Nuggets add renowned shooting coach to staff

Former NBA standout Mark Price, the second-most accurate free-throw shooter in NBA history, has agreed to join the Nuggets’ coaching staff, a league source confirmed to BSN Denver.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the hire.

Since retiring from the league in 1998 after a 12-year career that included four All-Star appearances and one All-NBA selection, Price has been an assistant coach for five different NBA franchises, including the Nuggets in 2007-08. In 2015, he signed on to be the head coach at the University of Charlotte but was fired last December after amassing a 30-42 record in two-plus seasons.

Price, who’s 90.39 free-throw percentage ranks second in league history to Steve Nash (90.43 percent), is a well-respected shooting coach throughout the league.

Last season, the Nuggets were seventh-most accurate three-point shooting team in the league but ranked just 18th out of 30 teams in free-throw percentage. Five returning Nuggets rotation players — Malik Beasley (66.7 percent), Torrey Craig (62.9 percent), Trey Lyles (70.6 percent), Paul Millsap (69.6 percent), and Mason Plumlee (45.8 percent), shot below the league average of 76.7 percent from the foul line last season.

The Nuggets also hired assistant coach Charles Klask to Michael Malone’s coaching staff for next season.