Prior to winning the 2023 NBA championship, the Denver Nuggets had a lot of players who helped contribute to creating a winning culture there.
Led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, the team from the Mile High City have been a regular feature in the playoffs since the 2018-19 season.
They have had the likes of Monte Morris, Will Barton and Paul Millsap on their roster to help develop their young stars.
One of them was center Bol Bol, who was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2019, but his draft rights were traded to the Denver Nuggets.
In three seasons as part of the Denver Nuggets, Bol Bol only managed to play 53 games for Michael Malone.
However, since moving away from the team in 2022, he has found regular playing time in his stints formerly with the Orlando Magic and currently with the Phoenix Suns.
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone shows appreciation to Bol Bol
Bol Bol, who comes off the bench for the Phoneix Suns, played well for the team against his former side Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
He scored 19 points, seven rebounds and had four blocks against the Nuggets, but his effort was not enough to prevent the Suns from suffering a 105-122 loss.
During his post-game press conference, Michael Malone gave his former player appreciation for his performance.
“He took full advantage of the opportunity Bud [Mike Budenholzer] gave him last night in their thrilling win in Utah in overtime.
“And then he comes out here again and to your point 33 minutes, 19 points, seven boards, four blocks.
“I think ever since Bol Bol got drafted by us how many ever years ago, there just so much talent there, it’s just a matter of bringing it out consistently,” said Malone.
What was Bol Bol’s stint with the Denver Nuggets like?
Bol Bol had a statement debut for the Denver Nuggets, scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in a scrimmage against the Washington Wizards in the bubble.
With Nikola Jokic at centre, that debut did not translate into bigger things as the Nuggets did not really need the services of Bol Bol, but when called upon, he did produce some glimpses of brilliance.
His high score with the Nuggets was a mere 11 points, but whenever he came on the court, he did produce a few moments of magic with his ball-handling or shooting from three-point range.
After his time with the Nuggets, Bol moved to the Orlando Magic and showed what he was capable of in a young team.
He was waived by the franchise, but the Phoenix Suns picked him and he has since been in and out of rotation.
Malone emphasised that Bol had the ability to play at the highest level and while Denver could not offer him regular playing time, Phoenix has managed to do that at times and received some great performances from him.
In his last two games, Bol has averaged 15.5 PPG off the bench – which is sensational considering the team only increased his minutes during these games.
