1 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,199 What is Krakalak and Ardnox listener's I am Damn Valley coming at you this time 2 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,240 and out my fan tabulous co host Adam Brommel. I am, however, 3 00:00:12,359 --> 00:00:16,640 super excited to be joined once again by t J McBride. He covers the 4 00:00:16,679 --> 00:00:20,640 Denver Nuggets for a mile High Sports. As you can imagine, we have 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,320 a discussion about the Denver Nuggets. They're just a fascinating team. In the 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:27,120 wake of the Michael Porter junior injury that could keep him signline for the season. 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,399 We just had back surgery to repair nerve damage. Basically already without Jamal 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,240 Murray, PJ. Dozer is gonna be done for the season. They've had 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,039 some health and safety protocol issues, They've been all over the place, but 10 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,960 they're they're still They're still going. They're still a fascinating team. We talk 11 00:00:42,039 --> 00:00:45,399 about their ceiling in wake in the wake of all these absences, whether they're 12 00:00:45,439 --> 00:00:48,479 going to make a trade there, their long term future. We cover it 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,640 all. This was recorded immediately following their win over the Knicks, so nothing 14 00:00:52,679 --> 00:00:56,240 about their performance Monday night against the Bulls was included. But it's a great 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,960 discussion if you're looking for another league wide pod. We will have one later 16 00:01:00,079 --> 00:01:03,560 this week. I think there'll be two more podcasts in your feed this week, 17 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,400 so it'll be a little three podcast week for you. Congratulations. Those 18 00:01:06,439 --> 00:01:11,439 are always fun or overwhelming, depending on how backlogged your podcast players are. 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaking of podcast players, please please pretty please with sugar on top. Remember, 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,280 rate, review and subscribe to Hardwoodknox. Wherever you get your podcasts, 21 00:01:19,439 --> 00:01:23,239 make sure you're downloading every episode. If this is your first time listening to 22 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,120 us, we cover the entire MBA at large, and we're only modestly insufferable, 23 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,319 and so for league wide coverage, we'd call that a win here. 24 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,159 Consider throwing us that permanent subscription help us out tell people about us. Writing 25 00:01:34,159 --> 00:01:37,920 reviews on iTunes is still one of the best ways to help us as well. 26 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,480 Throw us to five star rating, write review regardless of whether you use 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,519 iTunes or not. Follow us on Twitter at Hardwood Knox, follow us on 28 00:01:45,599 --> 00:01:49,000 Instagram at Hardwood Underscore Knox. You can also follow our YouTube channel go to 29 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:53,159 YouTube dot com storch Hardwoodknox. We will come right up. Lastly, be 30 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,799 sure to follow TJ on Twitter. He's at TJ McBride NBA spelled exactly as 31 00:01:57,799 --> 00:02:01,680 it sounds. TJ and s br I, D E and b A. 32 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:07,719 Now let's get to talking some nuggets with mister McBride. TJ. Welcome back 33 00:02:07,919 --> 00:02:12,080 to the Hardwoo Knox podcast. It has been a minute, dare I say 34 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:14,759 a minute and a half. But it's good to talk to you. It's 35 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:16,000 good to see you, even though the people that are listening to this cannot 36 00:02:16,039 --> 00:02:20,680 see you like I can. How the hell are you? I'm just thankful 37 00:02:20,719 --> 00:02:22,879 they can't see me. This is not one of those moments where like, 38 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,000 let's look good on zoom. This is this is not where I'm currently at, 39 00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:29,400 So I'm just happy this is an audit where we only experience for everybody 40 00:02:29,439 --> 00:02:32,280 taking part in it. Yeah, it's I assume every podcast I record now 41 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,199 is like on video, so I try and make myself look somewhat presentable, 42 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,919 unless it's my own because we don't use video on Hardwooknocks yet. At least, 43 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:45,479 how are things going on your end? Covering this fascinating in a painful 44 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,280 way. I guess team that is the Denver Nuggets. I can't figure it 45 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,800 out, and it's this constant juxtaposition of wow. Nicole Yokich can do just 46 00:02:52,879 --> 00:02:55,159 whatever he feels like doing on a basketball court, and the Nuggets are a 47 00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,759 complete negligent disaster when he is not on the floor. So it's so difficult 48 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,879 to figure out what this team is because it takes Nicola Yokich being just on 49 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,159 an entirely different level than we have ever seen him play, which is a 50 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:12,960 dumbfounding statement for the reigning MVP right now, but he has been that good. 51 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,400 His stat line, point, rebounds, and assists has never been done 52 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:20,599 in NBA history as of right now. Same thing going forward with his percentages. 53 00:03:20,719 --> 00:03:23,599 He's shooting like fifty nine percent from the field on twenty six percent on 54 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,919 twenty six points per game or more while averaging six assists a game. Only 55 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,400 him and Steph Curry and his unanimous MVP season I've ever even approached those numbers, 56 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,439 So what he's doing makes no sense to me. It's mind blowing. 57 00:03:36,599 --> 00:03:39,280 But yet Denver's eleven and eleven and they only win if they defend, and 58 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,439 like, it doesn't make any sense to me why this team is able to 59 00:03:43,479 --> 00:03:45,960 do what they do, but yet they find a way to pull out wins 60 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,120 like they did today at eleven am in New York after two days off, 61 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:52,400 you know, being able to beat the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. The 62 00:03:52,479 --> 00:03:54,520 Knicks are fuck shit at this point there. Yeah, Like that's why you 63 00:03:54,599 --> 00:03:57,680 that's why you said they weren't going to beat the Knicks. I knew they 64 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,360 were gonna beat the Knicks. They have not. They're eight no in their 65 00:04:00,439 --> 00:04:02,800 last eight games against the Knicks. Now that's crazy. It's the Knicks. 66 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,400 But so, the thing with yogis Choose. I don't even think the numbers 67 00:04:08,879 --> 00:04:11,479 are telling you how good he is, at least the assist numbers. When 68 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:15,319 you go and look at his assist opportunities per game, and like the percentage 69 00:04:15,759 --> 00:04:18,160 of that his teammates are converting on relative to last season. I have not 70 00:04:18,199 --> 00:04:23,160 looked at it since that nixt game, but it is a lot lower than 71 00:04:23,199 --> 00:04:27,680 it was last season because the talent around him is sparser and this team is 72 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,680 so. I said this a week or something ago. If they had Jamal 73 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,279 Murray or Michael Porter Junior, I would still be inclined to call them a 74 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,839 contender. But now we're at a point where they're probably not going to have 75 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,839 Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Junior for the rest of the season. And just 76 00:04:41,879 --> 00:04:44,879 to add insult to injury, it's yeah, PJ Dojer has gone too, 77 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:47,480 and that's the big one. And I know it's Jamal Murray is obviously a 78 00:04:47,519 --> 00:04:51,000 franchise pillar of this team. Michael Porter Junior was a burgeoning star that was 79 00:04:51,079 --> 00:04:55,199 on the verge of becoming six ten Klay Thompson like, yes, I understand 80 00:04:55,319 --> 00:04:58,879 how important those players are. PJ Dojer as a multitwo off the bench, 81 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,319 who can play literally one through four and defend one through four, who can 82 00:05:01,399 --> 00:05:04,120 handle the ball, break down, a defense, shoot off the catch, 83 00:05:04,399 --> 00:05:09,160 you don't find players like that. To lose him in addition to all of 84 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,439 those guys, it puts you in a position, as Michael Malone called it, 85 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,560 where their margin for error is nearly non existent because they don't have any 86 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,839 backline defense anymore. If Aaron Gordon is off the court, you're asking Jamichael 87 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,399 Green to defend the best, you know, the biggest guy on the floor 88 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,079 off the bench while also roaming the baseline or Aaron Gordon doing it, and 89 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,040 you have nothing else behind you. So the Nuggets all of a sudden, 90 00:05:30,079 --> 00:05:31,759 are in a terrible position and it's not working well for them because of the 91 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,360 loss of PJ dojer. But today against the Knicks, somehow Tim Connolly, 92 00:05:35,399 --> 00:05:41,319 working incredible magic as he does, pulls Devonrie out of the G League Grand 93 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:45,519 Rapids Gold team that they acquired this season, who was essentially now at PJ 94 00:05:45,639 --> 00:05:48,000 dojer. Clone came out, had nine points, four assist, two steals, 95 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,399 a block, perfect from three on three shots, didn't turn the ball 96 00:05:51,439 --> 00:05:55,360 over and they're finding guys to be able to make up for it. But 97 00:05:55,399 --> 00:05:58,920 those injuries, there's no margin for error anymore, and the Nuggets are now 98 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,000 slipping because of that. That's why they're at eleven and eleven. Despote yokishiul 99 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,920 be incredible. They don't have anything else other than him, and it's giving 100 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,680 them a lot of fits on the offensive end in the half court and defensively. 101 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,040 If they're not perfect, they'll lose games. He's super important of what 102 00:06:13,079 --> 00:06:15,600 they want to do defensively too, and you saw that sort of when he 103 00:06:15,639 --> 00:06:17,680 was missing a few games. They are twenty ninth ten points allowed per possession 104 00:06:17,759 --> 00:06:21,959 since November first, after being I think they were second or third through that 105 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,879 first part of the season. Let's start with a macro question here, then, 106 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,439 how do we readjust expectations for this team moving ahead this season, and 107 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,920 I think some people have sort of been like, Okay, well, if 108 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:40,439 Murray or Porter Junior comes back, that changes a lot, maybe way close 109 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,759 to the trade deadline to see where they're at so you can figure out whether 110 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:45,199 you need to make a trade to go for it. If I'm the Nuggets, 111 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,240 I'm just I don't have Murray or Michael Porter during the rest of the 112 00:06:47,319 --> 00:06:51,040 season. That's just what I'm figuring on. And even Murray's recovery is like 113 00:06:51,319 --> 00:06:55,560 he was injured in April. For him to come back this season would be 114 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,279 wild. I was just about to say this. Kevin Pelton did a great 115 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,160 piece of report when Jamal Murray first hors Aco and in that story, the 116 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,800 last person to be able to come back under a year from an ACL tear 117 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:10,879 and the only one on record was JJ Hickson in twenty fourteen. It has 118 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,040 never been seen other than that. So the idea that he could come back 119 00:07:14,759 --> 00:07:17,319 less than a year at the end of the season with the playoffs a couple 120 00:07:17,319 --> 00:07:20,959 of games away is a mind numbingly dumb statement to me. The Nuggets are 121 00:07:20,959 --> 00:07:25,399 never doing that. They are not going to risk a franchise pillar and put 122 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,040 him in a position that they know that he will not be able to contain 123 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,439 himself. He will overly push himself despite the injury he just sustained. So, 124 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:36,079 in my opinion, I have penciled in that Jamal Murray is done. 125 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,560 I don't expect him in the playoffs. I don't expect him in the regular 126 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:44,000 season because you're asking him to come back at a record page from an ACL 127 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,439 tear and save a Nuggets team that is struggling. That is not a fair 128 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,600 place to put it. And Michael Porter Junior's back issue, Mike Singer of 129 00:07:49,639 --> 00:07:53,040 the Denver Post reported, it's not just a back issue, it's a nerve 130 00:07:53,079 --> 00:07:55,560 issue. And when you have nerve issues, they could pop up at any 131 00:07:55,600 --> 00:07:58,199 moment, and you need to make sure you're not putting pressure on him, 132 00:07:58,279 --> 00:08:01,759 especially when it's in the spine. That's the surgery had was to shave down 133 00:08:01,759 --> 00:08:05,199 a disc that he has in his back to be able to relieve that pressure 134 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,120 to not have nerve issues come up. If you think they're going to rush 135 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,680 him back from a back nerve issue and his third back surgery at twenty three 136 00:08:11,759 --> 00:08:13,879 years old, you're in an entirely different place than I am so I have 137 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,079 entirely ruled them out. They're not coming back. PJ. Doger's not coming 138 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:20,959 back. There are no reinforcements. That is what the Nuggets now have to 139 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,040 deal with. So they're not coming back. And now we're gonna have to 140 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,680 see if Aaron Gordon can step up and be an offensive player that the Nuggets 141 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,360 need him to be. We're gonna see if Bones Highland is this rookie that 142 00:08:30,399 --> 00:08:31,519 can actually make a run at Rookie of the Year, if he's going to 143 00:08:31,519 --> 00:08:35,399 be able to be on the court. Like, these guys are doing really 144 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,840 impressive stuff, but again, margin for air is so thin, and there 145 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:43,039 are no reinforcements coming. And also there's not that this would ever be an 146 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,879 excuse, but like you now have all of these guys under contract, there's 147 00:08:46,879 --> 00:08:48,919 no Oh, Aaron Gordon might leave this summer. What's gonna happen with Michael 148 00:08:48,919 --> 00:08:52,799 Porter Jr. You will get if you keep the band together, and hopefully 149 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,440 an opportunity to see all these guys play together next season or the season after 150 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:00,919 whatever. There's just no reason to rush anything at this point. Just twenty 151 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:05,159 seven Murray's twenty four reporters twenty three and they're all under contract. The future 152 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,759 is still very much so ahead of them. Which player, aside from Yokich, 153 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:11,639 Aaron Gordon even, I'll say Will Barton, who by and large has 154 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:13,840 been really good this season. He was huge for them, you know, 155 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,440 I know Yogis got a lot of the Yogichen Zeke Naji obviously got a lot 156 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,039 of the shine in that Knicks game. Will Barton was huge for them in 157 00:09:20,039 --> 00:09:24,919 the first half, just really just helped keep their offense going in spurts in 158 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:26,879 the half court. Aside from those three players, like who is the player 159 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:31,159 now on the Nuggets that you're watching for the rest of this year that you're 160 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,120 just king in on, who's just super more pivotal obviously than than he was 161 00:09:35,159 --> 00:09:39,320 supposed to be. So of the players that you remove are the ones that 162 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,759 would carry the starting unit. The Porter, the Porter, the Barton, 163 00:09:41,879 --> 00:09:46,120 the Gordons. Those are the players that need to keep the starting unit alive. 164 00:09:46,159 --> 00:09:48,519 So we can kind of remove the starting unit. So what I unit 165 00:09:48,639 --> 00:09:52,200 is slaughtering opponents by yeah, starting lineup, they're killed people. There is 166 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:54,320 nothing to worry about. It's just when Nicole Yoki is suddenly not on the 167 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,120 court that the Nuggets have endless amounts of questions to answer, and that's why 168 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,559 the two players that I look at that could really swing things are Zeke Naji 169 00:10:01,639 --> 00:10:05,080 and Bones Highland. Bones Highland is still in COVID protocols. We're waiting to 170 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,480 see when he'll come back. He tweeted that he does not have COVID, 171 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,240 so he could be back soon earth than later, but we don't really know. 172 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,159 But those two players, Bones Highland's ability to pull up from three off 173 00:10:16,159 --> 00:10:20,519 the dribble within anywhere within thirty feet is something that the Nuggets just don't have 174 00:10:20,639 --> 00:10:24,279 off the bench, that level of shot creation, that gravity defined shooting. 175 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:30,000 Players that have that will warp a defense just by existing. And now that 176 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,559 we've been able to see that, he can use that ability to then get 177 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,960 downhill and attack the rim to create other opportunities after breaking the defense down and 178 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:41,480 playing four on three, All of those little things that he's already been able 179 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,519 to actualize in his game based off his shooting has put him in a position 180 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,679 that he can be a legitimate lead ball handler and a creator for that bench 181 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,799 shoot it. And what fully unlocks that bench shoot it is someone who can 182 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:54,879 put pressure on the rim, something they have not had all year when either 183 00:10:54,919 --> 00:10:58,679 of Jamichael Green or Jeff Green have played off the bench. Those guys are 184 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,960 picking pop threats. They're not rim rollers. The second they played Zeke Nagy 185 00:11:01,039 --> 00:11:03,840 and he went downhill to the rim and they were able to actually collapse a 186 00:11:03,919 --> 00:11:07,360 defense, everything opened up. Suddenly it's kickout, pass, pass, open 187 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:13,600 three and you're in an entirely different spaces as a team. So when winning 188 00:11:13,639 --> 00:11:16,919 those non Yokich minutes is what will allow you to win games, that becomes 189 00:11:16,919 --> 00:11:22,440 the swing situation for me and Bones Highland and Zeke Nagy being able to operate 190 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,279 off the bench is what will give the Nuggets the ability to do that. 191 00:11:24,399 --> 00:11:28,600 I was fascinated by Bones Highland before the season ever started. He was just 192 00:11:28,799 --> 00:11:31,559 watching his footage in college. He's a contortionist around the rim. Ye. 193 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:33,799 I think he needs to get a little stronger if he wants to do stuff 194 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,679 like that in the NBA. But his outside shooting is just for real and 195 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:39,720 it's so fluid, it seamless. When you watch him this year, and 196 00:11:39,919 --> 00:11:43,200 I guess we're at this point, you can expect him to play like even 197 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,919 since the Nuggets season has kind of gotten off the rails. His minutes have 198 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,519 not been super heavy. Do you expect them to be like up, up 199 00:11:50,519 --> 00:11:54,279 and up going from here or is there still Michael Malone, this is a 200 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:58,600 rookie, he might have a shorter lease. So Malona said explicitly that Bones 201 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,480 is in the rotation. The reason that minutes have been lower was he was 202 00:12:01,519 --> 00:12:03,399 he finally fought his way into the rotation, and then he had a right 203 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:09,039 ankle injury. Once he sprained his right ankle, it took time to get 204 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,159 him back up in those minutes, so they slowly brought him up to that 205 00:12:11,279 --> 00:12:15,320 kind of minute load, and then the COVID health and safety protocols hit, 206 00:12:15,519 --> 00:12:18,960 so that's kind of why the minutes have been inconsistent. I fully expect him 207 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,799 to be their number one guy off the bench, especially with Dozer out coming 208 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,320 back from the health and safety protocols. He is their guy off the bench. 209 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,559 They're going to rely on him. I have a feeling he'll be the 210 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:31,399 first guy off the bench to help blend the starting unit and the bench unit 211 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,320 as well, because he's shown a great ability to play with Nicolokitch. So 212 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,159 I do think Bones is going to be a guy that plays between sixteen and 213 00:12:37,159 --> 00:12:39,840 twenty two minutes and not going forward if he's healthy enough to do so. 214 00:12:41,519 --> 00:12:43,440 Also, I do know that he is thin. There's no denying how thin 215 00:12:43,519 --> 00:12:48,159 he is. He's tough, though he doesn't care that he's thin, Like 216 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,679 he will fight through screens. He will fly out and close out and put 217 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:52,840 his body on the line to be able to try and get a guy to 218 00:12:52,879 --> 00:12:56,039 run off the line. He doesn't mind going off of his feet and putting 219 00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:00,519 himself in danger to get to the rim and try and score draw foul. 220 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,799 So he plays bigger than he is, which also gives him more credibility in 221 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,559 my opinion. But to see the three point shot working at this level, 222 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,399 to see him his first step work at this level. He's getting by guys 223 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,279 without a screen, which I was not sure if he would be able to 224 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:18,159 do that athletically at this NBA level, And he's already doing it immediately out 225 00:13:18,159 --> 00:13:20,799 of the gate, so I have extremely high hopes. I was already excited. 226 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,519 I love unconscious gunners who know how to play the game in the right 227 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,639 way, like that's my perfect balance of an NBA player, and he has 228 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,799 ran with it ever since he got here, and with how fearless he is, 229 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,120 and how hard he works, and how enamored the coaching staff in front 230 00:13:33,159 --> 00:13:35,799 office is with his personality. He's only going to get more and more and 231 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:41,039 more opportunities to this group. What is up with one of my just favorite 232 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:46,799 underrated players this year? What's up with ja Michael Green? I have no 233 00:13:46,919 --> 00:13:50,840 idea. I wonder if time is slowly starting to catch up, that's my 234 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,519 honest opinion. Because the shots slower, that's clearly he's not getting the getting 235 00:13:54,519 --> 00:13:56,879 to the rim very often. The post moves are no longer there. He's 236 00:13:56,919 --> 00:14:01,559 not fading away and picking pops after giving a step jab in a face up 237 00:14:01,639 --> 00:14:03,720 situation, like you're not seeing the versatility that he once brought. He's not 238 00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:07,679 able to move to roam the baseline to check somebody at the rim rolling and 239 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,919 then get back to the three point line. It's very reminiscent of Paul Millsap 240 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,000 last year with Denver, where you're like that five percent of lack of mobility 241 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,879 has removed you from being able to contest threes when you're tagging rollers, and 242 00:14:18,919 --> 00:14:22,440 when you can't do that all of a sudden, your ability to play basketball 243 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,919 at the NBA level really takes a hit and if you can't hit threes at 244 00:14:26,919 --> 00:14:30,159 the same clip either, I don't know how he's going to find a role 245 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,720 for himself when Denver is healthy. I really really wonder how that's going to 246 00:14:33,799 --> 00:14:35,559 play out. Right now, Denver needs to play him because they don't have 247 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,320 any guards, so they have to play bigger off the bench, So they're 248 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,320 playing Signagi and Jemichael Green together. But if they get these guys back and 249 00:14:41,399 --> 00:14:46,360 they have Austin Rivers and they have Bones Highland and they're able to start playing 250 00:14:46,399 --> 00:14:50,639 a smaller, faster, more offensively noted bench unit, I don't know if 251 00:14:50,679 --> 00:14:52,639 je Michael Green fits in there anymore. He's not out of the rotation now. 252 00:14:52,759 --> 00:14:56,399 Nicola Yokis loves him, Michael Malone loves him, so it'll take a 253 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:58,879 lot to get him out. But he has not played worthy of that right 254 00:15:00,159 --> 00:15:03,399 of that position in the rotation at this time. Hey, against the Knicks, 255 00:15:03,399 --> 00:15:07,080 they're playing Jeff Green, Naji and Yoki together there. They just have 256 00:15:07,159 --> 00:15:11,120 to play big. You can get away with it against the Knicks because they 257 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,720 just don't have players who can attack mismatches, especially with kadadad of the rotation. 258 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,720 What so well, here's the other day. He's currently in the least 259 00:15:18,759 --> 00:15:22,840 health and safety protocols, but Nuggets Nation still seems to be incredibly fascinated with 260 00:15:22,879 --> 00:15:28,360 bull Ball. Does he fit into this team anywhere moving forward? I would 261 00:15:28,399 --> 00:15:31,519 say it's a pretty big red flag that he hasn't been able to carve out 262 00:15:31,559 --> 00:15:39,240 like even a semi half intermittent role amid like all this hail storm of absences 263 00:15:39,279 --> 00:15:41,919 the Nuggets have suffered through this year. How has he not gotten small forward 264 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,639 minutes off the bench When a team does not have a small forward, they're 265 00:15:45,639 --> 00:15:48,480 playing Devon Reid straight out of the G League or minutes right out of the 266 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:54,600 league, and bull Bowl is not even sniffing the court in that situation anyway, 267 00:15:54,799 --> 00:15:58,720 even if he was healthy, he's not playing what is worthy of playing 268 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:00,879 bull Bowl at this time. Like we've seen the flashes. Everybody knows what 269 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:06,120 the highlights look like. We don't need to get excited about these moments anymore. 270 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:07,879 It reminds me so much of Emmanuel Moodier. It's like, oh wow, 271 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,159 there's that one moment, in that one minute of your eighteen minute stint 272 00:16:11,159 --> 00:16:15,240 that you were a minus twelve and a complete disaster. In every other moment 273 00:16:15,559 --> 00:16:18,080 like, I get that the moments are there, but I have seen nothing 274 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:22,639 to convince me that there is anything credible about his game in a substantial way. 275 00:16:22,759 --> 00:16:25,840 There is no consistency, there's no regularity, there's nothing you can build 276 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,000 around. He doesn't fit with other players in a way that he meshed his 277 00:16:29,039 --> 00:16:32,159 groups together. I don't know what the fit is, and honestly, right 278 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,639 now, I was asking a buddy of mine this question. Devon Reid is 279 00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:37,879 the PJ dojer replacement right now, and he played great tonight. He's on 280 00:16:37,919 --> 00:16:41,799 a ten day injury hardship contract right now, so here there is not a 281 00:16:41,879 --> 00:16:45,320 roster spot for him. If the Nuggets end up at a position where they 282 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,080 still need to keep Devon Reid, do they cut Bullball? Because that might 283 00:16:49,159 --> 00:16:53,000 be where the Nuggets end up in about ten days, and that's a very 284 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,759 tough place to be. Vlako chan Char can play two through four. One 285 00:16:56,799 --> 00:17:00,480 of Yoka's best friend. Smart player will always be there to be your utility 286 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,000 player for very cheap off the bench that you can trust You're not cutting him. 287 00:17:04,039 --> 00:17:07,799 You're not going to try and cut you know you. I guess you 288 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:10,519 could get rid of a guy like Marcus Howard and try and put him on 289 00:17:10,519 --> 00:17:12,440 a two way contractor Peter Cornelier, but they like both of them. They're 290 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,200 not trying to get rid of him. Bull Bull might be on his way 291 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,920 out for nothing. Denvers look to trade him and can't find anything. So 292 00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:22,000 I really don't think bull Bull has a future in Denver. I don't think 293 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,640 there's any reason to try and play him in the rotation to see what he 294 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,839 has. I don't think any amount of minutes will raise his trade value. 295 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,119 I think it's dead in the water. I think you've already you didn't really 296 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:36,319 allude to what you stated it. They need wings, beatterly, wings who 297 00:17:36,319 --> 00:17:38,400 can shoot the three ball. They're not a great three point shooting team this 298 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:44,920 year unless they're playing the Knicks, apparently. Is this a situation where you 299 00:17:45,039 --> 00:17:48,680 go look on the trade market to see what's out there. Do you think 300 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,839 they're still good enough as currently constructed? Where I think? I was asked 301 00:17:52,839 --> 00:17:56,200 on the radio on Friday night and I totally just space. I forgot the 302 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,119 Nuggets existed. That's just where I'm so. They're asked me to predict the 303 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:00,599 top six in the way I didn't have the Nuggets in there. I would 304 00:18:00,599 --> 00:18:03,400 put the Nuggets to the top six in the way. No, no, 305 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,799 I would have Yoki just amazing. And unless you're gonna tell me that he 306 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:07,920 you know, I don't even want I'm not even gonna say it. I'm 307 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,160 not putting it out. I get what you mean. Yeah, so they 308 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,359 will be in the top six. My question would be, like I think 309 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:18,960 they should you go out and you try and find somebody, and maybe that's 310 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,680 the way to you know, it's yeah, it would have to happen too 311 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:23,079 soon. But like if you consolidate, if it's like a two for one, 312 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:27,039 then your roster spot for Devon Reid is right there. Then I don't 313 00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:30,680 see anything happening in the next week. So that's probably a non issue. 314 00:18:30,279 --> 00:18:33,079 Is there. Have you thought about any player that they should go after the 315 00:18:33,079 --> 00:18:36,799 trade market or do you not expect this team to even do that because it's 316 00:18:36,839 --> 00:18:38,759 like, well, what are we doing here because we're not going to win 317 00:18:38,759 --> 00:18:42,039 a title this season. Yeah, I don't expect them to trade away assets 318 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,519 and a win now move in a season that neither Jamal Murray or Michael Porter 319 00:18:45,599 --> 00:18:48,759 Junior are likely to play in. I just don't expect that to happen. 320 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:52,680 I know, that's overly simplistic and slightly reductive, but like that is just 321 00:18:52,759 --> 00:18:55,920 kind of the reality I think they're with. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe 322 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,680 they cut somebody and looked at the buyoff market, Like here's a crazy scenario. 323 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,359 Let's just say that everybody still hurt. You know, maybe maybe Austin 324 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,440 Rivers is a disaster when he comes back and whatever's going on, they need 325 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,279 a guard or a wing. What if Gary Harris becomes a buyout candidate whatever 326 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,839 Orlando is, Like, you know what, like the end of your contract. 327 00:19:14,279 --> 00:19:18,119 Did you see what Altitude Sports did to Gary Harris during the middle game? 328 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,720 I did not the side by side season calm to Will Barton's numbers. 329 00:19:22,839 --> 00:19:26,160 It was so mean. I tweeted it out when I was rewatching the game 330 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,000 on Saturday morning. It was just it was mean. That's vicious. I 331 00:19:30,039 --> 00:19:33,039 did not know they did that, nor should they. Gary Harris like help 332 00:19:33,079 --> 00:19:37,519 set the culture in Denver. Like without Gary Harris learning how to play with 333 00:19:37,599 --> 00:19:40,440 Nicola Yokis, we might not know what Nicola Yokich is able to do. 334 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,920 Like that isn't that's I'm not going to get on my soapbox, but regardless 335 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,559 of that fact. A player like that on the buyout market who knows how 336 00:19:48,559 --> 00:19:52,240 to play selfless basketball, can you shoot a little bit, can defend, 337 00:19:52,279 --> 00:19:56,440 can play two or three if you're playing smaller, bigger, and just understand 338 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:00,480 how to play cohesive basketball, even if he's not a very talented player himself 339 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,319 at this point. That kind of player maybe that type of a move that 340 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:07,000 makes some sense to me. But trading away even a second round pick to 341 00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:11,680 try and get somebody in a two for one deal to incentivize doesn't make sense 342 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,920 to me at all. I don't think Denver is in any position to do 343 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:15,799 that. And again, like, why not just cut Bowl. They've been 344 00:20:15,799 --> 00:20:19,119 trying to trade them for a year. No one out there is biding on 345 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,599 second round picks or anything like that, So it might just be time to 346 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,400 move on and find your own help elsewhere, as opposed to mortgaging any part 347 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,039 of your future to try and keep all Bowl around or make a two for 348 00:20:30,079 --> 00:20:32,480 one deal. He I don't even think this works. And that's part of 349 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,519 the problem with if you want the Nuggets to make a trade is the expendable 350 00:20:36,599 --> 00:20:38,079 salary that they have, like quote like, it's not going to be any 351 00:20:38,079 --> 00:20:41,640 of their highest big guys. He can't even be Bill Barton at this point. 352 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,960 I think a lot of people it can't be a trade candy. So 353 00:20:45,039 --> 00:20:48,480 you're looking at you know, Monte Morris like he's probably too important to give 354 00:20:48,519 --> 00:20:49,640 up at this point. So what even a sudden like that's a five point 355 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,880 eight million dollar contract if I remember correctly, So like what is left blow 356 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:57,279 Monte Morris, Like, there's not a whole lot of money to build deals 357 00:20:57,279 --> 00:21:00,240 and it's hard to do three for one four for one type of deals, 358 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,920 and Denver would have to Yeah, it's I think he would have to look 359 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,319 at Jamichael Green, which with his player option next year. If I think 360 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,680 eight point two million is next year, yeah, that is a team. 361 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:12,240 We don't want to take that on, knowing how poorly he's played this season. 362 00:21:12,599 --> 00:21:17,359 I don't know I've thought about someone like a Daniel House for this team 363 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:18,920 because he's so cheap, makes like three and a half million. I don't 364 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,119 even think you could trade bull Bull for him straight up. They just need 365 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,680 to any type of option on the wing. And you know Gary Harris if 366 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,079 he's bought out, James Edis, by the way, still gonna have an 367 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,559 NBA team after having a really good season last year or something. You'll get 368 00:21:32,559 --> 00:21:34,440 thirty eight percent three point shooting from from Ennis. You don't have to worry 369 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,000 about that. You can just let him stand in the corner on the wings. 370 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,400 Like that's all you really needs to do for the Nuggets anyway, I 371 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,319 need to know what's that he's on an NBA team, But Wes Matthews is 372 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:47,319 getting signed by the buck The will get a contract till he's seventy two years 373 00:21:47,319 --> 00:21:49,279 old. It doesn't matter as a contender, who's like the leadership and the 374 00:21:49,279 --> 00:21:52,680 point of attack defense, that's my guy, and the latter doesn't even really 375 00:21:52,680 --> 00:22:00,680 exist that much anymore. Yes, exactly, So do you back this team? 376 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,839 Your reaction when I said I have the pends on in the top six, 377 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:06,480 do you view them as a top six team in the West as currently 378 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,799 constituted? Penciled in is a good way to phrase it. One losing streak 379 00:22:08,839 --> 00:22:12,599 away from the play in tournament. Yes, like I am concerned about how 380 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:17,720 tight that line could be, and like if Yokich misses any more games, 381 00:22:17,759 --> 00:22:21,279 like you have to have serious concerns about what is to come if the Nuggets 382 00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:26,559 lose another guard or wing what happens from there, Like Denver is literally walking 383 00:22:26,599 --> 00:22:29,480 a tight rope of are we going to be out of the plan tournament or 384 00:22:29,519 --> 00:22:32,279 be stuck in it? And that's a terrifying place to be for a Nuggets 385 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:33,799 team that's banged up and had a lot of minutes and not relying so much 386 00:22:33,799 --> 00:22:38,279 on Nicola. So that's a I am concerned. I wouldn't say that I 387 00:22:38,319 --> 00:22:41,279 have them penned into the play in tournament by any stretch, but I'm not 388 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:45,319 willing to put pen anywhere. I do think it's fully on the table if 389 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,400 one little thing goes wrong, that Denver could be a play team, which 390 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,160 is just such a wild proposition for them. It's kind of why I love 391 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,839 the play in though, Like it makes this so much such a more interesting 392 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,000 conversation because like a three six matchup is like, oh no, what could 393 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,759 happen? But like now it's a big deal of als on your seven or 394 00:23:03,759 --> 00:23:07,079 eight, Like that makes it a lot more enjoyable to me. By the 395 00:23:07,119 --> 00:23:08,799 way, the other trade name I thought for them was just if they went 396 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,519 Jamichael Green and bull ball for Jeremy Lamb, who can't get when it's in 397 00:23:12,519 --> 00:23:18,039 Indiana? Like, despite them not having TJ. Warren. He he's been 398 00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:19,759 bad this year, but he's hit his threes and he can still mosey into 399 00:23:19,799 --> 00:23:23,119 his mid range jumpers. That's just that's the they have to sort of fall 400 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,279 into something like it's I'm with you. You can't give up real assets, 401 00:23:26,279 --> 00:23:29,440 like there's no I know people are like, oh, well they can trade 402 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:33,200 they're twenty twenty seven first round pick or twenty trades. That's not that's not 403 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:36,039 happened. You don't. You don't do that? Is there? What I 404 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:38,519 find, I don't want to say more interesting, but I think equally paramount 405 00:23:38,839 --> 00:23:45,160 are there now long term concerns about this team because you have invested in this 406 00:23:45,279 --> 00:23:48,000 core four, which looks so good on paper, but Jamal Murray coming off 407 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,880 an a cl injury, and I think even more so the Michael Porter junior 408 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,519 back stuff is absolutely harrowing now knowing he's been dealing with this all the way 409 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,519 back since college. It's terrifying when you step back and look. But the 410 00:24:00,559 --> 00:24:03,359 one saving grace is that Nicola Yoki and Jamal Murray are still going to be 411 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,720 there, and that alone is going to get you very, very very far 412 00:24:07,799 --> 00:24:10,839 in the NBA, especially because Nicola makes everybody so much better around him. 413 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,680 I love joking, like, how much money has Nicola yokis made for the 414 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:17,279 guards that he has played within their careers, Like it's incredible what he's able 415 00:24:17,319 --> 00:24:21,079 to do with the players around him. So just to like at least preface 416 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:22,839 this with the Nuggets still have Jamal Murray, Nicola Yoki, and they have 417 00:24:22,839 --> 00:24:26,799 Tim Connelly as a GM. They're gonna be okay, Like it's not the 418 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,359 end of the world. Sorry, President of Basketball Operations. I still throw 419 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,960 around general manager too often, but oh god, the front office executive vice 420 00:24:33,079 --> 00:24:37,240 president, they're team president, there's general manager, there's sar. It's insane 421 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:42,200 roundball decision making whatever. Zar. I want to be a TZAR if I 422 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,480 ever become an executive. I don't want the exc I want TZAR next time. 423 00:24:45,519 --> 00:24:48,359 I wouldn't hundred and tend to take a slight pay cut just to be 424 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,000 able to give myself the title at that. This is like buying your own 425 00:24:52,039 --> 00:24:56,519 license plate of like arrogant and I'm so here for it and I love it. 426 00:24:56,519 --> 00:25:00,039 I'm I'm so there. But regardless of that, let's now, let's 427 00:25:00,039 --> 00:25:03,559 take a step back and look at the worst case scenario, right, nicolea 428 00:25:03,599 --> 00:25:07,680 yoket Jama Murray will be fine. But if Porter continues to have back issues 429 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,839 to the point that he is unable to move on a basketball court, he 430 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,400 can no longer be the shooter that he once was. If you could no 431 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,640 longer be the shooter he once was. What does he bring you? And 432 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:22,599 again he does other things, but it's all prerequisite based on his shooting ability. 433 00:25:22,599 --> 00:25:26,119 But even like his improved you know, help defense is just like if 434 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:29,839 his back is he can't get up, yeah, what is it? How 435 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,039 is he going to get there? Yeah? His handles are already not shaky, 436 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:36,640 like they're they're fine attacking clothes outs. But again, if you're stiff, 437 00:25:36,839 --> 00:25:38,359 you're not gonna have the same explosion you mentioned it before. It's like 438 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,119 Bones Highland brings that element already, and like even Peek Porter Junior with the 439 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:45,920 nuggets, like that's never been his style to attack that space or attack mismatches 440 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:51,359 or anything. Like we've already seen Bones Highland take a close out one dribble 441 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:53,559 into a mid range jumper smoothly and hit from the elbow Like that's a big 442 00:25:53,599 --> 00:25:57,160 shot for guys who are trying to mortgage their three point shot into more abilities. 443 00:25:57,319 --> 00:26:00,200 And to see Bones already do what Porter has been unable to do for 444 00:26:00,279 --> 00:26:03,559 years now is really really, really impressive for bones, but it's concerning for 445 00:26:03,599 --> 00:26:07,880 Porter like and again, this is only going to get worse and worse and 446 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,000 worse if these back injuries persist. The other part of this, too, 447 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,559 though, is that those injuries could go away. These are nerve issues. 448 00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:15,119 We have no idea when they're going to flare up, how they're gonna flare 449 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,559 up, what makes them flare up, Like a lot of those things are 450 00:26:18,559 --> 00:26:22,039 incredibly difficult to pin down, So they could just go away, like we 451 00:26:22,079 --> 00:26:25,799 don't know. And the agent before surgery said that it was going to go 452 00:26:25,839 --> 00:26:30,680 away before that was So that is the most Bartlestein statement that I have seen 453 00:26:30,759 --> 00:26:33,319 in forever. That man knows how to get his people their money. I 454 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:34,559 gotta give you, gotta give respect for being great at what he does, 455 00:26:34,599 --> 00:26:40,799 because I guess he's already planning for the next contract. Yeah, you don't 456 00:26:40,799 --> 00:26:44,960 have to do that much heavy lifting, God, but yes, But again, 457 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,759 if Porter isn't that guy, though, you're talking about being a luxury 458 00:26:47,799 --> 00:26:51,480 tax team and not then potentially not contending for the next few years. And 459 00:26:51,519 --> 00:26:55,079 that's a really scary spot to like risk the repeater tax because of Michael Porter 460 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,200 Junior who can't play, Like for a team that is not owned by a 461 00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:03,440 Leslie alex Xander ownership group, that's a concerning thing. Like you're not going 462 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:07,839 to see them by twelve undrafted free agents and try and just sell them off 463 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,839 to teams to get a player like Chris Paul. It's not how ownership works 464 00:27:10,839 --> 00:27:12,720 in Denver. Like they're going to be very, very very frugal. So 465 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,440 when you have that situation, does it concern ownership to kind of kick the 466 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:21,039 tires down the road, try and save money, evade the repeater tax? 467 00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:25,480 One year risk a year of contention. The snowball effect is extremely concerning and 468 00:27:25,519 --> 00:27:26,799 I don't know where it'll end up again. Porter could play, could not 469 00:27:26,799 --> 00:27:30,160 play. The Nuggets could be fine without them, they might not be but 470 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,720 nothing. This only adds more negative variables where the Nuggets are at and we 471 00:27:33,839 --> 00:27:37,400 just have to wait and see, which is an absolutely awful place for a 472 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,119 president of basketball operations to be. Nobody wants to wait and see when it 473 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,599 comes to these kinds of things, because you're just leaving it up to hope 474 00:27:44,599 --> 00:27:47,480 and dreams at this point, because that's kind of where they're at, and 475 00:27:47,799 --> 00:27:52,920 you don't you don't want it to give a distaste to the team for paying 476 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,720 the tax, which they finally committed to doing. I think beyond this season, 477 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:57,400 they're just outside the tax right now. Oh no, they're gonna They're 478 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,480 looking at being like twenty millions of the tacks next year without making any extra 479 00:28:00,519 --> 00:28:04,680 moves, Like they're going to be an extremely extremely expensive team going forward. 480 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,079 Someone did propose me in my direct messages, and I'll leave them nameless since 481 00:28:10,079 --> 00:28:14,640 they're a listener to this podcast. Ben Simmons doesn't get traded this year, 482 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:18,720 Michael Porter Junior doesn't play again this year? Are the Sixers considering I'm Michael 483 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,279 Ben Simmons a lot. The Nuggets aren't. That's not happening. No, 484 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:27,000 I do not envision that being even remotely approachable, because one, why would 485 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,480 you if they're not willing to trade Ben Simmons for all of these other players 486 00:28:30,519 --> 00:28:33,559 and the deal hasn't that still hasn't been done. Trading for a guy with 487 00:28:33,599 --> 00:28:37,319 that kind of injury concerns with Michael Porter Jr. Is not a Darrel Mari 488 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,759 move. I see happening. So that's just my first immediate thought process. 489 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:42,960 Secondly, the Nuggets do not want to bring in somebody who refuses to play 490 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:47,759 a particular way when Nicola Yoki is better at everything that he does other than 491 00:28:47,799 --> 00:28:51,960 perimeter defense, and pretend like it's just gonna fit. Like he's not gonna 492 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,839 be like, Okay, I'm cool being Sean mary in here sounds like a 493 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:59,160 plan like I have no chance of believing that. So for me, the 494 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:03,200 Nuggets, with how much they value culture, with in my conversations with Tim 495 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,000 Connolly, the type of people he wants to be playing in Denver, I 496 00:29:07,119 --> 00:29:11,480 don't see Ben Simmons based on these circumstances fitting that. Bill, I tend 497 00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:15,920 to agree with you, but as someone who would probably follow Nakoleo Kitchen to 498 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,559 Hell, I could kind of see Ben Simmons like just assimilating into whatever role 499 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,279 needs to be fit around the team it gets. I think if it would 500 00:29:23,279 --> 00:29:26,880 be a different story from one, I don't think Philly would. I think 501 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,200 they're the team that would probably it would be a non starter for just because 502 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,519 those back injuries with Michael Porter Jr. Those are, like you said, 503 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:37,119 terrifying. Is the word, but also having Aaron Gordon there as well, 504 00:29:37,319 --> 00:29:40,720 Like that just Ben Simmons, Aaron Gordon, Nicole. As soon Aaron Gordon 505 00:29:40,759 --> 00:29:42,640 would be involved as well, and they would take back another player because you 506 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,160 can't have all three of them. There's not enough room for all three of 507 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,720 them. Like in this scenario, I just kind of assume that he's replacing 508 00:29:48,759 --> 00:29:52,319 Aaron Gordon's role on the team. Are we gonna get a chance to see 509 00:29:52,359 --> 00:29:57,079 all four of these guys play together next season? Yeah? So you think 510 00:29:57,119 --> 00:30:00,480 they'll all still be there? Like this is not something you not play all 511 00:30:00,559 --> 00:30:04,160 of next season. We are in an entirely different position than we should be. 512 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,799 Like that is again, talk about terrifying. You talk about two full 513 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,960 years unable to play because of a mysterious nerve issue in his back after his 514 00:30:14,119 --> 00:30:18,880 third back surgery. That is a every other conversation we're having becomes relevant at 515 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,640 that point. Almost. Yeah, that's a fair point. The back stuff 516 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:23,200 is really just like I know, acal injuries are serious, and I don't 517 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,920 want to say they're whatever, but they're just not like the career enders that 518 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:30,240 they used to be. The medical advancement has made them so much more functional 519 00:30:30,319 --> 00:30:33,240 to come back from it just is what it is. Anything else that you 520 00:30:33,279 --> 00:30:37,200 wanted to talk about. To wrap up this quick conversation on the Nuggets, 521 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:41,200 there are again, I still consider them a top six team in the Western 522 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:45,960 Conference. I think, Look, but aside from Utah, who's just been 523 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,440 off at points this year, they have the second highest net rating. But 524 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,839 there's just something. Something just is a miss in Utah. I can't there 525 00:30:52,279 --> 00:30:56,119 that might be it. This is how I feel about Utah aside from them, 526 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,799 Phoenix at Golden State, like the Western Conference hierarchies. Why do you 527 00:30:59,799 --> 00:31:02,720 tell me the Nuggets finished fourth? I would not be surprised, and that 528 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:07,960 would also be you know, talk about building an anecdotal case for Nikolayokis winning 529 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,240 MVP again, forget about he'll have the statistical case, but anecdotally not having 530 00:31:11,279 --> 00:31:15,000 Porter Junior, not having Jamal Murray, even some of the other antillary injuries, 531 00:31:15,319 --> 00:31:18,319 and you finished fourth in the West. I know we typically gret more. 532 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:22,119 Voters typically gravitate towards oh, you know, the first, the second, 533 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:25,759 or the best team in East Conference. The best player from that team 534 00:31:25,759 --> 00:31:27,519 is normally gonna win it. That's a hell of a case for Yokis to 535 00:31:27,519 --> 00:31:32,279 go back to back, and so I'm just not ready to write I don't 536 00:31:32,319 --> 00:31:33,920 think this team is a title contender, but I'm not ready to write this 537 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,640 team out of like maybe finishing fourth in the West because stuff is just so 538 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:41,000 screwy and the Western Conference after the top three right now, yep, I 539 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,440 entirely agree with you. And when you said, was there one last thing 540 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:48,279 you wanted to bring up? Nikola Yokich's MVPKSE was the thing, Like people 541 00:31:48,319 --> 00:31:53,079 don't realize that Nicola Yokich is taken probably four or five steps ahead defensively where 542 00:31:53,079 --> 00:31:56,720 he was last year. Like his ability on defense. He is no longer 543 00:31:56,759 --> 00:32:00,519 a player you can target. This is no longer somebody who is on the 544 00:32:00,599 --> 00:32:05,720 verge of making things frustrating and to the point that you can't defensively scheme around 545 00:32:05,759 --> 00:32:09,880 him. Nicola Yoki is a defensive plus no matter what metric you're using right 546 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:14,039 now on a basketball court. And that is a massive, massive part of 547 00:32:14,039 --> 00:32:15,759 this because that was the only part of his narrative that didn't fit. It's 548 00:32:15,799 --> 00:32:19,160 like, okay, but he doesn't defend. He plays one side of the 549 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,599 court like yeah, Steve Nash one MVP two, but like that is no 550 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,319 longer what has happening with Nicola. He is better statistically than he was last 551 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,279 year. He is a more potent scorer than he was last year. He 552 00:32:29,359 --> 00:32:31,799 is leading a team that is even more banged up than last year. And 553 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,359 on top of that, he's defending at a higher level than I have ever 554 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,240 seen him play at in my entire life. And I've covered him since his 555 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,440 very very first Summer League appearance for the Nuggets back all the way back in 556 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:45,559 fourteen, So that is absolutely incredible to me what he has been able to 557 00:32:45,559 --> 00:32:51,119 do on a basketball court. There is the national narrative on him defensively is 558 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,000 definitely not shifted, I would say, and you would know this way more 559 00:32:54,039 --> 00:32:58,799 than I would, having watched more of him than I have, even when 560 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,759 he was at his worst defensively. But like, it's really hard for certain 561 00:33:01,799 --> 00:33:07,519 bigs, especially Biggs of let's say his physical ilk to be effective or at 562 00:33:07,559 --> 00:33:13,759 least non detrimental in more aggressive half court defensive coverages. And that's something he's 563 00:33:14,039 --> 00:33:16,319 if you don't want to use the word always excel that like he's never been. 564 00:33:16,759 --> 00:33:21,119 Like when the Nuggets get off to these hot defensive starts in season's past 565 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,680 or finish really strong. It's because he's playing well defensively, or at least 566 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:30,119 not being targeted in those hyper aggressive like this isn't someone who if he can 567 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:34,000 come up high like that's there are biggs who are better defensively than koliokas I 568 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,759 can't even do that. You try to bring like Rudy Gobert up his highs, 569 00:33:36,759 --> 00:33:39,720 you bring n kolyoks Sometimes. I'm not saying he's better than Rudy Gobert. 570 00:33:39,799 --> 00:33:45,359 I'm just saying there's always been a disconnect between let's say, how bad 571 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:51,640 he was on defense versus how actually not bad like he he's probably it's just 572 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:54,160 it's wild to me that it's been years now. That is really what I'm 573 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:58,119 as I'm tripping over my words here. Is normally it does take a while 574 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,319 for the national narrative to catch up to read, especially when you're in a 575 00:34:00,359 --> 00:34:04,519 non glamor market. But like, it's just never caught up to Nikola Yoki. 576 00:34:04,559 --> 00:34:06,119 If you don't want to call him a good defender, fine, I 577 00:34:06,119 --> 00:34:09,159 think some Nuggets fans have gone too far. Adam Frommel my co host, 578 00:34:09,199 --> 00:34:13,039 was on this podcast. It was like the third one we recorded this seasons 579 00:34:13,039 --> 00:34:15,920 like man Nicolayoki should being the defensive player of the year conversation, I'm with 580 00:34:16,039 --> 00:34:21,199 Adam, No, I'm with Adam at that point in time, I'm with 581 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:23,199 Adam. But also, like your point is still sailient. Though there's a 582 00:34:23,199 --> 00:34:29,239 dissonance between the defensive low lights you see on ESPN compared to the actual defensive 583 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:31,599 production that he brings to the table. The dissonance is difficult and it makes 584 00:34:31,599 --> 00:34:35,960 the narrative extremely muddy, and it's harder for people who don't watch him on 585 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,079 a night to night possession to possession basis to realize what he actually does and 586 00:34:39,119 --> 00:34:43,519 what you said before about him playing aggressively at the level of the screen, 587 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:45,840 even at the screens of thirty feet being all the way up there on those 588 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:50,760 guys. Credit to west Unsell Junior, the current coach with the Washington Wizards, 589 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:54,320 has been phenomenal. He turned their defense around entirely. He went to 590 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:58,119 Nikola Yokich and was like, how do you want to play basketball? Like, 591 00:34:58,159 --> 00:35:00,679 what are we doing Nicola defensively? And Nicola wanted to play up at 592 00:35:00,679 --> 00:35:05,760 the level. That was his decision to make and what has made Nicola's defensive 593 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,000 leap this year. Is such a big deal is that he's not only able 594 00:35:08,039 --> 00:35:12,039 to play at the level of the screen. He was a disaster dropping for 595 00:35:12,119 --> 00:35:16,800 many, many years because he wasn't able to change positions at a flash or 596 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,840 take a guy sprinting at him after flying past bad perimeter defense. Didn't know 597 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:23,840 how to handle it. Now he can drop, he can switch, he 598 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:27,440 can hedge, he can blitz. They can just play at the level all 599 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:30,920 game. He has diversified his defensive skill set and the different schemes they can 600 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:35,559 play to a point that they can play any defensive scheme. And now they 601 00:35:35,559 --> 00:35:38,800 can sit in a half court offense against a half court offense and actually manipulate 602 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:43,400 that opposing offense to push them where they want them to go, because Nicola 603 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:45,960 Yokich is so good positionally and they can do that in a drop, hedging, 604 00:35:46,039 --> 00:35:50,519 blitzing, whatever, And they did not have that ability even last year. 605 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,079 That's the biggest leap defensively from Niccola because he does like play at the 606 00:35:53,199 --> 00:35:57,320 level of the screen. But to get him that good dropping when you need 607 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,239 to be able to drop in the playoffs is a big, big, big, 608 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,599 big deal in my opinion. Look and dropping can be hard like Lebron 609 00:36:02,679 --> 00:36:05,960 has to drop right now when he's playing set for the Lakers and can't do 610 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,199 it. So it's not easy for Well, you're taking guys sprinting at you 611 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,280 knowing there's a cutter behind you while protecting the rim that you can't see. 612 00:36:12,480 --> 00:36:15,039 Like that's an incredibly difficult position to be in for a big man who can't 613 00:36:15,079 --> 00:36:19,480 move very well like Nicole is quick, but he's not going to explode to 614 00:36:19,519 --> 00:36:22,480 the other side of the rim and a razor shot, not like East West 615 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,280 erupted. Yes, exactly. So he's able to now know where to go, 616 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:29,440 how he can shade his body to get the past to go where he 617 00:36:29,519 --> 00:36:31,280 wants it to go, and use his long arms to get in passing lane. 618 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:35,800 Simultaneously, he's doing multiple things at once and drops now when he could 619 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:37,800 only do one or two at a time prior. And he's seeing the game 620 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:40,639 defensively in a way I have never seen him see it before. And there's 621 00:36:40,679 --> 00:36:45,719 also like, I don't think people respect how hard it is to be so 622 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:49,159 mission critical on both ends of the floor, and it's I think it's why, 623 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,800 you know, people appreciate what Jannis has done. Like Drew Holiday is 624 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,880 a perfect player where he's been underrated for almost his entire career. But because 625 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:59,079 it's like, do you understand the workload this guy has to carry on defense 626 00:36:59,119 --> 00:37:00,920 in addition to what he's all already been on offense. And so I do 627 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:05,079 think Nicola Yokich is better on defense. I thought Defensive Player of the Year 628 00:37:05,079 --> 00:37:07,280 at the beginning of the season was a little bit of a stretch for me. 629 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,159 And I also was I was all bored the Aaron Gordon trained to start 630 00:37:09,159 --> 00:37:12,320 the year with what he was doing. You know, you couldn't even get 631 00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:15,039 odds for what Aaron Gordon's Defensive Player of the Year odds were. At one 632 00:37:15,039 --> 00:37:16,760 point, I had to ask Matt Moore to go find me odds at a 633 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,960 place to be able to find them. It like doesn't exist, by the 634 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,360 way, just for Nakola yokis Defensive Player of the Year. Little addition here, 635 00:37:25,599 --> 00:37:30,199 the Nuggets without Nikola Yokas on the floor have one hundred and fifteen defensive 636 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,079 riding in their five hundred and seven minutes and the five hundred and fifty he 637 00:37:32,119 --> 00:37:37,519 has played one hundred point four, which would almost lead the league. He 638 00:37:37,599 --> 00:37:40,599 has legitimately transformed their defense any moment he is on the court, and he 639 00:37:40,599 --> 00:37:45,360 plays all the time with everybody because they can't survive without him, So that 640 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:51,519 is, he is the anchor of what makes this defense work. The Aaron 641 00:37:51,559 --> 00:37:53,599 Gordon Defensive Player of the Year odds, they were at plus twenty four thousand 642 00:37:53,599 --> 00:38:00,000 because I wrote about them. We're not the only one before before Denver's defensive 643 00:38:00,039 --> 00:38:02,440 implosion, like sort of just around when it just started, I had him 644 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:06,280 as a dark horse bet for Defensive Player of the Year, like plus twenty 645 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,960 four thousand. Why wouldn't that's incredible value. That's where they were at a 646 00:38:09,039 --> 00:38:13,599 FanDuel like almost a month ago. At this point in case, Points had 647 00:38:13,599 --> 00:38:16,519 plus twenty thousand, so we're pretty close. I'm sure they've deteriorated since, 648 00:38:16,559 --> 00:38:20,639 given how worthly the Nuggets have played on. He might even be don't exist, 649 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:24,599 Yes, they don't exist anymore. TJ. This was fantastic as always. 650 00:38:24,639 --> 00:38:27,920 I'm really happy I was able to catch up with you and just go 651 00:38:28,039 --> 00:38:30,920 into the Nuggets are. Like I said, they're morbidly fascinating because they're they're 652 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:35,440 still good. They have Nicole Yoki, but they just they've been hit so 653 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,320 hard and it sucks because I think even last year, Zach always said this, 654 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:39,320 but I think a lot of other people in the same camp where it's 655 00:38:40,119 --> 00:38:44,639 after the Aaron Gordon trade, there was that thought of they could be title 656 00:38:44,679 --> 00:38:46,920 favorites, or they're at least one of the two or three most serious favorites 657 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:50,920 in the West. And I think even this season, you could have talked 658 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:54,119 yourself into the same boat where it's okay Warriors sons because the Nuggets with Michael 659 00:38:54,119 --> 00:38:58,639 Porter Junior, but without Murray had Michael Porter Jr. Clearly his back stuff 660 00:38:58,639 --> 00:39:02,800 was bothering him all year because he was atrocious, so but having one, 661 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,039 they just still looked like a team that can make noise. It just sucks 662 00:39:07,079 --> 00:39:09,639 to see this be derailed and hopefully well everyone will be healthy for next season. 663 00:39:09,679 --> 00:39:14,800 For them, I'm still I'm I'm very close to predicting that they finished 664 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:19,280 fourth in the West, though that says probably more about my distrust in the 665 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:22,320 rest of the West. But Nicoleokich is that good in look, I love 666 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:27,400 me, Samante Morris, Aaron Gordon's been really good on offensive past For really, 667 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:30,360 I've never seen Aaron Gordon play this well offensively. His intent going to 668 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,239 the rim, whether he's playing with the ball in his hands and just driving, 669 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:36,199 or if he's playing in a pick and roll and setting the screen and 670 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,800 rolling or just cutting from the opposite side of the court, like he is 671 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:45,920 so hyper aggressive and not just aggressive but efficient and calm and understanding what his 672 00:39:45,079 --> 00:39:49,440 role is. He looks so comfortable right now, So best of ever's gonna 673 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,239 play. And it's also it's the middle of a year and he's playing games 674 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,119 that matter. Because I did feel like this would happen from him in Orlando 675 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:58,960 about thirty to forty five days after they were eliminated from playoff contention. He 676 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:00,639 would always just have these just to close the year in these meaningless games, 677 00:40:00,639 --> 00:40:02,920 will be like, man, if that's what Aaron Gordon can be, is 678 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:06,679 going to be so good. But he's been legitimately impathful for a team that 679 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:09,280 is in the playoff. On TJ, you're able to tell our listeners where 680 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:13,199 they can find you and your work. Please. Yeah, you can find 681 00:40:13,199 --> 00:40:17,159 me being insufferable on Twitter at TJ McBride NBA. You can find my freelance 682 00:40:17,199 --> 00:40:21,119 work over at Mile High Sports and play Colorado if you wanted to get some 683 00:40:21,119 --> 00:40:23,199 betting advice. And that's about all I'm doing in these days other than talking 684 00:40:23,199 --> 00:40:27,039 to you about hoops, so hit me up on Twitter if you need anything. 685 00:40:27,639 --> 00:40:30,519 Thanks again, TJ so much for this. This was great as always, 686 00:40:30,519 --> 00:40:31,360 and I think you can rest a short at this point. I'll be 687 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:35,800 pestering you again in the future. I cannot wait. Talk some nuggets you later