After yesterday's morning shootaround before playing the Los Angeles Clippers, the Denver Nuggets announced that they have agreed to a contract extension with head coach Michael Malone. Malone, who was entering the final year of his contract this season, was given a two-year extension.

So what does this mean for the Nuggets? Well, for starters, they now know who their head coach for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 season will be, barring any changes. Malone, who had previously been the coach of the Sacramento Kings, was hired by the Nuggets in 2015, shortly after the NBA season had concluded. Malone was signed to a three-year deal, which included a fourth-year team option. The Nuggets exercised that option last season.

Known as a defensive-minded coach, Malone's tenure with the Nuggets has been full of ups and downs.

Players like Emmanuel Mudiay struggled with consistency issues under Malone. Mudiay, who started 66 out of 68 games during his rookie season, struggled from a shooting standpoint but managed to lead the team in assists per game (5.5) and finish third on the team in points per game (12.8).

However, Mudiay struggled even more during his sophomore campaign, splitting starting point guard duties with veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. By his third season, Mudiay was no longer even a lock for playing time every game and was eventually dealt at the trade deadline for Devin Harris.

Jusuf Nurkic was another player who also struggled to find consistency under Malone. When Malone was hired, Nurkic had just undergone knee surgery following what had been a promising season. Upon his return, Nikola Jokic has already taken over as the starting center.

Nurkic began to grow unhappy with the prospect of coming off the bench, so Malone attempted to solve the issue by starting the Bosnian alongside Jokic. However, the pair tended to show deficiencies, especially against teams who deployed small-ball lineups. Nurkic was traded at the trade deadline to the Portland Trail Blazers for Mason Plumlee.

Power forward Kenneth Faried's playing time suffered because of Malone attempting to play peacemaker with Nurkic. After establishing himself as a full-time starter during the 2012-13 season, Faried started 71 games during the 2014-15 season and 64 games during the 2015-16 season. He only started 34 games during the 2016-17 season.

Even after Nurkic was traded, Faried still struggled to find consistent playing time. The acquisitions of Trey Lyles and Paul Millsap prior to the 2017-18 season pushed Faried almost entirely out of the rotation. This past summer, Faried was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

While some players have struggled to find consistency under Malone, others have flourished. One of those players is Gary Harris. The current Nuggets shooting guard appeared in 76 games (starting in all of them) in 2015-16, his sophomore season and Malone's first season as Nuggets head coach. Harris shot forty-nine percent from the field while leading the team in steals per game (1.3).

Malone had a lot to do with Harris finding his feet in Season 2, after the Michigan State product started in only six games and averaged 13.1 minutes in his rookie season under former head coach Brian Shaw. Malone gave Harris an opportunity to shine that Harris had not previously been given during his rookie season. Since then, Harris has transformed into a skilled, two-way player. Last season, he set career highs in minutes per game (34.4), free-throw percentage (.827), and points per game (17.5).

Another player who has blossomed under Malone is the aforementioned Jokic. Jokic was given an opportunity by Malone to start when fellow big man Jusuf Nurkic underwent knee surgery prior to the season. When Nurkic returned in January, Jokic had taken over the starting center spot, with Nurkic relegated to a bench role. Jokic started 55 games that season, averaging 21.7 minutes per game, 10.0 points per game, and 7.0 rebounds per game. He also finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Since then, Jokic has taken the next step toward becoming a superstar in the NBA. After starting 59 of 73 games during the 2016-17 season, Jokic entrenched himself as the starting center last season, averaging 32.6 minutes per game, 18.5 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, and 8.1 rebounds per game. Jokic also shot thirty-nine percent from three.

Jokic has stated his ambition to become an All-Star before his career his over, and the max contract he received this offseason is one of the first stepping stones.

Malone has been able to assemble a promising trio of players during his time in Denver with Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic, and lastly, Jamal Murray. Murray, who is entering his third season in the league, took a big step last season after being handled with kid gloves during his rookie season. Maybe looking to rectify the mistakes he made with handling Mudiay's progression, Malone brought Murray along slowly, with the Kentucky product starting in just ten games during his first pro season.

With Mudiay struggling and Nelson on his last legs, Malone needed more from the point guard position if the Nuggets were to compete for a playoff spot in 2017-18. Enter Murray. Although primarily a shooting guard, Murray had played combo guard at Kentucky, meaning he's more than capable of playing both the one and the two. Nuggets management felt so comfortable going into the season with Murray as their starting point guard that they waived Nelson.

It got to the point where Murray was progressing so well that Mudiay was considered surplus, and dealt later on in the season. Murray would finish the season with 16.7 points per game and a forty-five percent field-goal percentage in 31.7 minutes per game.

With players like Malik Beasley, Monte Morris, and Juancho Hernangómez set to fill a bigger role in the rotation this season, it will be up to Malone to juggle everyone's minutes. This is also without considering where free agent signing Isaiah Thomas and 2018 NBA Draft pick Michael Porter Jr. fit in when they return from their respective injuries.

Needless to say, this may be one Malone's most stressful season since he took the Nuggets head coaching job. The Nuggets have increased their win total in each of Malone's three seasons with the Nuggets. With sights set on the playoffs and young players looking to seize their opportunities, Malone will need to keep a level head and not get caught up by distractions.