The Denver Nuggets have decided to promote assistant general manager Calvin Booth to general manager, according to media reports.
The former NBA veteran will fill the position that was vacant after the Nuggets former general manager, Arturas Karnisovas, accepted a new job with the Chicago Bulls. Booth had come to the Mile High City in 2017 after stints with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Booth was a journeyman center during his NBA career, playing for several teams across the league after being selected by the Washington Wizards in the second round of the 1999 draft. The 6’11” center will be the tallest general manager in Nuggets history (I think – Dan Issel is 6’9”).
Booth has definitely worked hard to earn his new role with the team, grinding as a scout and evaluating talent across the league for the past few seasons.
Booth seems like a great choice for the position, as a guy that has a passion for front office work and a good grasp on what makes a team click. When asked in an interview what he thought made teams successful, he gave the following answer:
I think its guys buying into the team concept. Guys being unselfish, being willing to move the ball and do things that aren’t easy to do, like play defense on a back-to-back night or give multiple efforts towards loose balls. Doing it every day, consistency matters. I think that’s the reason why we have a lot of team success right now, we have a bunch of guys who have bought into those things.
Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has said the following about Booth:
“Constantly learning new things and he’s got an innate feel for people in the game,” Connelly said. “Obviously, his playing background [is significant]. Coming from a redshirt at Penn State to a 10-year NBA vet, he’s seen so much.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the team progresses with Booth being promoted, and having more opportunities to work with Connelly on making decisions for the team. The upcoming offseason will be a big one for the Nuggets, as they approach the draft with one first-round pick and free agency for Jerami Grant, Paul Millsap, Mason Plumlee, and Torrey Craig. The front office will need to do a lot to help make sure that they keep the team on the right track as they had looked poised to make the playoffs for a second consecutive year before the coronavirus shutdown.
