It may seem like the Kroenke family threw in the towel on the Denver Nuggets' season when they fired Michael Malone and Calvin Booth earlier this week. Josh Kroenke said the decision was made to give the Nuggets a better chance at winning another championship, even though it didn't seem that way initially.
It's a risk to get rid of your head coach from the past 10 years with only three games left in the regular season. The writing was on the wall that he would get fired over the summer, especially if Denver flamed out in the playoffs. Nobody expected Malone to be gone at the beginning of April, though.
The Nuggets entered Tuesday's game in Sacramento on a four-game losing streak. Many wondered how the team would respond to Malone's firing. Would it give them the spark they needed? It was only one game, but the result was promising. Denver knocked off the Kings, 124-116, to maintain control of the No. 4 seed in the West.
Nikola Jokic said after the game that he was made aware of the firings before the news went public, but it wasn't so that he could give his input. The Kroenkes had already made the decision, and Jokic accepted that.
A postgame quote from Jokic made the rounds on social media. The superstar reminded the doubters that the Nuggets are still a team to fear.
Nikola Jokic: “People say that we were vulnerable, but the beast is always the most dangerous when they’re vulnerable.”
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 10, 2025
“Maybe he woke up the beast.” pic.twitter.com/3QboYDj3YS
It'd be premature to rule the Nuggets out after shocking firings
Jokic is the best player in the world, and he somehow finds a way to elevate his game year after year. He's averaging 29.8 points per game (third-best in the NBA), 12.8 rebounds (second-best), 10.2 assists (second-best), and 1.8 steals (second-best). He could finish the season averaging a triple-double for the first time in his NBA career.
There are plenty of questions about how Denver will finish the season. Will the Nuggets secure a top-six seed? Or will they fall into the Play-In Tournament? How will they look in the postseason? Will they miss Malone?
One thing that you can't question is Jokic. He takes his game to another level in the playoffs. Denver will be a threat as long as he's on the roster. There has been some speculation about Jokic requesting a trade because of the organization's mishaps, but he hasn't indicated that he'll do that.
Jokic is focused on finishing the rest of the season strong, as he should be. Try not to wonder too much about what could happen during the offseason. Denver has the chance to do something special. It doesn't matter what's happened over the past few days -- you can't rule out Nikola Jokic.