The shock dismissal of Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in early April has led to a change in “energy” around the team, Serbian superstar Nikola Jokić admitted after a 120-101 Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

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.

When the Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone, many were stunned. However, it didn’t seem to faze Nikola Jokic. Funny enough, it lit a fire in the Serbian big man. Since David Adelman took over as the interim head coach,