Nikola Jokic has never been one for loud declarations or emotional outbursts, but after the Denver Nuggets’ stunning decision to fire head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth just days before the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the three-time MVP delivered a quiet yet ominous message to the rest of the league:
“People say that we were vulnerable, but the beast is always the strongest and most dangerous when they’re vulnerable. Maybe he woke up the beast.”
Nikola Jokic: “People say that we were vulnerable, but the beast is always the most dangerous when they’re vulnerable.”
“Maybe he woke up the beast.” pic.twitter.com/3QboYDj3YS
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 10, 2025
Those words came in response to questions about Denver’s vulnerability following a four-game losing streak that pushed them dangerously close to the Play-In zone. Many assumed the franchise was spiraling, fractured by internal tensions and a lack of defensive identity.
The firing of Malone—the winningest coach in franchise history and the man who helped elevate Jokic into a perennial MVP and a champion—only intensified that perception. But for Jokic, it seems to have had the opposite effect.
In Denver’s first game without Malone on the sidelines, Jokic posted his 32nd triple-double of the season with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 124-116 win over the Sacramento Kings. The victory snapped Denver’s four-game skid and sent a message: they are not done yet.
According to Jokic, team owner Josh Kroenke informed him of the decision ahead of time, but it wasn’t a collaborative conversation. Jokic declined to reveal the details of that conversation, but it’s clear he’s still processing the emotional and competitive fallout of losing two key figures who helped shape his career.
Frustrations had been bubbling under the surface for some time. The Athletic reported that Jokic had grown tired of the team’s declining defensive standards, which saw them fall to 20th in defensive rating this season.
Despite his historic individual numbers—29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game—Denver’s effort and cohesion on defense had waned, leading to friction between Malone and the front office, particularly GM Calvin Booth.
Booth had hoped young players like Jalen Pickett and Peyton Watson would rise to the occasion, but Malone continued to lean heavily on veteran contributors.
The decision to blow things up now, with the postseason looming, is a massive gamble. But in doing so, the Nuggets may have unleashed a more motivated and dangerous Jokic.
With interim head coach David Adelman now at the helm, the team looked re-energized. Christian Braun dropped 25 points, while Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. added 21 apiece. It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement.
With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Nuggets are tied with the Clippers for the fourth seed. Jokic may have lost a coach and a GM, but he gained something far more dangerous: a reason to remind the NBA why you never poke the bear—especially when that bear wears No. 15 in Denver.
