Four straight losses, and the Nuggets supposedly handed head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth goodbye notes? If that’s what you think happened, you couldn’t be more wrong. This isn’t some black-and-white theory. There are shades in between. Layers that only those who’ve been inside Denver’s locker room might understand. And one ex-Nuggets player just hinted at a deeper truth. While Nikola Jokic may not have directly caused the decision, the situation most likely revolved around him.

Jokic has already confirmed that the franchise’s majority owner informed him of the decision before it was made public but he had no option to influence it. “I knew a little but before everybody,” Jokic told the media after the duo was dismissed by the Nuggets. “(Josh Kroenke) told me we made a decision. It was not a discussion, it was a decision.” However, growing tension within the squad came to light during the recent episode of Off Guard with Austin Rivers.

“It tells me that they’re doing a complete rebrand and refresh,” the host stated. “This is a locker room cleanse. I think they thought, Okay, we’ve lost four in a row. We’re headed into the prime stretch of the season, and we’re going backwards. We’re supposed to be making a run here so we can be out of the play in. We’re now putting ourselves in the play in. The coach is calling out teams, players on the team, saying it’s b——–. They don’t watch film… They’re gonna listen or not listen. It doesn’t sound good. You got Westbrook not even talking to the media. You got players arguing on the bench. There’s a lot going on.”

Rivers hinted there was more to the decision than meets the eye. The team possibly wanted a revamp after Malone called out players for not following his game plan during a losing streak. Rivers pointed out that the issues had been building for a while and didn’t happen suddenly. He also reflected on how the team was better managed under Tim Connelly, but since Calvin Booth took over, the Nuggets have struggled to find strong role players to support Jokic.

“Jokic has never played with an All-Star, a current All-Star,” the 32-year-old highlighted. He pointed out that, unlike other all-time greats who had star teammates, Nikola Jokic has never played with a current All-Star. That’s why, despite Jokic’s incredible efforts, the team kept losing in many instances. “So there’s frustration going on within the locker room there. And they decided to do it now,” he added.

According to Rivers, the Nuggets wanted to head into the playoffs without the locker room drama. So, how did they gain that confidence? Simple. They had a lot of trust in interim coach David Adelman. But what’s the reason the organization is considering securing his future?

Rivers opens up about Nuggets’ possible front office plans involving David Adelman’s future

Having been part of the franchise, Rivers understands the potential Adelman brings, with the key factor being his strong player approval. So, the team is hoping for a fresh start under his coaching. And he has the qualities that are needed to pick up where Malone left off.

“It also tells me his player approval is a little bit higher because they’re willing to do this now,” Rivers explained. “If his player approval was not high, they would have waited till after the season to get this done. They did it now because they wanted to do it before the playoffs and before these last four games to finish strong, and they have complete faith in coach Adelman, who’s probably a capable head coach. I played for him. I think he could be a head coach in the NBA. No doubt in my mind.”

The Nuggets haven’t confirmed this yet, but a strong postseason performance could make that possibility a reality. While their situation may seem like a crisis now, the chance of playoff success is still very much alive. Like Rivers mentioned, Adelman knows the game, the players, and has the trust of the front office. These are good enough reasons for him to turn things around in Denver and probably deliver what the team is looking for. Do you think the Nuggets can make it to the Finals under Adelman? Let us know in the comments below!