KCP is gone, Russell Westbrook is on the way?

KCP is gone, Russell Westbrook is on the way?

on today’s show kcp is gone what does that mean for the Nuggets slept on it do I have updated thoughts we’ll talk about that Russell Westbrook possibly to Denver and then the big question everybody’s talking about are the nuggets in trouble this is locked on nuggets you are locked on nuggets your daily Denver Nuggets podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what is up everybody Welcome to the locked on nuggets podcast part of the locked on podcast Network I’m your host Adam Modis flying solo today Matt returning from vacation he’ll be with you I believe tomorrow so you’ll get updated thoughts from him kind of nice to do them separate you’ll get me you’ll get swipa you’ll get Matt and every day there should be a little bit more information so there’ll be something different to talk about but also different perspectives um you know I talked last night on my other show about you know there hasn’t been any news for Denver at least uh since last night and segment three I’ll talk about hartenstein going to Oklahoma City it’s a move that I think is great for Oklahoma City we’ll talk about big picture where are the Nuggets currently in the grand scheme of of you know the title race but I want to make the show different obviously than the ones I’ve done even though there hasn’t been any updated information and some of this is you have to kind of digest you kind of have to sit it on even though this move kcp going somewhere else does not surprise me this is something that I’ve kind of been preparing you know my audiences for and telling telling them I thought that this was almost a lock to happen and it and it worked out out that way but I want to give updated perspectives on all of these pieces and the first part of this is the one that probably has the least movement for me the idea of kcp actually that’s not necessarily true there is some movement so I don’t like that the Nuggets don’t have kcp next year I think that they are almost certainly worse right now than they were two days ago almost certainly going to be worse you know in terms of what is their median or average um outcome what what is that look like relative to last season I think it is probably worse kcp was a phenomenal player and he was the best at a very specific type of defense that was important for the nuggets and that they needed I think that more important than losing kcp in terms of your starting lineup the depth now for Denver is worse if you look at it Denver used to have two defensive backourt players kcp and Christian Brown two offensive backourt players and Reggie Jackson and Jamal Murray and kcp of all the guys was the most two-way player he has he had some offense he provided offensive value and he provided defense you take him out of the equation I’m not sure who you replace him with maybe it’s a Russell Westbrook maybe it’s a Julian Str maybe you’re replacing both Reggie Jackson and kcp with st and and say a Russell Westbrook we’ll get to the Westbrook piece later it’s hard to look at that and say that there are two defensive players out of those four if that is the four players and if you add Jaylen picking into the mix I think it’s the same thing even though I think Jaylen pigot’s actually a very good Team Defender and an underrated Defender he’s not a kcp he’s not a Christian Brown so he’s you know would be below that and I’m not even sure he’s going to be in the rotation now with the latest rumors that perhaps Westbrook is coming so you look at that and say Denver is very likely to only have one defensive backcourt specialist and Christian Brown and I actually we’re g talk about it in a second I think he is a phenomenal defensive player but I don’t know that he is in every you know for perfect for every single match up and more importantly it eliminates the opportunity to play two defensive back court players and it eliminates your depth so even if there’s an injury or you arrest a guy or whatever you’re going to be short something so this loss to me even though I’ve slept on it I mean again I’ve been thinking about this for three four weeks so it’s not like a thing I haven’t you know caught me off guard I have to really digest my thoughts but I don’t like it I think the nuggets are going to have to overcome now a weakness that they did not have in the previous two seasons the thing that I go back and forth on and that I think I I feel a little bit differently this morning than I did yesterday is that the decision making to get here I I understand and that is that while the nuggets are almost undoubtedly worse and going to be worse in this next season at least in that one one Department which is a very important one you know pick and roll defense and backcourt defense this was a move in my opinion that was solely motivated by this new collective bargaining agreement this new uh second apron and I know a lot of people the the impulse they did this for Bruce Brown and you know depending on your level of uh like not everybody really cares to get into the Weeds about you know how the CBA works even myself I only have a certain appetite for for the details of it but I do understand that the motivating factor for all teams but in particular Denver was the SE with not wanting to go into the second apron was how inflexible it makes you in future moves the fear is not you know oh it’s spending a lot of money I think you know you hear that a lot I honestly don’t think it has to do with that if you do it’s fine but I just don’t think the money is going to be big enough difference that it’s like oh the cronies are trying to save money during yach’s Prime I believe them and take them at the word then they want to win and they’re spending a lot of money on this roster they had one of the most expensive rosters last year as well but the second apron would make it almost impossible to make trades you know the salary matching is the big thing so you think about okay well you get kcp but then you can trade him a couple you keep him from now and then you trade him in the summer next summer or you trade him at some point um down the line being in that second acram makes it really hard to trade him you have to really dollar match in a ridiculous degree which maybe there’s just no teams that have salaries that match up um that puts you in a really tight spot but maybe it’s other moves maybe it’s down the line you’re just trying to make a little tiny move you got this you know a guy on a two3 million contract and there’s another guy that makes sense but you can’t do it because the numbers are off by a little bit so I think that it’s the number one motivating factor and when you step back and look at that and say was it worth the risk that the Nuggets take that on for three years potentially three years with kcp of being in that second apron or having such difficulty getting out of the second apron or making any type of improvements to your roster versus the risk of you’re not going to have kcp this year I think that risk is a lot closer than I think nuggets fans will will want to you know admit but at the same time there is the the adage of a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and that is that kcp if you just brought him back this year I would look at the Nuggets title odds and say tough road gonna be tough but they have a phenomenal shot just like I thought they had a phenomenal shot this last season now you take him out of the equation undoubtedly I think they are going to have um a lower floor of of what this season can be and I think you could very easily argue a lower average of what they’re probably going to be this year but they will have the flexibility to you know going forward I have a lot of faith in Christian Brown I think that I actually when I think about how this is really going to affect Denver the more I think about it I think I’m gonna plant my flag on the idea that Denver’s starting lineup with Christian Brown and kcp spot is going to really surprise people with how dominant it is similar to what it was with kcp I mean it was do when they had kcp we talked for years about it being the best fiveman lineup certainly up there in the conversation I think with Christian Brown statistically you’re going to see a a lot there I’ve talked a lot about part of my faith in this is I have faith in nikic I think that he gets the most out of the players like he learns how to use all of his guys and they’ll be strengths one of the strengths Denver is going to have is size I mean as good as kcp was and he did have a lot of length Christian Brown is huge and physically imposing you know physically strong and there are a lot of teams that I think just physically won’t match up with Denver between Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray and and um you know Christian Brown and it’s not like you’re going to just start posting up Christian Brown because he has Fred Van Fleet on him or something like that but just the aggregate size you have offensive rebounding cuts to the basket you don’t need as much space you got to you got a quarter step on a guy you’re on on a Fred Van Vleet you’re so big now that you just muscle it up I think that Christian Brown is going to improve in those area so that his offense will actually be um a positive this season for for Denver his shooting is a concern and in the playoffs if you match up with a team that can match you on size the shooting is going to become a huge factor for Denver and could be a thing that sinks them the same could be true for kcp this last year by the way as good as he was defensively if you get into a matchup Allah Anthony Edwards where he can where he’s not imposing and Michael Malone is slow or or reluctant to you know mix up the lineups and try something else that works you know that that sunk you so the starting lineup to me it’s a long way of saying I think the starting lineup I actually have a lot of confidence in and if I really felt bold I would say that I think the the net rating of the starting five not saying they’ll be better but the net rating will be better with this starting five it would not surprise me at all this upcoming season where I think that the wheels fall off is that Denver’s depth now to me is a serious question there are so many unproven guys in that second lineup and not just unproven guys but when you start to do the math of okay what kind of combinations if you do think there’s a stagger you know Michael M’s going to changed what he’s done for 10 seasons in Denver and now he’s going to stagger and have a whole different style of of blending players which again I’m personally very skeptical of but even if you do say that I think you look at that back court and say it’s hard to come up with a rotation where there’s going to be a great defensive um backcourt player defensive guard on the floor at all times and that’s the hard part Christian Brown was there on that bench if he gets elevated to the starting lineup I just who is your bench going to be you know Strather and Russell Westbrook that’s in I mean how does that work defensively to me Julian Str this also puts an enormous amount of pressure on Julian Str and Str didn’t play that many minutes this year for us to really know I’ve I’ve said I love strw and I want him to work out I like I like him as a person he’s came you know got got to talk to him in in training camp on the show and I just I find him to be very thoughtful um I think he’s going to be a hard worker smart you know he’s got all these things going for him but he’s very unproven and to go from what he is right now and to say he needs to be a major piece not only just because of his shooting which is his number one skill but he’s also going to have to the coach of the next 82 games become solid enough defensively that you trust him to be in a playoff series to me that just saying that for before you get to the Russell Westbrook piece or any other piece of this it’s like that already becomes a pivot point for the Nuggets that I think it’s more than fair to doubt like if you’re asking somebody outside of Denver who’s not really watching these guys and they say okay so what’s the plan for the back court Off the Bench and you say oh Julian straw there people will say a guy who hasn’t played yet a guy with 500 career minutes is going to be the guy that helps this team that’s a big question mark I’m rooting for it to happen but to me that’s the the price you pay now of losing Julian St and not having a guy in the back court or rumored to be bringing one in and this changes if you go out and get maybe a Chris Dunn or or you know some defensive Ace that I don’t foresee you know some people mentioned DeAnthony Melton or this or that if something like that happens it changes the dynamic but as things currently sit and with the rumor of Russell Westbrook if you’re backourt off the bench is Russell West and Julian Str that does not scream to me a championship caliber back court Off the Bench and that means that you likely get into another scenario next year that you got into this year where Michael Malone does not trust all of the players in his roster and even all of the players in his rotation and you put extra pressure on the starters and you have the same chain effect so to me I think there’s reason for nuggets fans to be skeptical um of losing kcp I think it was a mistake I don’t think it’s as much of a disaster as people think I think people think the sky is falling to me after sleeping on it I understand the decision a little bit more but at the same time I still think that if you’re a nuggets fan you look at this and say I don’t feel as good today as I did two days ago let’s take a break on the other side let’s talk about the Russell Westbrook piece of this rumored to be at Denver’s rumor to have interest um he’s interest to had rumor in Denver and so maybe a deal works out give you some updated thoughts on that one on the other side this episode of Locked on nuggets is brought to you by FanDuel I love sports I love them so much I never want them to stop at the playoffs wind down we get fewer games and the sports aren’t sportsing like I want them to but FanDuel let me keep the sports going whenever I want all I have to do is open the app and dream up bets anytime I’m in the mood and this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a bonus uh with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every single day all summer long so head over to fanduel.com lockon and start making the most of your summer FanDuel the official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball visit fanduel.com uh and check them out back here on locked on nuggets given some updated perspective on this offseason let me do a quick refresh of Twitter to make sure nothing has happened Chad will have to help me out when I do these solo shows it’s hard to um it’s hard to like uh follow everything push all the buttons and everything else looks like Utah Jazz got Drew Eubanks on a$2 million $10 million deal Luca Garza is returning to Minnesota kind of funny there Luca Garza who’s like their Victory Cigar um is coming back on a deal so that one’s a little bit interesting all right let’s get into this rumor about Russell Westbrook so rumored to have interest I think the deal is going to get done I think Russell Westbrook is gonna come to Denver friend of the show stat Squatch AKA Jake coin uh let me know last night that one way because we think about what’s the trade how can Denver get are they going to have to is it a Zeke deal are they trying to get it you know a picket and a hunter or something like that to get it done maybe maybe it could be that I’m told that it it is a thing that Denver could expand the Reggie Jackson trade where they sent three second round you can expand that to then take in Russell Westbrook very clean deal don’t need to add any other pieces Clippers wouldn’t I don’t know what the Clippers would get in return for that deal but maybe they don’t want anything maybe that’s part of the facilitation um so they can go straight there so I look at that and say maybe that’s the deal and it actually isn’t it’s just really Westbrook coming over that’s at least the possibility we’ll see what ends up happening maybe you throw Hunter Tyson I don’t know but but a deal can get done that would bring him here and I expect that to be the case Russell Westbrook is so in I mean I’m I’m gonna put I’m gonna put it out here the thing with Russell Westbrook is I think there is a very wide range of outcomes for him I’m not going to sit here and Advocate and say I think it’s a great deal I’m not gonna s sit here and say that I think oh nuggets fan should be excited and optimistic about it Russell Westbrook is a very um he’s a player who plays his style and the team usually has to mold some to some degree to his game I think that he sacrificed More Than People realize when he went to the Clippers you know coming off the bench some of the style of play some of the stuff he did but at the same time Westbrook is Westbrook and he is who he is he can’t shoot he likes to shoot he sometimes takes some wild shots he’s more comfortable when he is a fulcrum of an offense but I there also are some things he provides to the Nuggets that I actually think are really good well first of all and I have to say this as reported on the dmvr show uh last night n Nicola yic I am told is somebody who is in on this deal that wanted Westbrook and thought hey I would love to play with him I think that that would be a you know something that I’m interested I like him I like Russell Westbrook and I like playing with him those two made uh hit it off in jokic’s first uh All-Star game or or all-star weekend when he was there he was one of the first superstars in the NBA to embrace him and say hey that’s you know there were so many superstars that were skeptical of him and he was one of the guys that came in and embraced him and I’m told those two have had some kind of relationship since or at least Mutual admiration so that part of it should calm you a little bit because I know a lot of people are like yol’s going to be pissed you br good Westbrook like apparently he likes it he he likes the idea and wants to play with him Westbrook is so fast even at his age if Denver can properly space the floor around him I think that they joic is such a unique player that he draws bigs out of the paint that pain is wide open for a Denver Nuggets team because of yic and his style of play and the different ways that he can punish you Westbrook is so good at attacking an empty paint and he has not played on a team since Houston he has not really played on a team that has spaced the floor that well and even on that one he was the sidekick to Jame the James Harden show so you look at that and say this is a different type of team that he’s ever played does that mean that you should expect him to change his game and to love playing with yogic no because there’s no proof that he is that type of guy or capable of doing that but he also has never been in that position and I am curious one of the things we know about guys coming over to joic whether it was Jeff Green Justin holiday a lot of vets who have been around the league and been around a lot of high-profile players and high-profile teams is that Yol does have a magic to him that guys that come here kind of Austin river is another example of this of guys who come here and are like man this is special that guy is unlike every other Superstar I mean think about he’s played with James Harden extremely selfish Superstar not just on the court but also how he carries himself in the organization the demands he makes and different things Kawhi Leonard exact same thing Paul George obviously there’s a lot of drama there Kevin Durant we all kind of know coming and playing with niola there is at least a chance that this is something that is that Russ Brook has a similar um change in perspective as some of those other guys have it’s a little wishful thinking I don’t think if you don’t buy it I don’t blame you I don’t know if I fully buy it at all either but there’s at least that hope and can I tell you something it would be a phenomenal story if Russell Westbrook came to Denver a guy who’s been maligned you know he won the MVP and he was a popular player but has been maligned as a sort of losing player if he comes to Denver and becomes a winning player not only is that a great story just from Sports it would be a great feather in the cap of n of Nikola yic and his legacy that would be part of the story of like hey man that was a guy who it didn’t matter who you were you came to the nuggets and you kind of bought into the style you adjusted your game it would be a feather in his cap and it would be like one of the great stories it also means the Nuggets if he does come here like it or not this is a star driven League Russell West Brook is an established star there’d be more attention on Denver um but I think there’s reasons that you can think it would work Russell Westbrook’s speed as aggressiveness he really is kind of like Bruce Brown in a lot of ways he doesn’t shoot the balls well and that’s obviously a huge difference but his ability and willingness and sort of nature of attacking downhill relentlessly is something Denver misses Denver did not have great dribble Drive attack at any point in the yic era outside of maybe bones Highland the only guy that really played I know people were saying RJ Hampton and schmith those guys didn’t play enough faku played a lot but he’s a different type he’s not a great you know finisher around the rim and in these different things Russell Westbrook represents at least a hope that Denver is going to have a personality or or a trait in their toolbox that they have not really had since Bruce Brown and have only had a few times in their entire history on top of that what I think it it makes me the most optimistic and I know this is a crazy thing to say I think Russell Westbrook is going to bring an attitude and a leadership to gen that they need that they desperately need it could it’s incendiary and it can go off the rails extremely quick it’s volatile leadership it can be a negative just as quickly as it can be a positive but I honestly think Jamal Murray can use this I think he could use a guy that has the clout the history the toughness the um the willingness to to to call out a teammate that Russell Westbrook will bring because Jamal Murray I think it’s going to it can be an iron sharpens iron situation I think Westbrook will be good for Jamal it might be explosive and terrible for Jamal but I think it has a chance to be very good for Jamal in a way that elevates him and unlocks a new level of him and to be honest with you when we talk about all these margins matter so much and that the Russell Westbrook on court margin might be a thing that’s just not good enough to overcome losing kcp it’s entirely possible but the biggest X Factor of all in my opinion is the play of Jamal Murray and he just was not at the level that I expected him to be uh in the playoffs last year and he was injured so frequently throughout the year that it was so up and down with him but I think there is a chance that Russell Westbrook brings something positive out of him and and I’m curious if yok’s on board and if the players at large not just yoke but the players at large I mean this isn’t just true of the Nuggets NBA players really love Russell Westbrook if they’re on board with it I’m at least intrigued to say like all right this is a new look this is a different type of team and we’ll see what happens so if you’re a nuggets fan I think part of the joy of the modern NBA or following the modern NBA and this like internet Le driven world is that you like to map things out play Fantasy GM and you judge everything by how well it lines up with your your opinion and your perspective and then you kind of take an island you know I’m on this guy’s Island and when he’s good you feel great when he’s bad you feel terrible and you start to look for reasons that didn’t worked out I we do that I do that as an analyst everybody kind of has that to them and it’s important to try to understand your own biases but I would say this one I think is so tough because it most mismatches what I think the average fan or the Die Hard fan I should say that watches podcast and these types of things it most mismatches there it doesn’t mean it’s wrong but it’s most off from what um from from what I think people were expecting and that’s part of the shock what I’ll say is whether you like it or not I do think if it does happen and I think there’s reason to say all right well this is the hand we’re dealt this is the team we have to root for rooting for the disaster there is upside to this well I think the median the the average of this is probably lower than it was last year well I think the floor definitely lower there’s disaster potential and I think that’s part of what everybody feels is you’re always afraid of the worst possible scenario and the worst possible scenario this year feels way worse than the world worst possible scenario last year I think there’s also a sneaky High upside to it and if it works out as unlikely it might be it would be a great story and it would be something that’ll be very very compelling and entertaining to watch quite frankly and I’m rooting for it let’s take one more break on the other side the other thing I think nuggets nation is feeling and why they there’s so much anxiety in the fan base is other teams got lot better including the Oklahoma City Thunder so we’ll talk about that on the other side bruing the comments here let’s see um have people slept on it feeling a little bit better nope people are still melting down a little bit okay let’s go into this deal that just happened you know what enough a funny thing actually a very funny thing because I’ve been a big heah hardenstein fan since he was in Denver I thought he was great and Isaiah hartenstein was not loved by the fan Bas at all he was actually hated people thought he sucked he was the Zeke Naji of four years ago Zeke Naji people were like that guy will never be anything he just signed an 887 million threeyear 87 million deal in Oklahoma City I believe there’s a player option on the last year of that and I actually predicted this one you know a couple weeks back you’re just kind of looking at the landscape and you go Haren Stein’s not gonna get paid whenever that move happened for Mel Bridges it was like okay henin’s the odd man out he’s going to have to go somewhere where could he go in Oklahoma City who needed a center it was like man that’s a good fit I think Haren Stein’s a great player he has gone the hard way to get where he is right now an $87 Million by the way you’re set for life he made it he made it like that’s it’s over he is officially now over the hump and whatever happens from the rest of his career he’s is gravy he gets this deal he goes to New York and he makes his name off of being an incredible hustle player defensive player and rebounder and in New York they didn’t ask for a whole lot of his offensive game he did a little bit of it from time to time like every now and then there’d be a game he get six seven assists and you know would step out and do something but for the most part his offense got shut down and reduced and his defense was what got him um you know got him paid and what worked for the Knicks he goes to a place in Oklahoma City with a coach with Mark dagot that I think is going to be a lot more creative with him on offense dagot is a guy that I think always understands his players of strengths and weaknesses and plays to them it’s one of the the the Hallmarks of these younger coaches is they’re not boxed in in with preconceived notions of what a guy should be doing and just do that and do nothing else I think dagn not’s not going to be that so I think that he has a little bit more three-point shooting Than People realize a lot more playmaking and passing Than People realize and I think that the Oklahoma City Thunder adding Alex Caruso and adding hartenstein while only really losing uh Josh giddy who was the easiest piece for them to lose you could even argue he was a bit of an anchor in the playoffs is a home run that’s a home run they added two major pieces that filled position of need and they lost nothing of value in the process I think Oklahoma City was already the number one team I thought if Denver matched up with Oklahoma City in the playoffs they would crush them in large part despite what happened in the regular season I know a lot of OKC fans always hated when I said that joic going up against Chet holr one-on-one would solve them in the playoffs like that and would overwhelm that defense I think just so handedly it’d be hard to guard them but I just think Denver would have handled that series the way they handled say the Lakers series where even if the games were close you always felt like Denver could pull it out now that you had hartenstein not that he’s like this shutdown Defender but he’s a good Defender he’s more of a good team Defender than like just a shutdown guy but he’s a big enough body to throw at yoke to at least slow him down he does foul a lot but he but he’s a big enough body to slow him down and now Chad holr gets to play that roaming defense off of Aaron Gordon and that’s really tough you factor in Alex Caruso who’s another body to throw at Jamal Murray and I look at that matchup and I say if they matched up right now given what we know about Denver even anticipating the the moves that I’m anticipating even given that I look at that and I say Oklahoma I would pick Oklahoma City to beat Denver I think Denver they have now surpassed him last year in the playoffs I did not think any team had surpassed Denver Denver lost to Minnesota so you tip your hat to them they earned it you don’t take anything away from them but I felt like if Jamal Murray was a little healthier and playing to his standards a little more in shape all those things I think Denver beats Minnesota they’re up 20 in the game seven I think if Michael Malone just plays a bench for a little bit in game seven instead of you know riding the starters too long by his own admission I think Denver wins that series but now I look at it and I say I think Oklahoma City’s better I just do Shay is phenomenal Jaylen Williams had to get his dud playoffs out of the way I think that’ll be the worst he ever plays in the playoffs he was not that impressive Chad holmgren’s getting better every every day and is going to be a beast and now you add a guy in hartstein who I absolutely love and Caruso who I actually absolutely love so they’re gonna be a great team they definitely got better and I think that’s part of why nuggets fans feel uncomfortable Rob Dillingham going to Minnesota I think is a great move they’re retaining their guys they’re kind of running back but with this new bones Highland desk spark plug off the bench and a guy in Tim Conley and Chris Finch who is definitely going to give a a longer leash I think to him I think he’ll make an impact on their team make things easier in the regular season and the playoffs who knows he’s such a tough defensive liability that maybe he’s not an option there but you never know we’ll see how that goes they didn’t get worse I don’t think I think they got better you look at Dallas um you know and some of the moves that they have made I love Quinton Grimes I actually like Naji Marshall as well so I think they’re a team that is poised to be at least as good as they were this last year Derrick Lively um gets a year older you look around the Suns have made a little Dy deal so there’s some teams that have done some stuff New Orleans I don’t really love what they did honestly so I don’t know if they’re going to be better but they’re still good San Antonio gets Chris Paul like there’s a chance San Antonio is a major xfactor in the west next year that’s how good wiim Bama is and then you give him a one of the best pick and roll guards in the NBA and Chris Paul sure he’s my age but he still can do something and all he has to do is throw lobs 12 feet in the air and then it’ll be easy that’s a that’s a a nice match and if you told me Denver matched up with San Antonio in like a 2-7 I know people right now think Denver’s going to miss the playoffs like everybody’s a little you know the Vibes are a little low so I think people’s decision making is a little lower or or predictions are a little low but let’s say jokic is the guy I think he is and he’s gonna still carry this team to 54 wins if you if you’re a two seed could you match up with the Spurs and the Seven seed yeah and would that be hard as hell to go up against a Chris Paul even with not a great Supporting Cast wi Bama Chris Paul and Greg papovich in a playoff series that would be a nightmare so the West is going to be tough Denver I think gets a little bit worse or at least their median their average gets a little worse and the West has teams that definitively get better I think that’s that’s kind of how you feel that being said I will remind nuggets fans that Denver did make the Western Conference Finals with Will Barton starting at small forward uh Once Upon a Time and Gary Harris shooting 20% and injured um you know in a playoff series this team is really good when yic and Murray are healthy doesn’t the regardless of the players they’ve been surrounded with they’ve been an unbelievable duo in regular season and playoff play offs wasn’t the case this year in large part because Jamal Murray’s injury and and just not being at top performance in the playoffs but if those things are different I still think you’re gonna see a season where Denver gets it together the big questions are we talked about it for a year now but the Synergy between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth Calvin Booth is starting to hand him a much younger roster in some ways forcing his hands you’re gonna have to play these guys and also giving him a wildly explosive X Factor in Russell Westbrook I I don’t necessarily have faith based on what Michael loone did last year I think he really put the nuggets in a tight spot with how he used Zeke Naji with how he didn’t play a lot of the young guys in key minutes how he didn’t play pton Watson in the Minnesota series despite the fact that pton Watson’s best game of the year came the third to last game of the season against Minnesota and then didn’t play in the series very much I think you know those types of things were concerning and there’s real red flags around how Michael Malone will now handle this weird roster or somewhat reared waser that Calvin Booth will hand him but I still feel nikic Jamal Murray that’s a hell of a start the guys around them starting lineup I think is going to be phenomenal and now what you have to hope for is that if Westbrook shows up he’s going to be a positive contributor I think you really have to hope that Julian St makes a giant leap and then I think you have to hope that pton Watson is the guy we the shows flashes in year three that more consistently of the good stuff that we saw in year two and I think we will I think you get a more confident pton Watson this year and a guy that’s poised to make a leap those are my updated perspectives on the Denver Nuggets and where we’re at I’m going to head into ball Arena right now and go check Don Holmes’s introductory press conference very excited for that by the way up on the website the dvr.com you can check out my film study Deep dive on Don Holmes I really enjoyed getting into the tape on him watched I don’t know almost every single shot he took in college and I feel like I have a good sense of his game now really good sense of his game and there’s some interesting Parts in there about how he scores in the post and there’s some parts of his game that I’m like that is gone cut that completely out it was a strength for him in college but he is not going to have a chance to do that if he plays his rookie season but there are also parts of his game that I say that perfectly translates that’s going to be a great yic ball player and I think I um I think you’ll enjoy getting to know his game through the clips that I selected and and the different things I wrote about so check it out on the dvr.com everybody thanks for tuning in as I mentioned Matt Mo swiper will be back with you tomorrow I expect some moves to happen I think there’s two players added to the roster today that’s my prediction there’s your teas one of them I expect will be Russell Westbrook the other one is going to be a center a small ball Center that I think they’re going that’ll probably play minutes we’ll see if those deals go through all right thanks for tuning in everybody I’ll see you next time

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