Mike Malone felt his phone buzz on the drive home last weekend from the Pepsi Center after his Nuggets team beat the Clippers. Will Barton texted his coach with a simple request. More accurately, a test for when the Thunder came to town on Tuesday.
Barton wrote: “I want to guard Paul George.”
Malone’s response: “You’ve got it.”
“I just wanted to challenge myself,” Barton said. “Give Paul George credit. He’s one of the best players in the NBA this year and having an MVP-caliber season. I just wanted to try and make it as hard as I could for him.