Evans: For Stan Kroenke, bad things come in threes

When Stan Kroenke decided to fire Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher — after having just given him a two-year contract extension — the team was 4-9. At the same time the Denver Nuggets were 9-16, and the Colorado Avalanche were 11-15-1.

That means the combined record of the three teams owned by Silent Stan was 24-40-1.

Outstanding.

I don’t care about the Rams, but I do care about the Avs and Nuggets. I would like to see these teams return to respectability and then, eventually, contend for championships.

That is a long way away. The most immediate question is why are Kroenke’s teams struggling? Are there some common factors between the Avs and Nuggets?

Here’s what stands out.

Both teams have been promoting the dreaded “youth movements.” Man, I hate those. Not only does it buy a franchise time from really being held accountable, it also allows a team to run things on the cheap. To be fair, the Nuggets tried to spend money on Dwyane Wade during free agency, and the Avs have handed out some good contracts, although I don’t understand the Matt Duchene “ceiling” on contracts.

Spending more would allow the Avs to strengthen its supporting cast and allow the Nuggets to bring in more veteran players that still have some game. But most importantly it could provide dearly-needed grownups and leadership.

Ultimately, though, what is missing the most from the Avs and Nuggets are real franchise players. Great players who also “get it.” Great players who lead and who know how to be professional and how to hold other players accountable.

The Nuggets have vets, like Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, and Wilson Chandler, who have already shown they aren’t capable of being great. The young guys, like Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray? Who knows? Maybe. Although none of them look like true franchise stars. Until one of these guys turns into a real superstar, that team isn’t really going anywhere.

The Avs are more frustrating. Think of the excitement and expectation for the Nuggets if they had two No. 1 overall picks, a No. 2 and a No. 3? The Avs have those kind of lottery picks in Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Erik Johnson. And yet, the Avs are on its way to another “playoff — DNQ.”

So how to turn around the fortunes of Stan Kroenke’s teams here in Colorado? Spend more money, and find general managers who can do a better job of identifying the right kind of talent and building the right kind of teams.

A previous version of this article indicated the incorrect amount of cap space the Colorado Avalanche has. It is $2.5 million, according to Spotrac.com.