The Denver Nuggets' season-long losing streak is occurring at the worst possible time. Nikola Jokic, Michael Malone and company have lost four straight games but haven't lost their spot atop the Western Conference thanks in large part to the conference's volatility. They are in need of some soul-searching.

As fans from across the NBA crack jokes at Denver and Jokic for its stretch of losing, Malone is trying to get his team back on track. The Nuggets coach said that the team hasn't maintained a strong mentality after being the conference leader for so long.

“Maybe we've gotten a little soft with success,” the Nuggets coach said. “We've been on cruise control for so long — no. 1 in the west since, like, Dec. 15 — and I just told our players we've gotten away from who we are. We have success for a reason — and it wasn't the offense. The offense was a byproduct of the defense. The last four games, we're the worst defense in the NBA by far. If we want that to change, we have to have a hell of a lot more urgency.”

The Nuggets surrendered 49 points to the Raptors in just the first quarter on the way to a win. Malone said Denver got dominated in that quarter. In their four losses, the team has allowed an average of 123 points per game. Defense has been an issue for a while and it is now costing the team games and shifting the MVP narrative away from Jokic's favor.

Michael Malone previously said that the Nuggets need guys that can defend. The players will have to step up in order to get some momentum ahead of a very important postseason.