By virtue of his father, who was an assistant on the title-winning Bad Boys Pistons teams, Nuggets coach Michael Malone saw how far an identity can carry you.
And nothing would please him more than to implement that same edge in Denver.
Sunday’s 124-92 shellacking over the Portland Trail Blazers wasn’t just about taking advantage of a battered squad to extend their winning streak to six. And it wasn’t just about overcoming the challenge of winning on the second night of a back-to-back or for the third time in four nights, either. It was about beating and bullying a team that wasn’t big enough, and imposing their own identity on the outcome of the game.