Josh Kroenke has proven he is not his father after taking control of the Nuggets three years ago and Avalanche this season. Unlike his father, the son of Stan is hands on with both teams, and he is not afraid to make changes if it’s warranted.
Kroenke traded Carmelo Anthony couple of years ago and fired George Karl this offseason, and he played a role in promoting Joe Sakic as Avalanche executive vice president of hockey operations and hiring Patrick Roy as Avalanche head coach.
Kroenke’s moves in hockey worked out well. Roy has shined as Avalanche head coach by having the Avalanche off to a 10-1 start, and Sakic has brought professionalism to the organization that was lacking under Greg Sherman, Pierre Lacroix and Joe Sacco.
The Avalanche will be a Stanley Cup contender this season. The talent is there along with the coaching for the Avalanche to be in that position.
For the son of Stan, it’s about building a NBA title contender in Denver. He wants Denver to be a destination where stars want to come and play. He wants the Nuggets to be a first class operation like the Spurs.
The Nuggets overachieved for a year and a half without Anthony, but losing in the first round twice didn’t make Mr. Kroenke’s son happy, so Karl was fired.
Kroenke knew the Nuggets went as far as they could under Karl. He realized the former Nuggets coach was not good in making adjustments, and he knew the team needed to play a half-court style. He also wanted to find a coach who can work well with young players.
It’s a risk firing a good coach, but it was something Kroenke was willing to take. He knew the status quo was not working. He feels there is a coach that can take the Nuggets to new heights. He is banking on new Nuggets coach Brian Shaw to be that guy.
Kroenke knows status quo can only do so much. He knows being content would mean mediocrity forever. That’s not why he got into the sports business.
Kroenke is a competitor. That comes from him playing for Missouri in college basketball. He is all about winning. He wants to show fans he did not become the president of Nuggets and Avalanche because he is the son of Stan Kroenke
Stan’s son has certainly made his mark. He has made an impression with the fans with the moves he has made along with being accountable when things go wrong.
What Kroenke did is something Rockies owner Dick Monfort can learn from, which is not settling for status quo and doing something about the Rockies going through another losing season.
For the younger Kroenke, his work is not done. He knows this is only the beginning. He has to sustain success once his teams achieve it. That’s not going to be easy, but he has a plan on building an organization that can be successful for the next 10 years.
There’s no question the 33-year-old mogul learned from being around coaches and executives in pro sports. He also gained knowledge about doing business from being associated with college athletics. All of this convinced his father to give up control of the Nuggets and Avalanche to him.
Both teams are in good hands under Kroenke based on the team’s results.
For all the criticism Kroenke received for letting Karl and former Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri walk, the Nuggets still have core players in Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari that can help them win games. That’s why the Nuggets president feel the team won’t miss a beat despite the general manager and head coach being gone.
This is a big time in Kroenke’s life. He has accomplished his dream of being the president of Nuggets and Avalanche. Now, he has to live up to high expectations. To his credit, he is ready for the challenge. If he felt he was not ready for it, there’s no way his father would let him have control of both winter pro teams in Denver.
This is Kroenke’s time now. Everything comes through to him, and at the end of the day, he will be judged by wins and losses just like how players and coaches are going to be judged.
The Avalanche and Nuggets president is fine with expectations. He wouldn’t want it any other way. He did not take the job just so he can have fun with it. He is in this to win.
He did his part. Now, it’s up to players and coaches to make him look good.
Contact Leslie Monteiro via Twitter: @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
