(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)
In the most recent episode of “The Kevin O’Connor Show,” the conversation between Kevin O’Connor and Yahoo Sports’ Dan Titus sheds light on the substantial impact of coach Michael Malone’s firing on Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić. Malone’s dismissal — especially given the timing — is a major shake-up for the team.
Advertisement
Jokić has a well-documented strong relationship with Malone, who was viewed as “Jokić’s guy.” Malone was instrumental in leading the Nuggets to success, as he’s the winningest coach in franchise history and a figure deeply associated with Denver’s championship contender era.
Jokić, known for his competitive spirit and acute focus on winning, might find his morale and commitment tested amid the instability. The emerging dysfunction, the departure of veteran players and the overarching shift toward younger, less proven talent could all contribute to Jokić reassessing his long-term goals with the Nuggets.
“What’s the summer going to look like? What’s next summer going to look like?” O’Connor asks. “Is this whole thing going to blow up around Jokić? Is it going to blow up to the point that he’s going to start having a wandering eye, and he’s going to want to look elsewhere? That’s my fear.”
Advertisement
Titus points out that while the team has potential with young players, the immediate impact of firing Malone just before the playoffs could disrupt team dynamics and performance. And there are also concerns about management’s willingness to invest in keeping a championship-level team around Jokić, especially with its reluctance to pay heavy into the luxury tax.
Overall, Malone’s exit right before the playoffs has the potential to unnerve the team and its leadership structure just when cohesion is needed most. This decision doesn’t just pose a tactical challenge but also tests Jokić’s resolve and belief in Denver’s plan for future success.
To hear the full discussion, tune into “The Kevin O’Connor Show” on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson back on top after Talladega
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> Austin Cindric earned a big victory Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and that is enough of a flex to put him in these power rankings.Albeit he’s in 10th, but he’s there.Here are rankings following Talladega as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas this weekend: Dropped out: 10. Chase Briscoe (LW: 10)ADVERTISEMENT -->On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace10. Austin Cindric (Last Week: NR)Cindric earned his first win of the year and the third of his career. It was his first top-5 of the season. But he has three top-10s in the 10 races.Austin Cindric breaks down EMOTIONAL win at Talladega w/ Kevin Harvick: 'The pressure is on now!' 9. Ross Chastain (LW: 6)Chastain finished 20th at Talladega, a disappointing result for him. But he’s 10th in the […]
2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson predictions, picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets for TPC Craig Ranch
Getty Images The PGA Tour returns to the Lone Star State for its annual stop outside of Dallas as the long summer of golf quickly approaches. With the second major championship of the season — the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow — suddenly just a couple weeks away, players will look to find their footing on the friendly fairways of TPC Craig Ranch.Known as one of the easier layouts on the PGA Tour, TPC Craig Ranch will welcome a number of local players, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Still winless in 2025, Scheffler seeks to enter the winner's circle for the first time on the PGA Tour since last year's Tour Championship.It has not been for lack of consistency, as Scheffler has eight top-25 finishes in eight tournaments including three straight top 10s. His closest call of the year […]
2025 NHL Awards: Avalanche’s Cale Makar, Canucks’ Quinn Hughes headline Norris Trophy finalists
Getty Images With the Stanley Cup Playoffs moving along, the NHL has started the process of announcing the finalists for each of its major awards for the 2024-25 season. On Tuesday, the league announced the finalists for the Norris Trophy, which honors the top defenseman. The three finalists for the prestigious award are Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks). Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner and followed that up by leading the Canucks in points (76) and assists (60) during the regular season. He also led the Canucks in scoring by a 26-point margin and only Erik Karlsson led his team in points by more when he led the San Jose Sharks by 34 points during the 2022-23 campaign. It also marked the fourth consecutive season in which Hughes reached the 60-point plateau, […]
Kings reportedly finalizing long-term deal to retain interim coach Doug Christie
Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie is about the drop the word "interim" from his title. The Kings are reportedly working on a long-term deal that will officially make Christie their head coach, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.Christie took over as the team's interim head coach after Mike Brown was fired in December. The Kings were 13-18 at the time.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe team turned things around after Christie was elevated into the role, going 27-24 the rest of the way and finishing with a 40-42 record.This story will be updated.
Muller alerta time que corre risco no Brasileirão: “Não sabe como sair”
Muller em entrevista feita no "Benja Me Mucho" (Reprodução - YouTube) Muller ligou de vez o alerta sobre o rendimento do Santos na disputa do Brasileirão. Em comentário feito no programa “Gazeta Esportiva” desta segunda (28), o ex-atacante sinalizou que o alvinegro vai precisar de reforços para não sofrer de forma perigosa na briga contra o rebaixamento. Na avaliação dele, a diretoria precisa encontrar alternativas para se reforçar no mercado, uma vez que não tem condições financeiras das mais privilegiadas, e deve ficar preocupada sobre a sequência negativa na primeira leva de jogos no certame de 38 rodadas. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O Santos não tem dinheiro, mas cabe a parceria em contratação, se não vai ficar pelo caminho de novo. Essa poupança de derrota ou vitória no começo, faz diferença lá na frente. Time grande não sabe como sair da zona […]
PSG vs. Arsenal: How to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-final game
There are just four teams left in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League tournament, and by the end of next week, just two of them will be headed to the championship final in Munich on May 31. Today's first leg semifinals matchup will be between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in a game played on Arsenal's home turf at Emirates Stadium. The teams will face each other for their second leg game on Wednesday, May 7. Meanwhile, Barcelona and Inter Milan will play their first leg game tomorrow and their second leg match on May 6.The UEFA Champions League season began on Sept. 17, 2024 and runs through May 31, 2025. This season, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Networks have exclusive broadcast rights and you can watch this game and the rest of the semifinals on Paramount+. Here's a full schedule of every […]
Related
NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Larson back on top after Talladega
Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> Austin Cindric earned a big victory Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and that is enough of a flex to put him in these power rankings.Albeit he’s in 10th, but he’s there.Here are rankings following Talladega as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Texas this weekend: Dropped out: 10. Chase Briscoe (LW: 10)ADVERTISEMENT -->On the verge: Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Joey Logano, Ryan Preece, Bubba Wallace10. Austin Cindric (Last Week: NR)Cindric earned his first win of the year and the third of his career. It was his first top-5 of the season. But he has three top-10s in the 10 races.Austin Cindric breaks down EMOTIONAL win at Talladega w/ Kevin Harvick: 'The pressure is on now!' 9. Ross Chastain (LW: 6)Chastain finished 20th at Talladega, a disappointing result for him. But he’s 10th in the […]
2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson predictions, picks, odds, field rankings, golf best bets for TPC Craig Ranch
Getty Images The PGA Tour returns to the Lone Star State for its annual stop outside of Dallas as the long summer of golf quickly approaches. With the second major championship of the season — the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow — suddenly just a couple weeks away, players will look to find their footing on the friendly fairways of TPC Craig Ranch.Known as one of the easier layouts on the PGA Tour, TPC Craig Ranch will welcome a number of local players, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Still winless in 2025, Scheffler seeks to enter the winner's circle for the first time on the PGA Tour since last year's Tour Championship.It has not been for lack of consistency, as Scheffler has eight top-25 finishes in eight tournaments including three straight top 10s. His closest call of the year […]
2025 NHL Awards: Avalanche’s Cale Makar, Canucks’ Quinn Hughes headline Norris Trophy finalists
Getty Images With the Stanley Cup Playoffs moving along, the NHL has started the process of announcing the finalists for each of its major awards for the 2024-25 season. On Tuesday, the league announced the finalists for the Norris Trophy, which honors the top defenseman. The three finalists for the prestigious award are Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche), Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks). Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner and followed that up by leading the Canucks in points (76) and assists (60) during the regular season. He also led the Canucks in scoring by a 26-point margin and only Erik Karlsson led his team in points by more when he led the San Jose Sharks by 34 points during the 2022-23 campaign. It also marked the fourth consecutive season in which Hughes reached the 60-point plateau, […]
Kings reportedly finalizing long-term deal to retain interim coach Doug Christie
Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie is about the drop the word "interim" from his title. The Kings are reportedly working on a long-term deal that will officially make Christie their head coach, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.Christie took over as the team's interim head coach after Mike Brown was fired in December. The Kings were 13-18 at the time.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe team turned things around after Christie was elevated into the role, going 27-24 the rest of the way and finishing with a 40-42 record.This story will be updated.
Muller alerta time que corre risco no Brasileirão: “Não sabe como sair”
Muller em entrevista feita no "Benja Me Mucho" (Reprodução - YouTube) Muller ligou de vez o alerta sobre o rendimento do Santos na disputa do Brasileirão. Em comentário feito no programa “Gazeta Esportiva” desta segunda (28), o ex-atacante sinalizou que o alvinegro vai precisar de reforços para não sofrer de forma perigosa na briga contra o rebaixamento. Na avaliação dele, a diretoria precisa encontrar alternativas para se reforçar no mercado, uma vez que não tem condições financeiras das mais privilegiadas, e deve ficar preocupada sobre a sequência negativa na primeira leva de jogos no certame de 38 rodadas. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O Santos não tem dinheiro, mas cabe a parceria em contratação, se não vai ficar pelo caminho de novo. Essa poupança de derrota ou vitória no começo, faz diferença lá na frente. Time grande não sabe como sair da zona […]
PSG vs. Arsenal: How to watch the UEFA Champions League semi-final game
There are just four teams left in the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League tournament, and by the end of next week, just two of them will be headed to the championship final in Munich on May 31. Today's first leg semifinals matchup will be between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in a game played on Arsenal's home turf at Emirates Stadium. The teams will face each other for their second leg game on Wednesday, May 7. Meanwhile, Barcelona and Inter Milan will play their first leg game tomorrow and their second leg match on May 6.The UEFA Champions League season began on Sept. 17, 2024 and runs through May 31, 2025. This season, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Networks have exclusive broadcast rights and you can watch this game and the rest of the semifinals on Paramount+. Here's a full schedule of every […]
Be the first to leave a comment