The Nuggets are so inept they even botched the no-brainer firing of coach Brian Shaw.

So consider the stumbling, bumbling actions of the NBA’s lamest organization on a cold and gray Tuesday as fair warning to Mike D’Antoni, Chauncey Billups, Mark Jackson or anybody else with past ties to the Nuggets who might be crazy enough to believe he could lead Denver back to respectability.

Only a fool would apply for this coaching vacancy.

The Nuggets have a problem with a lack of professionalism. It starts at the top, with franchise president Josh Kroenke, and trickles down with an annoying drip, drip, drip to the locker room, where a brown cardboard box labeled “Phones” sits on a stool every game night, because irresponsible players developed a nasty habit of caring more about text messages than the final score.



WATCH: Is Josh Kroenke to blame for Nuggets coming undone?

At approximately 9:30 in the morning, Nuggets management surprised Shaw with the news his services would no longer be needed after a mere 20 months and 141 often-miserable games on the job. Hey, why halt a downward spiral to a more desirable spot in the NBA draft lottery? It made no sense.

Then, showing a complete lack of responsibility, neither Kroenke nor general manager Tim Connelly bothered to explain Shaw’s dismissal until 6:32 p.m., when Connelly belatedly uttered a brief statement and took questions for less than three minutes.

As a team official quickly ushered Connelly away from the scene where his Nuggets recently broke a huddle with the chant of “1, 2, 3 … six weeks!” that was either a rallying cry to break a losing streak or a countdown to a lousy season’s conclusion, depending on whom you believe, I shook my head in dismay.

The Nuggets don’t get it.



WATCH: Nuggets firing Brian Shaw as coach “out of the blue”?

There has to be at least a semblance of civic duty from ownership of an NBA team that represents Denver. This was tone-deaf nonsense, and also an insult to season-ticket holders who spend hard-earned money to watch this agony on the hardwood, to fire a coach by issuing a one-page press release and paint-by-number words of sympathy from Connelly.

On yet another sad, shameful day for the Nuggets, Kroenke was nowhere to be found when he needed to stand front and center. Think that shirking of responsibility doesn’t pollute the mind-set of his franchise? Ninety minutes prior to the game against Milwaukee, power forward Kenneth Faried tiptoed in double time behind the backs of TV cameras pointed at rookie Gary Harris. As the Manimal slipped out a side door toward the showers to avoid scrutiny, Faried growled at the assembled media, “That’s (messed) up!”

Want to know what’s really messed up? The way a self-righteous and self-absorbed Faried beat his chest and demanded respect after winning a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup, but ran away and hid when a coach he obviously didn’t respect got dumped.

As Connelly sent hollow condolences to Shaw for a mismatched roster that would have doomed John Wooden in his prime to failure, I had to ask the general manager if the Nuggets have a problem acting like professionals paid handsomely to give an honest effort.

“I think we have a lot of problems. I wouldn’t pinpoint one more than another,” Connelly replied. “I think when you lose, your warts become a little more intense and more obvious.”

I’m guessing wishy-washy answers won’t appease basketball lovers in Denver still irked Kroenke parted ways with former coach George Karl and front-office executive Masai Ujiri after a franchise-record 57 regular-season victories in 2012-13.

While it’s true Karl contributed mightily to the divorce by pushing for a contract extension in the aftermath of a stunning playoff exit against Golden State and Ujiri bolted for more money in Toronto, Kroenke has failed to adequately sell his vision for the Nuggets and irritated fans by allowing Shaw to implement an offensive system that was ineffective, boring and a slap to the time-honored tradition of high-octane, pedal-to-the-metal basketball at 5,280 feet above sea level.

The Nuggets actually did Shaw a favor by firing him.

Shaw is now free to go lounge on a beach in Cancun six weeks before his players can punch the clock and get the heck out of town.

Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla