three MVPs and I did vote for him again this year if I had a vote," said Malone on NBA Countdown. "I want to make sure the people in Denver know that because right now,