BREAKING: Nikola Jokic Had One Major Frustration With Nuggets Before Michael Malone Firing

The Nuggets shockingly fired Malone on Tuesday with just three games left of the regular season.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic talks to coach Michael Malone during warm-ups. / Kyle Terada-Imagn ImagesIn this story:The NBA world was shocked and confused about the Denver Nuggets firing Michael Malone on Tuesday with just three games left in the regular season.

The Nuggets gave a little insight in their own statement, expressing that the organization wanted to give the team “the best chance at competing for the 2025 NBA championship.” ESPN’s Shams Charania added to the conversation by explaining how the Nuggets’ decision may be used as ignition to get the team fired up ahead of the postseason since Denver was coming off four straight losses.

But, part of the Nuggets’ unexpected decision might have been impacted by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s frustrations with the team this season, specifically in terms of their defensive play. The Athletic‘s Tony Jones, Sam Amick and Zach Powell reported that “Jokic has been frustrated with the team’s defensive commitment and performance this season.”

Jokic’s frustration probably spiked over the past couple weeks when the Nuggets lost games they should’ve, and probably could’ve, won. They lost by one point to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are only one game behind Denver in the standings. Then, the Nuggets lost to the San Antonio Spurs, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention. They lost by 14 points to the Golden State Warriors, who hold the same record as Denver. Then, they lost a close game to the Indiana Pacers.

The Nuggets currently rank 19th in the league in defensive ratings with a 115.1. To compare, last season, in which the Nuggets lost in the semifinals of the playoffs, Denver finished the season ranked No. 8 in defensive ratings with 112.3. So, there was a sharp decline in defensive performance this season despite the Nuggets’ 47-32 record.

It’s important to note that Malone is the only head coach Jokic has ever known in the NBA as both the coach and player joined the Nuggets in 2015.

With such a tight race in the Western Conference between the third through eight playoff seeds, losing four games was not ideal for the Nuggets as they try to lock up a higher seed. And, the team’s defensive performances holds a lot of the blame.