Hidden SECRET Gems That Could Change The Nuggets

Hidden SECRET Gems That Could Change The Nuggets

coming up what are some events that are unlikely but could change the course of Nuggets history going forward We’ll talk about some of the young guys plus some names that you’ve probably never heard of out there in the market plus year two of Russ and Denver and I’ll tell you why this division might get a little bit worse next year All that and more on Lockdown Nuggets You are Locked on Nuggets your daily Denver Nuggets podcast part of the Locked On Network your team every day Welcome to Locked Onuggets your daily Denver Nuggets podcast Part of the Locked On Network your team every day Thanks for joining us and making this part of your day being with us being an every day or Monday through Friday joining us on all of our shows throughout this what should be a Wild Nuggets off season Glad to have you with us Today’s show is brought to you by Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money Use code lock on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year My name is Matt Moore I write a substack called the Denver Dig I’ve been a credential media member for the Denver Nuggets for going on 14 seasons I’m joined by Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports their senior Nuggets writer He is the host of the Pickax and Roll podcast which you can check out daily as well Ryan how’s your offseason going It’s pretty good Uh like I actually spent a whole bunch of time with friends today I didn’t actually get to watch the finals game at least the the vast majority of the time where OKC separated but uh it was good and I do feel refreshed and I’m very excited to kind of get into this It’s been it’s been nice to kind of step away and then kind of step back in when needed On today’s show we’re going to talk about Russell Westbrook’s year two in Denver I’ve got some thoughts on some things I’m hearing about the league and why some things might be different next year in the division including but not exclusively with OKC But we’re going to start by talking about gray swan events What’s a grey swan event Okay you’ve heard of black swan events right So black swan event is an event that cannot be predicted and causes a massive change in whatever ecosystem it occurs into It is by its very definition unpredictable So you can’t like come up with an example of it because you don’t know what it is So like I can’t project for you what that would be for Denver But what we can do is there are white swan events which are likely events that still create a major impact in the ecosystem and gray swan events And gray swan events are statistically improbable They’re unlikely to occur but if they do occur they cause a massive change in the ecosystem So the Nuggets are probably in a little bit of need of a Black Swan event to to radically alter their course but there are a number of things and I wrote about this on the dig this week I wrote about how basically look I ran down all the bad stuff from 2024 I just like went through it and was like everything sucked They still won 50 games and were the four seed and they pushed OKC to seven games but everything sucked Like Choker was miserable Jamal got hurt again Jamal was not a great allaround Uh Aaron went through a year from hell None of the guys developed The coaching staff in the front office were engaged in a Game of Thrones play It was all bad And I was like but here’s the thing That was last year and next year’s next year And next year it can be your year again because it was your year in 2023 and it can’t be your year every year but there is nothing stopping 202526 from being a Nuggets year once again You have to get the vibes and small changes and then you really are set to go You don’t need and honestly if you make the major changes that so many Nuggets fans are in favor of and I don’t disagree with or blame you for feeling that way Let me be very clear on this Not like “Well you want all these changes and they should keep.” No I get it I trust me if they could I would be like “You should absolutely do this.” Ryan and I are stuck between like “Hey you should probably change everything.” And if they were like “Like like what?” Be like “I don’t know.” Um stuff because it’s difficult right So anyway I want to talk about Grey Swan events Ryan And one first thing I’ll ask you now that we have this along is this this is no jinx by the way We would never ever jinx anybody Can Julian Strawther be a Grey Swan event next year I think he can Um I think it was either you and I are talking about this or or Swipe and I talking about this I I think that there’s a chance that Julian just walks into the year next year averaging 15 a game off the bench and and being one of those guys that the team trusts that they can run some offense through that they can run some plays for on a more consistent basis He’s developed the the trust of the team a little bit because in his rookie season he got hurt Only played about 500 545 minutes or so And then in his second season he played a whole bunch more He played I think about 1300 minutes but still got hurt But the lasting impression that I think everybody has from this season is Julian turning a game around and like the last home game of the Nuggets season a massive massive and like this is something that is going to stick with the coaching staff and the fan base for a long time I think So could he do it Absolutely Should it be expected Probably not But that’s why it’s a Grey Swan event This is something that I think you could potentially hope for but we’ll see Could he be Jordan Clarkson Yes absolutely I think my my comparison that I have always used to him is Terrence Ross Somebody who could just like come off the bench and either like not going to get a whole heck of a lot or you’re going to get an explosion You’re going to get something amazing and something that that’s that’s always just kind of how Terren Ross was and like and so Jordan Clarkson I think is a very reasonable comp too I think Swipas also compared him to Jordan Pool in in the method that he would get into that And so Jordan P had his big year in his third season not his second season So if Julian Straw’s going to do this it would be in year three not in year two So maybe there’s an opportunity there Okay Pton Watson Okay Can he be a Grey Swan event He can Like there’s there’s no doubt like and I think this is one of the things you can’t bet on too many Grey Swan events I think you could bet on you I think you just don’t you just need one Yeah absolutely If you just have one more isn’t that maybe the difference I I maybe uh I think you probably still need a little bit more stability on the back end for sure But if you got one of these guys whether it’s Payton Watson turning into like I I would say a 12 point per game four rebound three assist kind of player that you could close in different situations on a more consistent basis Absolutely Like and I could see that happening He had the talent to do it There’s no question about it I I think people are more concerned with the feel And I think that this is a large summer for him for sure in terms of developing that feel and trying to figure out whether he can be somebody that the rest of the team is going to trust on a consistent basis because that was clearly something that was faltering over the course of this season Uh but I do think that it’s possible he’s just got to put in a lot of work for those specific things and trying to improve feel not necessarily bag Yeah I wrote a little bit about this in the dig I I think that that was like a lot of it is like he didn’t work on the stuff that they wanted him to work on and then he got hurt right The injury stuff I want to give him a pass on because I’m just I have a hard time being like Peyton Watson’s not in great shape I’m like have you seen him Like the kid glides No So I understand that they want him but there’s also there’s got to be a little bit of a rebalancing with the player development staff in terms of you can’t ask all these young players to just try and become the player the Denver Nuggets need for a two-year window with Nicole Joic Like they have to have 10 12 year careers And so like it is okay for Payton Watson to want to become everything he can be and not just be Jaden McDaniels not just which would be a great outcome for him And and he shouldn’t be villainized for that either like that’s not and I think that’s one of the factors is that Jokic especially and I think the the starters that already won a championship but mostly Joic really just want guys to fit in to do their roles and be like why why aren’t we doing this Why aren’t we like doing the things that get us wins Like come on And Payton’s thinking well what if I was Aaron Gordon What if I was Michael Porter What if I was one of these guys that was put into this position But the only way that he’s ever going to do that is if he develops skills So I I don’t blame him and I don’t blame his camp for like wanting to try to push the envelope a little bit And so you’re right I I wasn’t uh Stephen Graham one of the guys that was reportedly taken out uh by Chris Haynes Yep Okay So maybe there is a a change in player development of some sort Uh let me be clear on this Dragutin says bore your window Shame on you Matt All I’m not talking about Yoka’s span I’m only talking about um if you’re trying to fit a guy you’re usually just trying to have a role player for two to for two to four years Yeah Like that guy probably like none of these guys will likely be in Denver six as long as Jamal and MPJ and even Aaron Like that’s rare right So that continuity is kind of rare That’s my only point here Coming up I got another Grey Swan event that I want to talk about and it’s outside of the Nuggets organization and I got a number of players that I’m gonna throw at Ryan and I’m going to set it up with this premise The Nuggets need to take a page out of the Pacers book I’ll tell you why coming up on Lock on Nuggets Today’s show is brought to you by Monarch Money You ever check your bank account and wonder where did all my money go between dining out online shopping and entertainment it’s easy to lose track Going to the movies right now so expensive and you go in there you’re like “I’m just going to a movie.” And then winds up taking a huge chunk out especially if you’ve got a family or a significant other or friends that you’re taking out That’s where Monarch Money comes in Your personal CFO giving you full visibility and control over your finances Monarch Money isn’t just a budgeting app It’s a complete financial command center You can track all your accounts investments and spending in one place so you stop just managing your money and start building wealth Instead of juggling multiple apps you can use Monarch to check all your finances track spending and even plan your long-term goals Take control of your finances with Monarch Money Use code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year That’s monarchmoney.com Code lockon NBA for half off your first year We’ll be right back on Locked on Nuggets Back here on Locked on Nuggets Thanks for joining us and making us part of your day Appreciate you guys being with us Check out youtube.com/lockon nuggets Hit the like and subscribe button and you can join folks like Swipa who is apparently hanging out in the chat segment and causing mayhem as he is want to do Uh okay So here’s what I was thinking about I was thinking about the Nuggets are not going to try trade for a Tyresese Halbertton They’re not going to trade for Shay Gillis Alexander That’s not going to happen Most likely if it does it’s obviously a black swan event and by its very definition cannot be predicted But what they can do Ryan and you’re going to be this is you’re going to love this is that me the concept guy that capes for the veterans I think it would be great if they added a veteran on an MLE this summer But with the trade assets that they have what you can do is you can attach assets and make some sense of giving guys opportunities who aren’t getting them in their current place that the team wants to help out and give them a better opportunity And the target to do that is under the fourth year of service So the first three years of their career and find those types of players You’re nodding your head vigorously So that is the they’re the second contract guys This is the the second it’s the second draft guys These are these are pretty common uh over the course of these last few years where these different and Aaron Nesmith I think is a really good example of that who I it’s one of the reasons why you’re bringing this up in Boston didn’t necessarily have a great opportunity They trade him to Indiana Indiana immediately buys into who he is and now he’s a a main contributor on an NBA Finals team and clearly one of the more valuable 3 and D players on that on that kind of contract in the entire NBA So I I’m with you I think the peak of this discussion and I actually hit on this with Jake Coin on Pickax and Roll was Jabari Smith Jr as like hey probably not going to give up on somebody like that but can you like go shoot for the moon with those kinds of players if you can You’re not going to give me that level but I do think that it’s it’s a great opportunity to maximize your potential option there Pushing Justin Champagne and Sadi Bay as the two guys that are possible Sadique is a little bit older but I hear what you’re saying there So um I like Champions by the way Yeah I like where your head’s at but starting with the guy that was projected to go number one in the draft right up until the night before the draft and then went third Maybe this was a hypothetical Jamal Murray trade I just want to make that clear Fair enough Um I got some names Okay Uh Jaylen Wells I don’t think is going to be getable That would be be a guy on this list I don’t think he’s getable Yeah Scottie Pippen Jr though grades out really well So what I did here is I I took a look at so Brian or Ryan here’s what I I I tried to do I looked at under four years of service with a minimum 20% usage rate 15 minutes played per game for at least 40 games So the goal was large enough sample size was an actual rotation player wasn’t just like played five games and look great Um had an actual usage rate because I do think you want somebody who can actually put the ball in their hands Great Okay So not a not not just like a pure just stands out there guy Um Scotty Pippen Jr is like an interesting one and I think he’s probably more maybe more of like not even this year but next summer might be a target from the perspective of okay if Russ finishes out this season Russ moves on and you’re looking for a long-term backup point guard But if there’s a mid-season deal to be made and no one really knows what Memphis is going to do I’ve heard both like they are on the verge of like everything going and I’ve heard like they’re just gonna run it back and they’re not gonna make any sort of they’re not gonna do anything crazy I’ve heard both Okay Um but I do think like Scotty Pippen Jr is an interesting one He was a pest versus SGA defensively that really impressed me and he’s actually really efficient So I’m using stuff my border my my baseline here by the way is I’m starting from estimated wins on EPM I want a guy that that projects better in the metrics because if we’re going to admit you’re not going to get a guy that you really like a Jawari Smith you’re gonna have to go after guys without pedigree So who are the guys that actually shine under the advanced metrics in order to be able to get this This is where I think the metrics have real value in terms of finding not to go too moneyball but guys that you can actually find that make more of an impact than what the box score indicates Hidden gems Hidden gems if you will Yeah So your thoughts on Sky Pippen Jr Sky Pippen Jr would be great I think that that’s a like one of the good things about Jamal Murray specifically is if if you’re going to continue to build around Murray he can play both on and off the ball He’s somebody that like especially if it’s Scotty Pip like he would take on the tougher defensive assignment on the ball and then Murray would then be freed up a little bit in those kinds of lineups So I I think that would be great This kind of a a different version maybe more of a defensive-minded version of Monte Morris and Jamal Murray I could see that working really well This one is like a very extreme version of this And this is one that a lot of people are going to go like “Oh yeah.” And that’s the point here You’re going to have to ugget at some of the these ones But I do think it’s worth mentioning Says Marvin Bagley off the bench would be decent I’m telling you the numbers consistently say that Marvin Baggley is not as bad as it looks Like he is better than his reputation He has been stuck on bad terrible teams in bad situations And then when you look at the overall numbers you’re kind of like you know they were a little bit better with him And I think that those are guys that you should at least be taking flyers on I would I like PJ Hall a lot and I think that he’s actually worth keeping but like I’d rather have Marvin Bagley on roster than like Hunter Tyson Like I think that would be better for where Denver’s at I think Hunter can still get it together and have like a really great career But I think it would be better for Denver to have like a Marvin Bagley than Hunter If you could get him on a minimum that would be great like the he’s the the guy that you’re not going to spend a TPMLE on him but if you can get him on a minimum and guarantee that he would get an opportunity then he would probably be willing to do it because he could both play next to and behind Nicole Joic and have some flexibility there I cannot I do not think that he is getable I think they understand how good he is but with the Spurs you never quite know Um Jeremy Sohan is coming up on restricted free agency for the San Antonio Spurs What’s their plan in the front court if not with him I mean they kind of want him as like a That’s why they put him in ball handler situations though They want him to be a little bit more versatile but they don’t they’ve got they’ve got WebMama like they’ve got What if they get Giannis which is not likely to happen now but worth asking I I mean look if Sohan was available and like I assume in that situation you’re having to give up one of Payton or Julian in order to get him though right Yeah And that’s where that’s where these values like you have to start picking and choosing And I kind of think that Payton with his on the ball defense and Julian with his shooting and versatility both of them do fit into around what Denver currently has a little bit better than Sohon counter No one would ever rebound against them ever again Ever Decent decent counter Um Grey Dick’s too good Cam Whitmore is a really interesting one Not the biggest Cam Whitmore fan in terms of like his approach but I will say like the numbers are awfully good and I kind of wonder if there’s more there And he’s athletic physical versatile can have some on the ball scoring on some off the ball scoring Is there more defensively to get there for him Because I think that’s one of the reasons why he didn’t play as much Yeah I think so I think it’s probably like a little bit more for him to to be able to get there Um could you see him starting at the three Jeremy Uh yes I can Then then I would take the flyer Swip wants me to say that went to Baylor I’m not sure why I do not know why he wants to do it Baylor Hardly know her Uh speaking of our guy Swipa guess who the next name on my list is here Uh was it Keon Johnson Keshan George actually Kan George It’s Keshan George You love Keshan You love a lot of the Wizards guys but Keshan especially I’m sorry I was I ke George I apologize Keshan George I think he’s really good If the Wizards decide to go another direction with their point guard situation I would absolutely like all of the Wizards are the guys I think the Nuggets should be looking at Like all of the Wizards I would absolutely be be doing business with the Washington Wizards right now It used to be the Hornets with uh like while PJ Washington was there He was a perfect kind of second contract guy for this situation before So I I love it I think that taking advantage of those kinds of teams is the right choice Of course Uh and this is like this is the one that really stood out to me with a plus 0.02 offensive EPM and a 1.24 estimated wins which is pretty high on this list Bryce Sensah Interesting And I get it It’s like the these are the type of guys that we’re talking about is like what the goal of this is to try and find players that if given a bigger opportunity because Denver is so short-handed could be good enough that if they were given the opportunity it could be like the to like Tory Craig did this Yeah Right Yeah Yeah And then they somehow reached this level where the the club is so exclusive that it’s seven guys and we just got to get two more people in the car And I feel like there’s opportunities there I f the field 42% from three for Bryce Sensa over 71 games Like I can’t imagine that they’re going like but they only started him for 15 of those games this year That’s so weird Like I wonder if this was kind of an intentional sandbagging event from Utah where they’re like “Yeah we know he’s good but we’re not going to show it yet because we want to lose games.” Uh but if if he was getable then I I would take the I would take the flyer for sure I’ll run down a few more quickly before we go to the other side and talk about Russ Jacobe Walter from Toronto They have so many different like three like like two like shooting guard types that not sure how to feel about it Uh Jaylen Wilson out of the Nets Okay Uh Noah Clowny out of the Nets I think is a really sneaky good one I’m a big Noah Clowney guy Yeah I think that his his advanced metrics look pretty good And there is Keiante George on this list Like Keonte George right behind Jaime Hakez in estimated wins this season So and that’s like a buy low opportunity depending on who like if Fears goes to Utah you’ve probably got an opportunity to get Keonte George and that would not be a bad opportunity there Um Simone Fonteio I do think is getable A little bit older not super crazy about it but I do think it’s worth at least considering Uh Jaden Hardy from the Mavs another I think one that’s probably worth considering He got And Jordan Hawkins from the Pelicans I think is another one that they should definitely look at Jordan Hawkins would love to go get He He’s really just a shooter and nothing else right now but he is somebody that if if you’re looking to get into the modern NBA you got to stack up on shooters and Denver could certainly use more Okay coming up we will talk about Russell Westbrook Um and I will answer the question that everyone’s asking in the comments which is what about the GM Talk about that coming up on Lifetime Nuggets NBA fans you know what time it is Playoff season means big performances and even bigger rewards Door Dash is bringing the heat with a slam dunk deal for Dash Pass members during the 2025 NBA playoffs It’s called they swoosh you score Anytime a player drops 50 or more points in a playoff game Dash Pass members score a free threepiece crispy tenders combo from Wingtop the very next day Just place an order of $20 or more Use the code Wingstop50 at checkout and that combo is yours Crispy delicious and totally free Offer valid noon to midnight the day after the game Terms apply What’s your go-to move after an epic game Are you ordering wings and reliving the highlights Imagine being rewarded with free food just because someone went off for 50 It’s gotta be SGA That’s that’s like it’s anybody but SGA I’ll be shocked in these NBA finals So here’s the play Sign up for Dash Pass to unlock this and more exclusive deals all season long When any player scores 50 plus in a playoff game Dash Pass members can grab a free threepiece crispy tender combo from Wingstop the next day with a $20 or more order and code Wingstop 50 That’s Dash Pass your door to more savings more flavor and more ways to win Terms apply We’ll be right back on Locked on Nuggets Back here on Locked on Nuggets Thanks for joining us and making us part of your day Uh okay I thought we would have gotten an announcement by the end of this week that they had either hired Ben Tenzor as general manager Ben Tenzor as general manager and someone else as president of basketball operations or someone new as president of basketball operations and they would hire a GM under them I thought we would have gotten that decision We did not It is not ideal that they are going that they we are two three weeks away from the NBA draft and they do not have this However if you’re the Nuggets you have to also be like well we don’t have a draft pick So it’s not exactly like oh man gotta get in the room and do like they’re they have guys that are able to do it What I would tell you is I would be surprised at this at this point and I have not like I’m no one knows is what the answer I get is like no one knows There’s been no word Um I would be surprised if the existing structure wasn’t integrated into something permanent So I would be very surprised if they go through this entire process and then like Tenzer drafts and then they fire Tenzer and bring in a new PB PO I think this is more likely to be they go through the draft process they don’t draft anybody they go through draft night they work some deals try and see what they got probably don’t get anything and then like a PBO can be hired at any point There is nothing I don’t there is not a lack of existing structure They did not wipe out the entire front office and in part I think for this purpose That’s my read on things Ryan Yeah it just gives it makes me queasy just the the CT brings it up here Connelly hired 10 days before the draft in 2013 And you remember what happened in 2013 They sold off their pick for cash and then that pick ended up being Rudy Gobear And that was kind of a a that was a something that was dictated by the front It was dictated by ownership It was like just said “Hey we’re going to do this You’re not going to work on this This is not something that matters to us.” Obviously they don’t have a pick so it’s not that big of a deal but you start to develop your relationships with all these agents and these other general managers and things like that and being able to cultivate And so if teams don’t know who they’re supposed to be talking to when they’re talking to the nuggets they’re not going to make deals They’re not going to share information They’re not going to do anything that like is really really important in terms of getting these margin moves right So I just I mean I’ll push back there I don’t think there’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen right now I think if anything they don’t have enough cooks in the kitchen I think it’s pretty Yeah that’s it’s Josh and and Ben I don’t think it’s Josh I think it’s Ben So I I think right now Ben is acting as acting general manager and he’s in charge And you can feel however you want about that But I don’t worry about like I don’t think there’s chaos and I say this as somebody that like I know organization like I’ve I’ve done a lot of work on researching like various organizations that are chaos They rhyme with schmucks and like there that’s that’s not this Sure So I I get it Look I’m not saying you should be thrilled about it You should be like “Come on man Can we get can we can you help me out so I can at least don’t have to worry about what you’re going to do here?” Yeah There’s not going to be a hire that’s gonna like freak you out They’re not going to hire like Mark Jackson to be the POV I think there’s still a possibility that it’s either one of Tim Connelly or Matt Lloyd Um if it wasn’t one of those guys I’d be kind of surprised if if unless it’s somebody internal Yeah Uh let’s talk Russ So we’ll we’re gonna talk a lot about Russ this this offseason because we have lots of time to talk about all these players And so I I did kind of want to get Ryan’s kind of first thoughts Um I want to start with this question Do you think year two Russ will be better or worse than year one The odds say that it’ll be worse And the big reason why like I’m I’m thinking about his Clipper stint I’m thinking about of actually he has only been like one year for a lot of these other places but then they decided to kind of shift anyway Uh odds say that year 18 Russ is going to be slightly worse than year 17 Russ just by the aging curve and by different decisions But um I also think that Michael Malone was definitely a little bit more willing to kind of allow certain mistakes and allow certain things to kind of build up And I don’t think that David Adelman is going to be like that necessarily He will probably be more hey if you make some mistakes we’re going to go with Jaylen Picket or whoever the other options are And if the leash is just a little bit shorter to kind of play through some of those things then I wouldn’t expect it to be better Would you It’s going to be the best year of his career since he left Oklahoma City That’s that’s the take He’s settled He’s comfortable What we are what we need to because I had to like really think about this We talk all the time about how he won’t shift He won’t adjust He did he did take fewer jumpers off the dribble and he did become a corner three shooter Like let’s not overlook how significant that is that a player of his caliber and age and reputation molded himself and became way more of a spot up threat to play around the other guys He built a chemistry with with Nicole Joic He built chemistry with the other guys It’s clear that Aaron Gordon is protective of him after that that report that set him off and he still keeps referencing it This is going to be the best this is going to be the best season of Russell Westbrook’s career since he left Oklahoma City Now wow Do I think it’s going to be like All-Star No But it’s going to be the season in which you’re like “No no.” Like you know what Russ has just been a positive this year I really do I think genuinely he’s starting to do something I did not think he was capable of I think he’s starting to change I think he’s finally at a point in his career and his life where he’s willing to change And I think we saw that this year I think the fact he could have gotten disconnected after that Minnesota game and just checked out It could have been like the awkward thing in the room and nobody wanted to talk about it He just wasn’t playing and he gave great games in the Clipper series No I I firmly agree Like he was he was great in the Clipper series There was no doubt about it and and asking anybody to be good in the OKC series when they are as good as they are I think was maybe a bridge too far in this situation Denver didn’t really have the infrastruct like they still took him to seven but like they didn’t necessarily have the full-on infrastructure to punish some of the things like with Russell Westbrook’s skill set in in that particular series but like no he he will I I think he’ll play fewer minutes I think he will play fewer time and maybe he’s okay with that and may maybe taking a little bit less of a role in the regular season be even more ready for the playoffs Uh I don’t I don’t know what that’s going to ultimately look like There’s a possibility that once he gets the surgery on on his shooting hand then he’ll be even better shooting Um that would be great like as and guys especially kind of in his age tier in his age bracket get better as shooters as their career goes along So we will see what ultimately happens but he he does like you you are right about him kind of transitioning into just being a corner guy It’s been good Uh he will play just as many minutes overall average per game next year as he did this year He will have almost exactly the same role It will not be a drastic reduction and it will be a great year for him And you will and you are going to have to suck it That’s what’s going to have to that’s what’s going to be I am turning a new leaf to optimism Ryan Blackburn That is this is I’m ser and I’m not this isn’t an an act too I’m serious I really do think so Look Russ if Russ adapts he’s got the basketball IQ and mindset to be able to be really effective If he’s better as a shooter that takes away even if he just translates into just corner shooting This is Jason Kidd That’s what Jason Kidd did late in his career You can’t say Russ doesn’t have a good basketball IQ He obviously does Jason Kidd and and Russ a little bit different here in terms of like like level passers but I mean I I get it I I agree with you He is one of the like I could I could see that kind of turn I I’m not going to sit here and say it isn’t but like 28 minutes per game is a lot That that is a that is a lot of minutes per game Matt I I just it’s hard for me to expect that Uh it kind of sets him up to fail in that case if he doesn’t reach that But like if he’s able to do that I mean that’d be awesome Don’t you think that there’s still an opportunity for him to opt out and go get more money Maybe Maybe Sure doesn’t seem like it though Seems like he might stay We’ll see Uh says “Matt do you remember that Timberwolves game It’s one game He had a bad game Guys get to have bad games That’s it Some guys Well I’m sorry To me guys get to have some to me guys get to have good games or bad games to everyone else in a while To everybody else only one guy gets to have bad games Uh I have a 30 second take I have to get get out here Division I think might get worse next year I’m not sure the Jazz are going to be any better at all They’re going to try but I’m not sure they’re going to succeed They might trade Lori Markin in a lot of conversation Nas Reed is going to have heavy suitors including in Detroit So there’s a very strong possibility that the Wolves are going to get priced out of some of their guys That would be devastating to them with their depth and they’d have to try and trade Julius Randall in order to replace that That’d be a very tricky thing or Rudy Goar Yikes Mike Connley agent out So like the Wolves I think are going down a tier I think they are they are going to fall off a little bit and that could lead to some big complications in the West Portland’s going to be better for sure but I’m not sure how much better given they made like this was a good year for them and they still don’t really have a structure to really rely on on either end The defense is pretty good but still not elite And then you got OKC which obviously like I think they’re going to win the title Looks like they’re going to win the title Maybe they’ll win the title Um but also like I just gonna tell you as much as it’s like well Chad got hurt and heart got hurt other than that they were fully healthy If they have any more injuries after a long playoff run in a league where we’ve seen the the champion not go back to back since 2018 I think there’s a good possibility of a little bit of slippage I think the division is going to be a little bit worse next year Ryan well that’d be great for Denver because it’s been a very difficult division for a while So we’ll see We’ll see whether they could kind of take advantage of that or not All right On Tuesday we’ll talk more uh maybe we’ll talk more about Russ We’ll talk more about our candidates here for these type of things We’ll keep you track keep up you up to date on the PBO or GM or whatever they’re going to do front office stuff Make sure to keep it here Download subscribe hit the like like button five star reviews Have a great week We’ll see you guys again next time on Locked on Nuggets A boxy in

Matt Moore and Ryan Blackburn discuss all things Nuggets including Russell Westbrook’s Denver Year 2, and sneaky good players that could help the Nuggets.

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