1-on-1 with Tim Connelly: How Isaiah Thomas makes the Nuggets better, why Denver stood pat at the trade deadline and more

Tim Connelly’s fingerprints are all over this Nuggets roster. From Nikola Jokic, who Connelly and his front office plucked from the Adriatic League in 2014, to Malik Beasley, Monte Morris, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Juancho Hernangomez, six players that Connelly had a hand in drafting who have all been parts of the Nuggets’ rotation at one time or another this year, Denver is built in his and general manager Arturas Karnisovas’ image.

Connelly also signed Isaiah Thomas, who made his Nuggets debut Wednesday in Denver’s thrilling 120-118 win over the Sacramento Kings. Thomas’ veteran’s minimum contract looks like it could become a bargain-bin goldmine for the organization.

Before Thomas’ debut, Connelly spoke 1-on-1 with BSN Denver about how the former MVP candidate makes the Nuggets better and why Denver stood pat at the trade deadline.

BSN Denver: What has Isaiah’s presence been like behind the scenes?

Connelly: I can’t say enough good things about him. His voice, his experience, having gone from the 60th pick to an All-Star playing at the highest level, he’s so positive. I think he and Will Barton are such basketball junkies, they’re always asking the young guys questions, seeing how much they know about the game, about the opponents. He brings an excess of confidence to our group. He’s been awesome. He’s just a great guy. His family’s fantastic, he fits in seamlessly. Just his overall voice, it’s always so forceful, but it’s very positive and there’s an end to every mean.

BSN: Did you target Isaiah last summer with the thought in mind that he could be a strong voice in the locker room?

Connelly: What was great was the familiarity that Mo had with him. There was a built-in comfort level, so we knew exactly what we were getting. Mo has such a great feel for people and players, and when he was firmly behind it and spoke glowingly about how he was going to be, we all got excited. We all got behind it quickly.

BSN: What does Isaiah add to the team?

Connelly: He’s got tons of experience. The ability to get his shot when he wants. A guy that’s used to the biggest moments. We only have 25 games left after the All-Star break and all those games take on added meaning. I think all of those things will be really impactful.

BSN: How will Isaiah’s playoff experience come in handy?

Connelly: Mason has quite a bit of playoff experience. Paul and Isaiah have a lot. A large portion of our locker room has little to no playoff experience, so you don’t know how they’re going to react until the big lights come on. But it’s fun when you look around and you have a handful of guys who have been there and can talk about what it’s like if we’re lucky enough to make the postseason.

BSN: How did you approach the trade deadline?

Connelly: We were in a pretty enviable situation where we were really proud of the success we’ve had so far, and we still don’t know exactly what we are because we still haven’t been fully healthy as of yet. You’re always looking for ways to improve your team, but we didn’t feel any pressure and that was different than a lot of past years. It was fun to kind of probe the market but not feel like you have to make a move.

BSN: Were you aggressive in trying to make a move?

Connelly: We talked to every team countless times. We didn’t feel like there was a huge gaping hole on our roster that had to be addressed.

BSN: When building this roster, how much of a priority did you place on building this team with high charecter, self-motivated players who would harvest good team chemistry?

Connelly: It was second only to talent. But with all those things you still have to be really talented. ‘I’m a great guy, I’m self-motivated.’ But if you’re not talented, it’s all for not. It’s something we identified when we were going through some rough stretches. The best way to build was with really good people and the kind of people that were emblematic of the approach we wanted to take. It makes the whole journey a whole lot more enjoyable, and it’s fun when these guys who are just really, really great guys are getting rewarded with on-court productivity.

BSN: How are you sure the guys you draft, sign or trade for have those personality traits?

Connelly: You’re never sure, but you do all your homework, you talk to as many people as you can, people you trust. There’s an information overload right now with scouting. It’s such an intel-laden and driven league that you have too many voices in your head. But I think you have to go with your gut a little bit, you have to talk to as many people as possible and then you keep your fingers crossed that the NBA doesn’t change them. There have been some fantastic guys who come here, and the lifestyle hasn’t had a real positive effect on them. There’s no magic formula. Largely, it’s like anything else, you go with your gut.

BSN: How much is the team’s chemistry responsible for the success you’ve had this year?

Connelly: I think chemistry and continuity. Continuity of the best coaching staff in the NBA and the continuity and chemistry with an ownership group that saw our vision. And it was kind of a far-fetched vision that we’re going to build around this 41st pick and he’s going to average eight assists a game. So having an ownership group that was patient enough to allow for continuity, and I think the continuity has created our chemistry. This morning I actually commented, ‘Our guys are like a college team.’ When the game’s over and there’s a big football game, they’re going to Gary’s house, they’re going to I.T.’s house or Will’s doing something. Monte the other week did a great thing in Flint. On an off day, we had a bunch of guys head over there and spend time with him helping his community. These guys deserve all the credit. They really like each other, and because it’s organic and because it’s sincere, it makes the locker room a whole lot more fun.

BSN: Do you feel as though your personality sets somewhat of a tone in the locker room?

Connelly: I think Josh deserves so much credit. Our first time we ever met, he kept bringing up fun, and I bring that up quite a bit. Working in basketball’s a lot of hard work, a lot you can’t control. But there’s plenty of other professions that you could probably make a lot of money in and have the Fourth of July off and be home for Christmas and not worry about where you’re going to live every couple of years. I think what is fun is we have fun, but we’re also brutally honest. I think communication solves all even when the messaging can be negative. If a guy has a bad game, the best thing is to just hit him, ‘You were terrible last night. What’s the deal? Let’s figure out how we’re going to be better.’ But if you don’t have those relationships or you’re trying to be cute or you’re trying to send mixed messages or you’re not comfortable enough to just be brutally honest, it doesn’t work. You’re only allowed to have those conversations because these guys know that you’ve been honest up to that point. The trust has already been developed, the relationship has already been developed. We also care about our guys. It sounds cliche and corny, but we have conversations with our guys like, ‘What are you going to do when you’re done playing? How’s your family? What can we do better?’ We’re always challenging our guys, what can we do better because we’re always asking telling them what can they do better. But how can we be better?

BSN: What have you thought of the job Michael Malone has done this year?

Connelly: Mo and his staff have been masterful. The injuries, the youth. We’re such a young team. I think that’s overlooked because a couple of these guys are second, third, fourth years in, but they’re babies. Jamal’s 21. Torrey’s story’s amazing. Monte played in one NBA game last year. I would love for someone to challenge me to find a better group of first- or second-year players. It’s a complete farce the Monte’s not going to play in the Rising Stars Challenge. His impact on winning, his individual stats. It’s laughable that he’s not there. Our coaching staff has done a wonderful job, and I can’t say enough good things about what they’ve done and how they continue to build and it’s not easy when you’re dealing with all these injuries. It’s not easy when you have so many new faces and that’s a huge testament to Mo and the entire staff.