FIRST TAKE | New-look Nuggets rotation ready for another title run – Stephen A. on NBA Free Agency
one-year deal with former Detroit guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and trading for Jonas Valenunis from the Sacramento Kings for Dario Saridge. Here are all the moves that Denver has made since free agency has started. They traded Michael Porter Jr. to the Nets for Cam Johnson. That freed up money for them to bring back Bruce Brown, a key member of their 2023 championship run. David, has Denver done enough to support the Joker? Absolutely. I think Denver right now they last year of course took OKC to game seven and the reason they lost they ran out of players. They ran out of depth. They could not even get really four guys on the court. Now they’ve added Cam Johnson who I think is a better player than Michael Porter especially with that contract. And they’ve added depth which is something that they’ve missed. And the Tim Hardway Jr. aspect of this is so underrated. Dude shot 63% on open spot threes. How many more of those threes you think you’re going to get with Jokic on the court? This team has gotten pretty much the stuff that they need and Jokic of course is the wild card. They are as tough a competitor of OKC as there is in the West. This is the stuff that I think that would make Jokic want to come back.
Tim, I mean Denver has added some okay veteran role players and this the sad state of affairs with the Nuggets the past couple years is that some okay role players might be enough to lift them over the finish line. That’s how poor their bench has been and that’s how inevitable Nicole Joic is. I mean, this is a team that lost in game seven in each of the last two Western Conference semi-finals after winning the title, blowing a 20-point lead to Minnesota two years ago and then losing obviously a blowout in game seven to the Thunder. But they were up in game four of that series in the fourth quarter. If they win that game, I think Denver goes on to win the title. I think if they win that game seven against Minnesota, they go on to win the title. Instead, they lose those two games. They’re sitting here having not made it out of the second round each of the past two years. And now they’ve gone out and gotten an okay backup center, a couple of okay wings. We’ll see if Bruce Brown could get back to how he was in Denver. Tim Hardway Jr. is an okay shooter, but there’s a reason he’s bounced around a bunch. And Yonas Valenunis at this point is again an okay backup center. But this is a team that did not have any depth at all and now they have some. Now I do think the upgra the upgrade or the alleged upgrade from Cam Johnson over Michael Porter Jr. as part of that trade is also a little muted. I would say those guys are very similar players. And the reason that Denver made that trade and gave up the one asset they have going forward, their 2032 first round pick is because it saved the Cronis a gazillion dollars in tax payments as a repeater tax team. It gets them out of the luxury tax this season. But if you look at Denver now, they are marginally better than they were last year. And marginally better might be good enough because they have the best player on the planet on their team. And him with a little bit of help could very well be enough to get the Nuggets their 2026 NBA title. Whitney, by going from Porter Jr. obviously to Cam Johnson, they save the 1617, they say the tax, but they’re also able to add a few players. Is that enough for Denver? This has been such a polarizing reaction as I’ve talked to people in the league because really on one hand, they have gotten some depth to this roster that they just were so badly in needed and they’ve given new coach David Adelman something that Michael Malone didn’t feel he had. Whether he did or not was the basis of the argument between him and the former general manager Calvin Booth. But options, you know, he’s now can look down his bench and he can go with more veteran players or the younger players they’re developing. But the reason this is polarizing um is that a lot of people think that that that this is not going to really help them. When I say people, I’m talking about like rival executives. So, like they say, it’s if you want to ever have a dream of prying Nicola Joic out of Denver, you’ve got to be happy that they use their prime last, you know, big trade chip, which Bon Temps referenced the 2032 pick in a in a money in a money dump move. Like I had somebody say to me, if you’re if you’re the Lakers, you’d love seeing that because that that means that you’re not helping Jokic with like a bonafide star. Um, I got other people saying, “Uh, oh man, Valenunis is the best backup that Jokic has ever had. It’s like it’s like, you know, since Ysef Nerkach was there, like it’s terrific for him.” I got other people telling me, and again, these are the pros, so this is their job. This is not my opinion, okay? Other people saying Don Shunis won’t even play in the playoffs, so they can rest in the season, won’t even play in the playoffs. So, um, the idea that they’re a winner or loser, like I’ve seen a lot of people say that the Nuggets like, whoa, huge winner in the or in the in the in the people who are in the league are not sure about that. You know, some of them think this is, you know, long-term not going to be great. What I say is I have a sensitivity towards their new front office, Ben Tenzer and John Wallace, who just got these job. Both of them are inexperienced in these roles and they clearly had a mandate. They had a mandate from Jokic who said we need more depth and they had a mandate from ownership which was we ain’t paying that that repeater tax and they were able to deal with those two mandates in an inexperienced position and potentially satisfy both giving Jokic some some depth which as Bontemps mentions even a little bit is a major difference with a with a talent like Jokic and they’ve got their bosses happy that they got him off a bunch of money. I mean, the other thing to mention, too, when you talk about Denver and you talk about the the using the pick to get off of money, they’ve traded several picks during the Nicole Joic era over the past eight or 10 years. One time did they use a pick to truly make an upgrade to the roster. That’s when they traded for Aaron Gordon, which turned out to be the move that won them a title. Virtually every other time they’ve moved a first round pick, it’s been to save money. And it is does really make you think, what if Denver had been able to use those picks to go out and get further upgrades to the roster? We could be talking about a situation where maybe they’ve won multiple championships over the stretch. Instead, they have not. They’ve come close several times. They’ve made second, third round of the playoffs on a few different occasions, but they haven’t ever been able to quite get over the line in part because they haven’t had a lot of depth. And the one time they did win in 2023, they did have enough depth. They did have a Bruce Brown playing at a very high level. They had Jeff Green playing at a high level. And now, you know, you look at them, we’ll see if they can get back to that point next year. I I think on the macro level, the big question here to simplify this is this team took OKC to game seven. They probably should have won that series in game four. Are they better than they were then? I think they are. And if Joic has just a little bit better than they had when they were competing with OKC, he has as good a shot at anybody to carry a team to a championship.
So Wendy, are they better though than Houston as the biggest threat to OKC? Is it Denver or is it Houston?
In my view, it’s Denver because of number 15. because this guy I honestly it’s amazing anybody can beat him four out of seven and it’s obviously happened the last two years I I watched the guy and you know his I I voted for Shay Gildas Alexander this year and I was very you know I don’t regret it but I felt bad about it because watching what Joic does is so amazing and watching what it takes to beat him in these playoff series is so amazing and really as David referenced there we are really a narrow narrow pathway from having the Nuggets having gone to the finals three years in a because I believe if they don’t blow game seven last year against Minnesota, with all due respect to Luca, I think they’re winning that series and getting to the finals and I don’t know what happened against Boston because Boston was 0 and2 against them in the regular season. And this year, the Thunder won the title. Okay, they were far and away the better team and they were in deep trouble against against the the Nuggets and had just one or two little things gone a different way in games four and five. I don’t know. So, I’m just I mean I it’s it’s not a commentary on Houston, who I think has been on an organizational hot streak. It’s a it’s a it’s an ode to the to the big man.
Well, Paul Fineb had a comparison for Arch Manning that turned heads. Now he’s here to stand
FIRST TAKE | New-look Nuggets rotation ready for another title run – Stephen A. on NBA Free Agency
29 Comments
wtf is Bontemps talking about lmao I get not liking the players but dude straight up lied when he said the nuggets have traded all their picks to “save money”.. dude is a straight clown.
marginally? lol, bontemps got a brain worm of some sorts. Nuggs killed it.
Bontemps at least tell the truth, the Nuggets aren't under the luxury tax.
I just hope Jokic don't sign extension this summer becuse that would be a big mistake
soyboy unable to give nuggets any credit., lmao
Who is this clown in the blue suit hating? Scrub
baby blue suit is an idiot
Your daily reminder that ESPN is trash
houston’s gonna be the most overhyped team ever.
Jokic doesn’t even need superstars. He makes “okay” players superstars
Well the trade was a salary dump, but not only. We had to salary dump or it was over, that’s just being practical.
Cam Johnson has better mobility than MPJ. Cam is a better defender. He can navigate screens, had better lateral movement and is slightly quicker. His basketball IQ is higher. Cam can create his own shot as well as hit 3s, he reads the court better and can play make.
I also think the Jokic effect on his teammates wasn’t even considered. The bench provides more floor spacing and this is was what stymied Jokic and Denver’s offense during the playoffs. Defenders packed the paint and played 3 or 4 on 1. Their bench was abysmal offensively, now they can down on losses during the Jokic minutes. Denver is a much more versatile squad now which makes them harder to guard. These are all substantive points that weren’t even brought up by the analysts.
It was brought up was that other people in the league aren’t so sure about…? It’s not clear why they meant this and it seems it’s because it sounds more like an attempt to downplay the significance of Denver’s transformation. Just 2 weeks ago Denver was completely written off.
We all have some amount of ego attached to our opinions and plans and when that gets upturned it takes some time to come to terms with the new reality. This is something all people do. Nonetheless, they also have a point. Is Denver the #1 contender? I don’t think so, there are so many good teams out there and a lot of them got better. We will just have to wait and see how it plays out. Moreover, every year is different.
The jury is still out if the Nuggets can knock off OKC and any other juggernaut that rises up. They still have holes on defense and they have to stay healthy. That should be easier now because they have serviceable spot starters now. I feel nobody on the panel conveyed these types of nuances.
I trust the professionals in the room, but I don’t take their vague principles as the defining force of whether it was a good move or not. Deferring to experts in that way (on something vague and undefined) is technically a logical fallacy. This type of rhetoric is used when the speakers given argument is weak and can’t rely on more specific data.
5:51 won a title in 23 but “ hasn’t really been able to get over the line”😂
I'm convinced bontemps wakes up and thinks how can I clown myself on national tv today! His clown takes are beyond laughable. A nuggets team running on fumes took a fully loaded thunder team to 7 and should of beat em
I’m a Grizzlies fan but man is it fun to watch Joker work. 7:07 Barring injuries they should be back in the WCF at least
This Denver team is lacking too much for a championship run
They had to pay one guy to underplay the moves Denver made. 😂
This Denver team smokes OKC in 5-6 games in the playoffs this year and easily wins the title.
Nuggets have been under valued , Murray and Gordon are all stars , Dont worry ESPN you can have your narrative ,
“The people that are in the league” are made up stories.
No. It was a solid off-season for the Nuggets. Particularly in response to all the drama and chaos at the very end of the regular season last year. They are going into 26 with a Head Coach the player's trust and respect. They are going into 26 with none of their stars having off-season surgeries of any note. They go into 26 with a backup Center who is durable enough to let Joker sit and the rotation shifts to a more traditional guard run outside shooting stance with Hardaway and BB able to make 'em pay from 16' out. They go into 26 with Murray finishing very strong and, reportedly, off season training going extremely well both physically and from a sharp skills perspective. They go into 26 with Cam Johnson who gives them almost all of what MPJ does as a shooter statistically (let's face it MPJ has the cleanest 'looking' shooting form in the NBA outside of Steph), and is slightly better defensively and on the O rebounding end. They go into 26 with a roster that has no real 'dead weight' and is now constructed with Big Val playing the backup C is to see what Zeke really can do at the PF spot. His numbers there are quietly very impressive. His overall numbers got trashed because he isn't a Center. So his 'spell Jokic' numbers suck wind (he just gets either overtowered or swatted out of the way in the West in the middle). He's not like AD who can play both at a top level. He's a PF, but Gordon owns that starting spot rightfully so because he IS a top shelf PF and one of 'those guys' who you can run the ball through if necessary, guards whoever you need him to and does it well no matter the position, digs for rebounds, and looks to set screens whenever they make sense. So not an All-Star, but no AG… no Ring. That much is VERY clear. He almost singled-handedly pulled them into the Finals THIS year. They go into 26 with AG having had to recover from a really tough year personally in his family and get himself fully healthy. No surgeries just work on the soft tissues he's strained is what I read. So 2026… Joker is Joker and has somehow managed to get even better (I'm thinking he and Dyson Daniels both crack 3 steals per game or something similarly insane for him to do playing Center) while continuing to shoot nearly 40% from three on high volume for his position. Murray seems to finally be cooking with gas. He looked better those last 4 weeks of the season (including playoffs) than he has since the bubble. Playing well and hard at both ends. Christian Braun is showing that the Nuggets weren't just taking a flyer on a high draft pick giving him a shot at the SG spot. He earned it in spades. Particularly playing with Joker. Kid led the NBA in transition efficiency. They just added a big rebounder as a backup Center, have a healthy Gordon, PWat is an animal on the boards and defending the rim, and Joker is a top five rebounder and tops in defensive rebounds year in and year out. The small forward… well Cam Johnson… Michael Porter Jr. Yep.. I'll take him. From the coaches perspective basically a wash. Add in the balance sheet relief this is a serious upgarde at the starting SF, but doesn't make them better on offense and only maybe slightly on defense (however when you are, by far, the most dangerous offensive starting five in the league giving up a bit on that end is kind of like apologizing for no longer beating teams by double-digits very game or apologizing for Joker not getting a triple-double… anyone remember a reporter asking Coach Malone that question?). PF is Gordon. The only reason he hasn't been an All-Star game member the last three seasons is his willingness to give up buckets to get Ws. Nothing but mad respect for the man. AG has shown us that a 30 pt game from him is simply a matter of him deciding he had to do so for them to win. The man has no fear of taking 'the shot'. Obviously. Think about what he does with the two man game with Joker. Think about some of the PF and C he is guarded by in the NBA (Western Conf especially obviously). How many of them do you think if he gets the ball on the wing and is one on one he can't just smoke to the rim? 1/3? At least? Maybe closer to 40% (call it 6 of them on fifteen teams)? However, that dosen't fit the plan that makes them the scariest offensive starting team to play against. So he rolls with it as he enjoys his lifestyle and admires his, very well earned, Championship Ring that puts him on a VERY short list of Nuggets who have one and they were all his teammates. Then the 7' 300lb (287… snort right… he moved Steven Adams like he was boxing out a power forward in that last Houston game) Serbian wrecking ball with the basketball IQ of a god and the hands of a masterthief. However, the money makes all the difference in the world. You cannot discount how much that matters. You also, cannot discount that the Kroenke family may very well have had that discussion with Jokic and he sees these moves as the 'fine tuning' needed since a rebuild is ridiculous for a team that has been in the Western Conference playoffs for half a decade and has a Ring in the last three years. So yeah, Denver had a solid off-season so far.
"They come close a few times… they make it into the semi-finals a few times…" So let's see what that really translates to. The top four teams (the Conference Finals teams) are 10% of the league plus 1. The next group is 8 out of 30 teams. So being in the top 8 4 years out of five with one of them the first Championship Ring in franchise history is pretty damn good. For a small market team? Insanely good. OKC just did it for their first ever. How did both teams do it. They built them through the draft or extremely selectively using picks for players that could move the needle for more than one season.
Not even a denver fans but these are some really great moves
Does everyone forget Westbrook had a broken hand mpj shoulder AG grade 2 strain Murray calf ankel and jokic elbow and still pushed a health okc to the brink imagine if the nuggets where healthy
Valanciunas will not be in denver
the greed of ownership, even after being rich
Denver allmost won OKC with MPJ without sholder,AG without leg ,Westbrook without head and without bench. Now zhe have different team in which Jokic probably wont have to play 40 mins every game.
I am not ashamed to admit as a longtime Pistons fan Jokic single handedly has brought me back to watching the NBA and his games imparticularly.
The best and the most realistic analysis I have heard so far from the second commentator.
Denver should get Horford…perfect fit
Who tf is this dude literally reading off the prompter with dead eyes.