Brian Shaw fired as Denver Nuggets coach

During the Denver Nuggets’ 104-82 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday, their players broke the huddle out of a timeout with a chant that revealed the mind-set of the Western Conference’s 13th-place team: “1-2-3 … six weeks!“

Denver’s management couldn’t wait that long to make a big change.

At 20-39, the Nuggets are on pace for their worst record since they went 17-65 in 2002-03. They’ve lost 19 of their past 21 — winning one game in the month of February — as Shaw clearly lost the locker room. He all but admitted it after an 18-point home loss to the Hornets in early February (per the Denver Post):

“We’re in a bad place right now,” Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said Sunday, after Denver was blown out 104-86 by Charlotte, at home, in the worst loss of the Shaw Era.

“It has to get better. If it doesn’t get better — and even if does get better — at some point things still may change. I understand that going into this. And I accept anything that comes from it.”

Last week, after putting up just 69 points at Memphis in a 30-point loss, Shaw ripped his players.

“I’d have more respect if guys just told me they didn’t feel like playing tonight from the start,” he said.

Shaw compiled a 56-85 record in his nearly two-year stint as Denver’s coach, his first NBA head coaching job after taking over for George Karl.

Denver made two deals at the trade deadline, sending Arron Afflalo to Portland and unloading JaVale McGee and his ridiculous contract to the Philadelphia 76ers.

After spending the first 17 years of his Post career writing and editing, Matt and the printed paper had an amicable divorce in 2014. He's now blogging and editing for the Early Lead and the Post's other Web-based products.