In the weeks following Michael Malone's late-season firing from the Denver Nuggets, we've seen glimpses of Nikola Jokić clearly taking on a more vocal player-coaching role with his teammates. Interim head coach David Adelman's steady approach to asking Nuggets players to take more of a personal responsibility for their play has likely resonated with the three-time MVP the most of all.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the league and the winningest coach in Nuggets franchise history when he was fired on April 8, with just three

Nikola Jokic has been unleashed since the Nuggets fired Michael Malone with a handful of games before the NBA playoffs.