Coach Malone Takes Nuggets On The Road For Training Camp To Build Team Unity
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - It's like a camping trip with the boys, expect they're playing basketball -- in Colorado Springs.
The Denver Nuggets chose the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for training camp because they wanted to get away, and head coach Michael Malone wanted more room.
Malone also wants to build team unity and is trying to instill a defense-first mentality. Rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is ready for the challenge.
"He's a defensive-minded coach, so on defense it's all about effort, so you give effort on defense and he (doesn't) try to make it too complicated on offense," Mudiay said. "So that's what he's been preaching the whole time is defense; and defense leads to offense, defense wins games. So I feel like we if we give it all on the defensive end the offense shouldn't be a problem because we've got players that can score."
PHOTO GALLERY: Emmanuel Mudiay Photo Shoot
Mudiay says so far everyone is just trying to get to know one another.
"Nobody is really divided; so far everybody has been talking and you kind of need a good chemistry to have a successful year. As far as winning and playing together and things like that, I'm just trying to get to know everybody."
The Nuggets open the season on the road against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
