The Kevin O'Connor Show Calvin Booth opens up with KOC about building a championship team & how it all fell apart
Feb 25, 2026
Calvin Booth, former NBA player and ex-Denver Nuggets general manager, gives a candid look at roster construction, drafting strategy, and running a championship window. He discusses Nikola Jokic’s growth, why Bruce Brown fit, post-title roster turnover, friction with Michael Malone, and lessons from being fired. Short, revealing conversations on scouting, young-player development, and the limits of front-office decision-making.
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Limit How Many Small Guards You Roster
- When evaluating size-limited guards, limit how many you roster and prioritize a polished archetype like Patty Mills who can shoot, handle, and change pace.
- Booth warns one small guard is fine but multiple smalls struggle against playoff length and defense.
Nuggets Won Because Players Always Expected To Win
- Booth recalls the 2023 Nuggets believing they could beat anybody because their core (Jokic, Murray, MPJ) entered games with confidence and showed up in clutch moments.
- He points to locker-room belief as a decisive factor in their dominant 16-4 playoff run.
Roster Outcomes Are Intertwined Not Isolated
- Booth says expectations unfairly demanded perfection of him as GM and that successes (drafting Watson/Braun) are inseparable from broader roster choices.
- He uses a Tylenol metaphor to argue you can't cherry-pick outcomes without accepting tradeoffs in roster moves.