The Denver Nuggets shook up the basketball world after they fired head coach Michael Malone earlier today. No one saw this coming at this time of the year, especially with the playoffs just around the corner.

Now the focus shifts on how Nikola Jokic and his teammates respond.

The month of March was not something the Nuggets would want to remember. An 8-7 run saw them lose out on potentially cementing second place in the West. In those games, several problems started to appear.

Those problems compounded when Michael Malone slammed his players for not playing hard enough. On top of that Nikola Jokic looked angry on the bench during their loss against the Golden State Warriors. The Nuggets ownership probably felt the situation was getting out of hand and fired Malone.

Along with the timing, this dismissal brought up several questions. Most importantly, what role did the players have in his dismissal. Secondly, as former player Eddie Johnson pointed out, the leading superstar might have something to do with this.

This never happens without the ok from Jokic. Isn't that what they said about LBJ and KD. I will be waiting for certain media members I know to bring that same energy.

The seventeen-year veteran believes there is no way the Denver Nuggets ownership took this decision without consulting their franchise cornerstone. Especially when that is the narrative every fan and media member latches on to when it comes to LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Johnson hopes the media hold Nikola Jokic accountable as well.

Kendrick Perkins points fingers at Nikola Jokic

Fans and media came down hard on LeBron James after Darvin Ham was fired. The same fans and media also slammed Kevin Durant after Frank Vogel was fired. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins believes Nikola Jokic too had a hand in Michael Malone losing his job.

This firing doesn't happen without the okay from Nikola Jokic. I said the same thing when it came down to Darvin Ham getting let go from the Lakers. The players have a say, especially when you talk about best players in the world.

The former champion knows Jokic, and the rest of the Denver Nuggets squad will never come out to accept it. But history has proven time and again that franchise cornerstones are consulted before making such a move.

Denver Nuggets owners the Kroenke family are not known to be trigger happy when it comes to personnel. They value long term relationships as is evident from the careers of their other top coaches. Arsenal FC's Mikel Arteta has been in the job for six years and has not won the English Premier League yet.