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<v Speaker 1>We'll go right out of the Kwai Common Spirit health hotline.

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<v Speaker 1>Bring on our guy, Nick cosmider at Nick Cosmeio on

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<v Speaker 1>Twitter covers the Broncos for the Athletic and of course

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<v Speaker 1>I'm jealous of his twenty twenty three Colorado Sports Writer

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<v Speaker 1>of the Year, but he's much more deserving than I am,

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<v Speaker 1>since I don't write anything.

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<v Speaker 2>Nick.

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<v Speaker 3>How you doing, good fellows, How you doing doing pretty well?

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<v Speaker 1>You know, the only streak we have to worry about

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<v Speaker 1>now is the Broncos winning streak. The Raiders been snap

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<v Speaker 1>chief snap last year, and we got a division rival

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<v Speaker 1>and Chargers ahead of us.

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<v Speaker 3>That looks like an eminently winnable game.

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<v Speaker 1>You don't want to overlook it, but it does look

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<v Speaker 1>something winnable that maybe, perhaps earlier in the season you

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<v Speaker 1>may not have thought the same way as we look

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<v Speaker 1>at this second quarter of the NFL season for the

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<v Speaker 1>Denver Broncos.

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<v Speaker 3>This is starting to shape up kind of nice.

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<v Speaker 2>It is, and it really is shaping up a lot

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<v Speaker 2>like how they were winning games during that five game

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<v Speaker 2>streak a year ago. They just kind of figured out

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<v Speaker 2>this formula without having to go into a one in

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<v Speaker 2>five hole in order to do it and you know,

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<v Speaker 2>this is a team right now turning the ball over right,

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<v Speaker 2>one turnover total in the last three games, no interceptions

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<v Speaker 2>by bo Nicks. And then you have a defense that

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<v Speaker 2>you know it's taking the ball away some obviously they

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<v Speaker 2>had the three interceptions in Sunday's win against the Raiders,

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<v Speaker 2>but but also playing I think a more sustainable style

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<v Speaker 2>that's not just reliant on the takeaways, the way that

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<v Speaker 2>they're playing up front and building everything else off of that.

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<v Speaker 2>So yeah, I agree with you. You know, going into this month,

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<v Speaker 2>when you have three home games in October sandwiched around

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<v Speaker 2>a trip to New Orleans against a Saints team that's

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<v Speaker 2>gonna probably be without Derek Carr, among some other issues

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<v Speaker 2>that they're dealing with, you look at it and say,

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<v Speaker 2>this is a real opportunity to kind of get through

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<v Speaker 2>this month, you know, potentially six and two, five and

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<v Speaker 2>three before you have to deal with that back to

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<v Speaker 2>back with Baltimore and Kansas City there in early November, well.

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<v Speaker 4>Nick, before you came on, Ben and I were having

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<v Speaker 4>a discussion about the the Broncos and their depth and

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<v Speaker 4>grading the depth and usually I don't like to get

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<v Speaker 4>into the grades, but based on what we've seen the

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<v Speaker 4>injuries that they've sustained. How would you look at the

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<v Speaker 4>team and grade the level of depth so far.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's a it's a great question, and I think

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<v Speaker 2>one of the things that you you look at is

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<v Speaker 2>this was a team last year that that they didn't

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<v Speaker 2>have a lot of attrition. They were they were pretty healthy,

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<v Speaker 2>and you didn't really have to test that depth, particularly

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<v Speaker 2>of course on the offensive line, where they only combined

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<v Speaker 2>to miss one start, and that was Mike McGlinchey in

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<v Speaker 2>the in the season finale, and so right away you

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<v Speaker 2>had that test. Alex Palcewsky, you know, had largely passed

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<v Speaker 2>that test in terms of the way that he was

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<v Speaker 2>playing at right tackle, that they were playing better in

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<v Speaker 2>those three games that he was in there than than

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<v Speaker 2>the offensive line had in general early in the season.

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<v Speaker 2>And then you get a guy like Justin Sternat who

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<v Speaker 2>has to step in at inside linebacker when you lose

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<v Speaker 2>your leading tackler of the last couple of years. So

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<v Speaker 2>I would say it's at the very very least because

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<v Speaker 2>it is a work in progress, but but a passing

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<v Speaker 2>grade at this point. Whenever you have guys get injured

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<v Speaker 2>that are frontline starters and then you have to you

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<v Speaker 2>have to dip into that. You know, you want to

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<v Speaker 2>hold water and in some cases they're doing more than that,

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<v Speaker 2>and so I think the depth in that regard has

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<v Speaker 2>been a positive. Now. Of course though this week is

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<v Speaker 2>the biggest test of that yet when you talk about

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<v Speaker 2>being down to your third right tackle with with Alex

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<v Speaker 2>Palcewski not practicing today, we'll see what the the overall

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<v Speaker 2>you know, kind of timeline is for him, Luke Wattenberg

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<v Speaker 2>being out. So now you're down to your third right tackle,

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<v Speaker 2>your second center. You know, you've had some other some

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<v Speaker 2>other issues there. So that will be the real test,

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<v Speaker 2>Nick of like and they get through a game against

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<v Speaker 2>a pretty physical Chargers front, you know, when you're down

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<v Speaker 2>a couple guys in the offensive line.

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<v Speaker 1>Talking with Nick Cosm out of the athletic NI there

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<v Speaker 1>is a very pressing issue for the never Broncos that

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<v Speaker 1>has to get resolved immediately. And that is a nickname

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<v Speaker 1>for Riley Moss. I have positive the PS two and

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<v Speaker 1>ex Moss three sixty. Do you have any additional eight

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<v Speaker 1>games you would like to throw in the hat?

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I wish I did because I was you know,

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<v Speaker 2>that that Pat himself mentioned that the pulp fiction thing

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<v Speaker 2>that was that was kind of going around there. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>you got the white the white man can't jump right thing,

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<v Speaker 2>which you know, obviously Riley turned on its head by

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<v Speaker 2>by leaping the way that he did to catch that ball.

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<v Speaker 2>You know that that is a pressing issue that that

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<v Speaker 2>should be like, we should have our best people on

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<v Speaker 2>this is essentially the way that it's going. You know, Pat,

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<v Speaker 2>Pat's kind of leaving it up to the Broncos country.

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<v Speaker 2>I need to I need to go through and scan

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<v Speaker 2>some of these posts because I'm sure there's there's always

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<v Speaker 2>good ideas among Internet minds. I just I haven't come

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<v Speaker 2>across from yet.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I was worried I was never going to be

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<v Speaker 1>able to top Casa Benito. But I think I think

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<v Speaker 1>we're I think we're getting close there. We'll see, we'll

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<v Speaker 1>figure this one out. We'll put our we'll put our

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<v Speaker 1>best people on it, which does not obviously include me.

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<v Speaker 2>Norm Norm myself, I am not a like, not in

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<v Speaker 2>the creative writing business as much, but you know, I

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<v Speaker 2>think the defense as a whole too, like that that's

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<v Speaker 2>another thing of you know, again, it it is five

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<v Speaker 2>games in and you don't want to get out in

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<v Speaker 2>front of it. But I just think some of their

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<v Speaker 2>markers that they have are are sustainable to where you

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<v Speaker 2>say this, this is gonna be a unit that is

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<v Speaker 2>good all year long. And look they're they're blitzing at

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<v Speaker 2>a rate right now that is the highest in the league.

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<v Speaker 2>You can't do that if you're if your foundational pieces

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<v Speaker 2>aren't doing what they're supposed to do, you have to

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<v Speaker 2>be able to cover one on one. That's why Moss's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of elevation into the way that he's playing has

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<v Speaker 2>been such a such a big deal because there's nothing

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<v Speaker 2>that teams can just you know, easily pick on like

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<v Speaker 2>there might have been at certain times last year. So

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<v Speaker 2>I just I just think this is a group that's

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<v Speaker 2>going to continue to play well. You see the you

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<v Speaker 2>see that the depths in the pass rush, like Nick Bonito,

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<v Speaker 2>it's it's like people kind of forgetting about him and

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<v Speaker 2>he's he's playing the way that he has. Jonah ellis

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<v Speaker 2>you know, playing as well as any rookie you know

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<v Speaker 2>pass rusher right now. So I just think it's a

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<v Speaker 2>group that you look, you look at it and say

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<v Speaker 2>that this this can keep going really all year.

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<v Speaker 4>So we haven't seen a lot of Marvin Mahams. And

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<v Speaker 4>dating back to last year, we were we were told that, hey, listen,

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<v Speaker 4>you know there's going to be the concervative effort to

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<v Speaker 4>get mems involved. And that was last year. So coming

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<v Speaker 4>into this year, I thought personally things were going to change.

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<v Speaker 4>We haven't really seen that. What do you think is

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<v Speaker 4>the reason why we're not seeing more of Marvin Maham's

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<v Speaker 4>speed utilized in this Broncos offense.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think part of it is is of them.

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<v Speaker 2>Sean has said this in a in a as an

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<v Speaker 2>answer to a number of things, the fact that you're

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<v Speaker 2>thirty first and third down conversion rate, you really just

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<v Speaker 2>aren't getting enough opportunities to get to some of the

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<v Speaker 2>things that you want to get to, and so I

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<v Speaker 2>think that's part of it. I do think they kind

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<v Speaker 2>of took a small step forward on Sunday in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of you know, getting him, getting him on the jet

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<v Speaker 2>sweep in a way that allowed him to use his speed.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, you got him, you got him in space

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<v Speaker 2>on the quick draw, the quick the quick out in

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<v Speaker 2>the flat where he gained seven yards on what became

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<v Speaker 2>a touchdown touchdown drive a lot of a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>things they're trying to do to sort of emulate what

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<v Speaker 2>he can do in the open field when he's when

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<v Speaker 2>he's on special teams, because he continues to be one

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<v Speaker 2>of the most dynamic returners in the league. So it's

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<v Speaker 2>for them figuring out ways to get him in those

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<v Speaker 2>similar situations. Because look, we might have seen Jerry Judy

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<v Speaker 2>leave and say, oh, that's that that guy. Marvin Mims

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<v Speaker 2>is gonna a step into that role. He's not the

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<v Speaker 2>same player, he doesn't have the same route tree, So

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<v Speaker 2>it's a matter of finding those things for him. And

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<v Speaker 2>part of that is you just have to continue to

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<v Speaker 2>get some more plays. But I like there was a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of times where you saw Marvin Mims and Troy

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<v Speaker 2>Franklin on the field at the same time. Troy Franklin's

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<v Speaker 2>gotten a little bit more burned over the last couple

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<v Speaker 2>of weeks, you know, Like I said, Mims had a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of plays on Sunday, So you hope that that

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<v Speaker 2>was sort of a sign of things to come, that

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<v Speaker 2>they're they're kind of slowly building toward more of that, because, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>you get those two guys on the same field. We

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<v Speaker 2>talked a lot about Troy Franklin's drop. Part of that

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<v Speaker 2>other play, Marvin Mims was wide open in the middle

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<v Speaker 2>of the field, like he could have You could have

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<v Speaker 2>thrown to him for about a ten yard pass. He

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<v Speaker 2>just beats the safety and he could have he could

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<v Speaker 2>have gone all the way. So get them on the

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<v Speaker 2>field together, let him put some stress on defenses and

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<v Speaker 2>see what you can do.

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<v Speaker 1>Totalen Nick Cosmider of the Athletic Nick, you know Vance

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<v Speaker 1>Joseph and the way that this defense is performing, it's

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<v Speaker 1>it's getting Vance some more. Ronnie's absolutely a guy who's

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<v Speaker 1>probably going to get head coach interviews having prior experience

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<v Speaker 1>this offseason. If he were to leave and get a

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<v Speaker 1>head coaching job. It puts the Broncos in line for

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<v Speaker 1>two third round compensatory picks. But which is the which

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<v Speaker 1>is the better have at this point having Vance back

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<v Speaker 1>and what he's been able to do or two extra

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<v Speaker 1>third round draft picks?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's I mean, it's it's a great question. I

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<v Speaker 2>think right now, the continuity that they have on that

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<v Speaker 2>side of the ball, and you know, obviously they they

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<v Speaker 2>came in last year and I think Vance really wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to make things comfortable for the players, right, so they're

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<v Speaker 2>they're using some of the same terminology that they had

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<v Speaker 2>used under you know, Giro Everro, which was a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of the same Vic Fangio terminology. But but they they

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<v Speaker 2>kind of about how you know, less than halfway through

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<v Speaker 2>the year, just kind of scraped that and really just

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<v Speaker 2>got back to doing it the way you know that

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<v Speaker 2>Vance has And now that you have that continuity, that

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<v Speaker 2>comfortability with what he's calling, you know, you would want

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<v Speaker 2>you would want some of that back that they obviously

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<v Speaker 2>think they have some talented coaches on this defensive staff,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it's Jim Leonard, jamar Cain, some up and coming

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<v Speaker 2>young coaches you know that you could maybe feel comfortable

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<v Speaker 2>with in a promotion and that kind of uh scenario

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<v Speaker 2>that you that you're talking about, because I certainly do

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<v Speaker 2>think that Vance is putting himself in position already to

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<v Speaker 2>have to have another.

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<v Speaker 4>Look at it.

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<v Speaker 2>But but it's so at the same it's it's sort

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<v Speaker 2>of like a good problem to have, is kind of

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<v Speaker 2>the way that you would you would look at it.

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<v Speaker 2>Because we know this team has had a lack of

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<v Speaker 2>draft capital. That's been one of the issues with the

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<v Speaker 2>roster over the last you know, a couple of seasons,

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<v Speaker 2>they're gonna they're gonna be back to a full cupboard

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<v Speaker 2>or pretty close to it this uh, this offseason, and

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<v Speaker 2>so you know, anything you can do to continue to

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<v Speaker 2>add to that the way that they're drafting would be

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<v Speaker 2>would be a bonus as well. But I would be

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<v Speaker 2>in the camp of man, if you can, if you

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<v Speaker 2>can run this back again, the way that they're playing,

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<v Speaker 2>the way that they got some young players stepping into

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<v Speaker 2>bigger roles like that would be that'd be a pretty

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<v Speaker 2>good scenario going into twenty twenty five.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, Nick, with everything that you said and the

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<v Speaker 4>possibility of Vance getting another opportunity to interview for a

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<v Speaker 4>head coach, I mean, I personally feel as though the

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<v Speaker 4>conversation hasn't really.

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<v Speaker 3>Been about Vance and what he's done. Now.

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<v Speaker 4>People have talked about individual Roley Moss Ps two, Jonah Eilers,

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<v Speaker 4>Zach Allen, but I don't feel as though the enough

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<v Speaker 4>credit here locally has been given to Vance. Joseph, do

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<v Speaker 4>you feel the same way, And if you do, why

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<v Speaker 4>do you think that's the case.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's it's kind of like you're pulling out my

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<v Speaker 2>story that I have coming out later this year because

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<v Speaker 2>I absolutely, I absolutely agree with you are you guys

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<v Speaker 2>are on it.

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<v Speaker 3>No.

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<v Speaker 2>One of the things that's really interesting. I was talking

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<v Speaker 2>to Zach Allen after the game on Sunday and he

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<v Speaker 2>said that the thing that Vance has done so well

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<v Speaker 2>for this group is they sort of came in with

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<v Speaker 2>this this mission to make sure that they were giving

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<v Speaker 2>you know, their their pass rushers, their interior end and

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<v Speaker 2>outside guys, being so mindful of giving these guys one

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<v Speaker 2>on one opportunities as frequently as they can. And Zach said, look,

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<v Speaker 2>that's as a as a pass rusher or a defensive lineman,

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<v Speaker 2>that's all we can ask for is getting those chances

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<v Speaker 2>because we we feel like one on one we can

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<v Speaker 2>win most times. And so you have a team that's

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<v Speaker 2>blitzing at the highest rate and doing it in ways

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<v Speaker 2>where you are you're really praying on vulnerabilities of the

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<v Speaker 2>opponent to give those one on one matchups to guys

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<v Speaker 2>like Zach Allen. It's it all. It's all kind of

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<v Speaker 2>a wholesale thing, right because in order for that to

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<v Speaker 2>still work, you had to upgrade the talent. You had

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<v Speaker 2>to get a guy like John Franklin Myers who teams

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<v Speaker 2>can't just you know, not pay attention to so they've

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<v Speaker 2>they've done those things where it's kind of a holistic approach.

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<v Speaker 2>But it's Advance who's been pressing these buttons, who's been

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<v Speaker 2>able to create these matchups, who kind of listens to

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<v Speaker 2>his players about, you know, the way that they wanted

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<v Speaker 2>to play being more one game. I've driven up front

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<v Speaker 2>this year all those kinds of things I think come

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<v Speaker 2>into play and talk about, you know, not only how

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<v Speaker 2>he's calling plays on Sunday, but how how he and

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<v Speaker 2>his staff have worked to understand what fits best for

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<v Speaker 2>the group of players that they have. And I just

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<v Speaker 2>think he's done a good job bringing all that together.

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<v Speaker 1>Talking Cosmoity the athletic Nick want to switch gears a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit, talk about the Denver Nuggets and what you've

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<v Speaker 1>seen so far there the addition of Russell Westbrook and

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<v Speaker 1>you know what that brings to this team. I've been lobbying.

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<v Speaker 1>I know Christian brawn is penciled in is the you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the starting two. But I've been lobbying much like Kenneth

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<v Speaker 1>far Reid, He's an energy guy who probably is at

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<v Speaker 1>his best coming off the bench, and maybe there are

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<v Speaker 1>situations where you could have Westbrook start Murray at the two,

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<v Speaker 1>Strawther or at the two, and then of course we've

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<v Speaker 1>had seen this sort of move from Porter where he's

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<v Speaker 1>put on some weight and is experimenting a little bit at.

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<v Speaker 3>The four in addition to play in the three.

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<v Speaker 1>What what have you seen so far with the new

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<v Speaker 1>look Nuggets and what do you really expect this team

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<v Speaker 1>to look like when we get to open the season.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the Porter thing is like really interesting to me

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<v Speaker 2>because I I was kind of, you know, not not

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<v Speaker 2>necessarily as plugged in now to to sort of what

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<v Speaker 2>they're doing in their in their offseason. So when they

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<v Speaker 2>came back around Media Day and and then was talking

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<v Speaker 2>to some people that were over there just about what

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<v Speaker 2>he's done, that was kind of that was kind of

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<v Speaker 2>surprising to me. And I and I think the way

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<v Speaker 2>that they when when they're able to run Aaron Gordon

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<v Speaker 2>as as the as kind of the backup five that

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<v Speaker 2>they they've experimented more with some of those lineups of

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<v Speaker 2>the last couple of years. Uh, that that to me

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<v Speaker 2>is is a winning formula. If you have Porter being

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<v Speaker 2>able to play the four and being able to hang

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<v Speaker 2>defensively at that position enough to where you can get

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<v Speaker 2>his spacing and then you then you can you know,

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<v Speaker 2>that can kind of trickle down you get more shooters

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<v Speaker 2>on the floor. So I think that'll be an interesting development.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm just really eager to see because You're right, there's

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<v Speaker 2>there's different combinations that they're going to be able to

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<v Speaker 2>do in that backcourt. And that's why this this preseason

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<v Speaker 2>is is kind of important for them. And then early

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<v Speaker 2>in the season of you know, how how do these

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<v Speaker 2>combinations work around when we bring Russell Westbrook in? You

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<v Speaker 2>know what, what kind of role can we put Julian

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<v Speaker 2>Strath and you know, can he be good enough defensively

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<v Speaker 2>in order to potentially be that starting two for you

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<v Speaker 2>So it's it's a pretty fascinating deal when you when

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<v Speaker 2>you've lost two guys back to back years that were

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<v Speaker 2>pretty important parts of that of that backcourt in Bruce

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<v Speaker 2>Brown and KCP, and now you've got guys that are

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<v Speaker 2>stepping into those new roles. It's going to be really

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<v Speaker 2>interesting to see how it all pans out.

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<v Speaker 3>The biggest concern for me is the bench.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean because over the past couple of years, obviously

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<v Speaker 4>the starting five, you know what you're gonna get out

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<v Speaker 4>of those guys. But once Jamal comes off the floor,

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<v Speaker 4>Nikola Joki comes off the floor, and Christian Brown is

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<v Speaker 4>going from being on that second unit and the thought

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<v Speaker 4>is inserting him in the starting unit. How is that

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<v Speaker 4>that that second unit going to look and Kim may

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<v Speaker 4>sustain the longevity of the season.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, And I think that's a big part of what

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<v Speaker 2>they're hoping for with with Russell Westbrook is is to

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<v Speaker 2>just be a little bit more attacking with that with

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<v Speaker 2>that second unit. But going back to when I covered

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<v Speaker 2>the team, the thing that Malone always really wants his

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<v Speaker 2>second unit to be is sort of pestering defensively and

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<v Speaker 2>one that really gets out and runs in transition. Because

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<v Speaker 2>it's not like they never play that way when Nikola

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<v Speaker 2>Jokic is out there, but they're much more of a,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, just a surgical half court team when when

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<v Speaker 2>he's on the court, because that's what he does. He

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<v Speaker 2>can he can pick you apart in that way when

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<v Speaker 2>they are a second unit. They want to be able

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<v Speaker 2>to win with defense and then get out and push

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<v Speaker 2>the tempo. And that's that's a big part of why

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<v Speaker 2>they brought Russell Westbrook in here. But that being said,

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<v Speaker 2>even if they play that way, you still have to

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<v Speaker 2>have the shooting. And you know, you're you're if you're

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<v Speaker 2>bringing Christian Brown into the starting lineup, you know that

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<v Speaker 2>that opens up an opportunity in the backcourt to have

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<v Speaker 2>somebody who can shoot a little bit more like. That's

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<v Speaker 2>why I think Strawther on the second unit being you know,

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<v Speaker 2>getting some opportunity to handle the ball next to Jamal

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<v Speaker 2>Murray or Russell Westbrook, but also like having him out

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<v Speaker 2>there as a guy that can stretch the floor a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit, like that's that's the guy that they have

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<v Speaker 2>a lot kind of riding on to be that to

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<v Speaker 2>be that answer, because yeah, the bench obviously toward the

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<v Speaker 2>end of last season and certainly in the playoffs, it

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<v Speaker 2>wasn't enough. And now you're you're depending more on some

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<v Speaker 2>of these some of these other guys you know, to

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<v Speaker 2>come through. So it's a it's a huge question. Mark.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm with you, Nick, like that, that's that's the part

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<v Speaker 2>that we're gonna need to see pretty early on.

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<v Speaker 1>Nick Cosmider of the Athletic always appreciate the time, brother,

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<v Speaker 1>look forward to seeing you out there on Sunday.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely so let's take care. Thanks a lot,