Instant observations as the Nuggets defeated the Raptors 112-108 in their second preseason game Monday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
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Denver’s starters looked a little rusty as a unit in their first preseason minutes together Saturday. Two days later, the rust was gone for the most part. Turnovers still piled up — Nikola Jokic committed six — but ball movement was generally more fluid and crisp.
Peyton Watson and Christian Braun made smart reads as connectors (Watson started for Aaron Gordon, who took the night off for maintenance). Cam Johnson played on the ball a bit more than he did in the first exhibition. On an early possession, he recognized that no entry pass to Jokic was available, used his dribble to put pressure on the rim instead, kicked out to Watson, then relocated for an open catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.
And Jokic was in full experimentation mode. One of his most avant-garde passes was a side-armed, no-look fastball curling around the baseline to successfully reach Johnson in the corner. (He missed the 3.) Another was a reverse over-the-head attempt to find a cutter in stride, but that one was nowhere close to a completion. That’s what the preseason is for.
Pressure release search
The Nuggets finished at an extraordinary clip in Vancouver. They were shooting over 60% from the floor for most of the game, including an 8-for-8 performance from Braun (19 points, three 3s), a 5-for-5 night from Jokic and a mini-collection of tough 3s off the dribble from Jamal Murray, still the preseason MVP so far.
Starting plays, not finishing them, is the tricky part right now. Especially when Murray isn’t on the floor.
Toronto showed full-court pressure most of the night, and Denver’s backups often struggled to get the ball up the floor and initiate offense cleanly. Five bench players turned the ball over multiple times, led by Bruce Brown’s four. He might just need some time to reacclimate to his point guard role with the Nuggets, but handling intense ball pressure has been a collective issue for the bench so far. Can Jalen Pickett be a consistent answer? Julian Strawther? Even Peyton Watson is handling the ball more than ever through two games.
Bench notes
With Watson sliding into the starting lineup, David Adelman played a four-guard bench lineup around Jonas Valanciunas in lieu of slotting in a more size-appropriate backup four like DaRon Holmes II, Zeke Nnaji or Spencer Jones. (The main second unit was made up of Pickett, Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr., Brown and Valanciunas.)
That might say more about the current pecking order than anything else. Back from his torn Achilles tendon, Holmes seems to understandably be a work in progress rather than an instant plug-and-play rookie. He did check in and knock down a couple of huge 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter as Denver held off a late comeback, though.
Also somewhat worthy note: Hardaway has been Adelman’s first sub into the game in both exhibitions so far (with Watson on Saturday, alone on Monday).
SAN DIEGO — Aaron Gordon telegraphed the prevailing ethos of Nuggets training camp the day before it began.
Prompted about balancing his focus between offense and defense after a breakout year shooting the 3-pointer, Gordon volleyed back a counterpoint: There will be no balance.
“I’m gonna just turn up on defense,” the power forward said. “We have so much talent on the offensive side, I’m not even really worried about it.”
Defensive intensity has since developed into the defining characteristic of Denver’s first two days together as a team. The first play of the first practice Tuesday resulted in a collision that forced two-way wing Spencer Jones to get stitches. Jamal Murray told reporters Wednesday that turnovers have been an obstacle while trying to get into an organized half-court offense. Bruce Brown said he and fellow bench player Peyton Watson have been picking up full-court to wreak havoc on the starters.
In the modern NBA, defense is vegetables. Especially for a team that has grown overly dependent on its effortless scoring efficiency over the years.
The Nuggets are eating their vegetables this week. Keeping the diet for a full season will be the tough part.
“I think defense sometimes in our league is so hard that it’s not how you drill it,” first-year coach David Adelman said. “It’s just, do you want to do it? It really is. … I would love to see our defense get better. If our offense takes a little step back, we’ll be fine. To have the depth we have, there’s no excuse (not) to play extremely hard. Put your hands on people. Not worrying about being in foul trouble like we’ve had to do in the past. So it’s a different way of looking at the game, and we have to demand it every day.”
Adelman was primarily responsible for Denver’s offense before his promotion this year. The Nuggets ranked no worse than seventh at that end of the floor during his eight seasons as an assistant coach.
But his emphasis has been on defensive accountability and schematic variety since he took over for Michael Malone. The Nuggets ranked unusually low in defensive rating for a championship-winning team back in 2022-23 (15th in the NBA) and regressed to 21st last season — their first as a bottom-10 defense since 2017-18. That was the year before their first playoff appearance with Nikola Jokic.
“Better communication between the players right now, just trying to focus on rotations and everybody covering for each other,” Murray said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but as long as guys are talking and trying to put themselves in the right spots, that’s what it is. Defense is reactionary.”
“I think we’ve always had a good frame for defense,” said Christian Braun, who will match up against star guards when Denver plays within that man-to-man framework. “We’ve always had a good idea. … If we can get to a point where we’re playing at the playoff level every single night, we’re not trying to outscore teams, I think that’ll be good for us. Try to blow teams out a little more this year.”
The “frame” involves Jokic playing up the floor against pick-and-rolls while a “low man” rotates from the weak-side corner to prevent the roller from scoring an easy layup or dunk — at its best, setting up a series of high-energy help rotations around the perimeter. Problem is, the scramble mindset can grow exhausting, and Jokic isn’t always effective enough at deterring the ball-handler at the level of the screen. When Adelman took over as interim head coach in April, he started making adjustments more frequently, such as stationing Jokic farther down the floor or zoning up.
Now Jared Dudley has been hired to run the defense, and even if the base scheme remains the same, Adelman has labeled himself a believer in zone. He thinks if the Nuggets work at it more consistently, they can use it more often during the regular season.
“(Dudley) kind of started talking to me in the summer about the defense,” Brown said. “We’re just being more physical, picking up (the ball-handler at) three-quarters court, depending obviously on who you are. Just being more physical and being more assertive.”
Indeed, Nuggets role players have been venturing into the backcourt at training camp to apply extra pressure, to ratchet up intensity. Pressing consistently throughout an 82-game regular season is unsustainable — Adelman knows that — but the concept has its merits in a low-stakes preseason setting.
“It’s good in a competitive way, and I think if guys can do it, they should be doing it, if you’re not playing a lot of minutes,” Adelman said. “But I also think because we have so many lead ball-handlers on this team — not just Jamal — they’re going to get picked up. So it’s great practice for a guy like Peyton Watson who can initiate offense. Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Jamal, Jalen (Pickett). All these guys.”
The number to beat is 115.1. That’s how many points Denver allowed per 100 possessions last season.
Gordon has a more ambitious goal in mind, one that would require shaving three points off that number.
“If we get to around top-10 defensively,” he said, “it’s going to put us in a position to win it all.”
And without these two, the Nuggets are no longer bitter and a whole lot better.
This is not a reset. It is a cleansing of negative vibes, paranoia and a bench that was thinner than Flat Stanley.
When last season ended, there was a feeling the Nuggets were going to run it back, throwing their arms in the air and asking coach David Adelman to sprinkle pixie dust on an aging roster increasingly defined by injuries and a lack of versatility.
Four months later, that’s all changed.
The Nuggets hired two general managers, Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer, who made a trade that immediately restored title expectations. Those have only grown stronger with the unfortunate season-ending injury to Houston’s Fred VanVleet, the possibility of mental and physical fatigue in OKC, and the inclusion of six Nuggets on ESPN’s NBA Rank Top 100 released this week.
This is the deepest team Jokic has ever played with, and it’s the best chance he will have to win another title in Denver.
Sure, Jokic, who was No. 1 on the aforementioned list, has four more years left of his prime. But he will never have another prime opportunity like this.
He has Jonas Valanciunas, ESPN’s No. 87, as his backup. Are you kidding me? Valanciunas will deliver double-doubles. The previous backups for Jokic were lucky to deliver double-figure minutes. Jokic, yes, Jokic, will be fresh for the playoffs.
Everything has fallen into place this offseason as the Nuggets prepare to hold their media day on Monday, starting with the subtractions.
Multiple things can be true when discussing Michael Porter Jr. and Malone.
MPJ was candid, accommodating, and earned high marks for playing through three back surgeries and assorted other ailments. He won a ring, but wanted an offense to run through him. His departure has featured a series of revelations about his off-court life, former teammates and, this week, an admission that he is unsure if he wants to play beyond this year.
What does it say about the Brooklyn Nets that they are trying to tank and want the 2018 first-round pick to set the culture for their battery of younger players? Wish MPJ nothing but success, but if this deal nets another Nuggets title, Wallace and Tenzer will deserve a statue.
Malone deserved a news conference and a proper goodbye upon his firing. He also deserved blame for helping create the heavy pall that hung over the Nuggets last season because of his distrust of former GM Calvin Booth. It permeated the organization and oozed into the locker room as players tuned out an increasingly irritable Malone.
Porter and Malone are what the Nuggets needed two years ago. Cameron Johnson, ESPN’s No. 67, and Adelman are what they need now.
Johnson is not the floor spacer that MPJ was. But he is smarter and more equipped to contribute defensively. There is a selflessness about his game that has drawn comparisons to Aaron Gordon, No. 40 in the rankings. Durability is a question. Nothing else is. He is exactly the type of player Jokic makes better.
As for Adelman, the players like him — and not just because he is not Malone. Will his meritocracy and message work on the second night of a back-to-back in Dallas on Jan. 14? Not sure. But the players’ loyalty to him gives it a decent shot.
Who knew that Wallace’s return to the organization would have such an impact on Jamal Murray? With Wallace in Murray’s corner, while also challenging him, the guard has enjoyed a tremendous offseason. He is in great shape and has had a positive effect on team chemistry because of the way he has communicated and hooped with the young players.
Who knew that Tim Hardaway Jr. would sign a veteran minimum deal after starting 77 games for the Pistons last season? For all of the legitimate handwringing about bench scoring, Hardaway is one of the league’s most underrated signings. He profiles perfectly for the spot-up 3s created by passes from Jokic and Valanciunas.
And who new that Bruce Brown would want to come back? OK, we all did. Brown is not the player he was two years ago due to injuries. But he is a trusted reserve and creates a fight for Adelman’s up-for-grab minutes between Jalen Pickett, another player expected to take a big step forward, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson.
It is impossible to look at the Nuggets and not think of a championship.
There is no guarantee that Denver will beat the Thunder or solve the Timberwolves. But they match up as well against the champs as anyone, and the shiny offensive options give them different ways to counter Minnesota.
No one in the East is beating them — or anyone else who advances out of the West.
If the Nuggets had kept the band together, Jokic would have given them a puncher’s chance. But last season, one in which he averaged a triple-double, showed he needed help. The Nuggets have better shooters, more depth and less drama.
Jokic turns 31 in February. He will not be the best player forever. That honor could belong to Victor Wembanyama as soon as this season.
Of all the problems the last two years — exhaustion, tension, lack of 3-point shooting — there are none left. Jokic is still here. Still in his prime. And he has teammates and a fresh voice from a coach worthy of his talent.
Now is the time for him to get another one. Likely his last in Denver.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — To get their first win of the season, the Nuggets almost had to sacrifice their second.
Michael Malone knew the risk he was taking. It narrowly paid off Monday night in Toronto with an overtime breakthrough. But the physical strain on his starters was visible 24 hours later as they instantly struggled to defend the perimeter against a team widely projected to be the worst in the NBA.
The Nuggets allowed 40 first-quarter points and fell behind by as many as 17 in the second before they revived themselves again for a 144-139 win over the Nets on Tuesday — again, in overtime.
Nikola Jokic lifted his team with another masterpiece: 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists on 9-of-16 shooting. In a deja vu sequence down by three at the end of regulation, the Nuggets opted to go for two points with 33.8 seconds left. Malone called for a Jokic post-up, like Monday, which Jokic easily executed, like Monday. Then, like Monday, the Nuggets’ opponent missed a free throw, allowing them a chance to tie it in the final seconds without needing a three. Again, Denver dialed up a Jokic post-up.
“We are trying to get there to see, are they gonna double?” the center said.
Brooklyn didn’t. The three-time MVP backed his way to an effortless baby hook with nine ticks left.
“They doubled him a lot tonight,” Malone said. “This was more, they waited for him to dribble the ball and then the double came. I’m so happy I get to coach Nikola because I can’t imagine game-planning for guarding that guy.”
The only difference between their back-to-back magic acts: This time, the Nuggets left enough time to give up a wide-open corner three as time expired. Dorian Finney-Smith clanked it.
And again, the starting lineup found itself logging extra hours at the office. Malone had already gone to an eight-man rotation in the second half of the Toronto game.
“Obviously we found ourselves in a game last night that we kind of shortened our rotation up a little bit in the second half, feeling the pressure of trying to get the first win of the season,” he said before opening tip at Barclays Center. “And when you look at the box score after the game, especially going into the second night of a back-to-back in Brooklyn, you have your starters all at or near 40 minutes. And that’s not sustainable. We can’t do that. Game three, it was cool, man. Let’s get our first win, kind of take a deep breath. But that’s not sustainable.”
His foresight was probably more immediate than he hoped. The Nets shot 12 of 24 from beyond the arc in the first half. When they weren’t launching, Denver’s defenders took the bait anyway, allowing drivers to get behind them and playing catch-up on rotations. After another rough bench stint, Brooklyn led 47-30 with 9:42 remaining in the half.
The Nuggets’ collective redemption arrived in the form of a snarling, sharpshooting Russell Westbrook about an hour later. He had already been the best version of himself in the first half, zipping brilliant entry passes to Jokic and bullying his way to the foul line with the second unit (then converting the free throws). But on the last possession of the third quarter, with Denver trailing 99-93, he stepped into just his second 3-point make of the season. On the first possession of the fourth, he drove and kicked to Peyton Watson for a corner three. Tie game.
His next pull-up 3-point attempt, ill-advised or not, gave him 22 points on 12 shots and capped a 13-2 run. It was 106-101, Denver.
Russ giveth and Russ taketh. He shanked an uncontested dunk with his left hand during a quick 5-0 answer from Brooklyn, setting the stage for Denver’s second consecutive suspenseful finish.
“It’s hard to win in this league,” the backup point guard said. “People think it’s easy, man. It’s hard. Especially when you’re a team that’s won year after year and always been in the running for NBA championships. It’s hard. We’ll get everybody’s best shot. We’ve gotta be prepared for it. However we’ve gotta get wins right now, we’ll take them.”
Michael Porter Jr. bounced back from his inefficient first week of the season, shooting 4 for 7 from 3-point range. Jamal Murray added 24 points. Aaron Gordon contributed 22. Denver quickly pulled away in the extra period after Jokic scored or assisted on its first six points.
“I’m glad we had the momentum going in, and I think we controlled the overtime, so that is a good thing,” Jokic said. “We found baskets when we needed it.”
The Nuggets have a new court for their in-season tournament home games this year, and it’s a bit more modest.
Unlike the predominantly royal blue court that was rolled out at Ball Arena for the inaugural tournament in 2023, Denver’s floor will be yellow in the second edition of the event, now called the Emirates NBA Cup. It’s one of four courts around the league that will be painted yellow or gold, a somewhat more natural hue for hardwood.
The baselines and sidelines surrounding the Nuggets’ court will be painted a dark shade of red. The words “MILE HIGH CITY” will be superimposed across the court in a faded yellow, while the tournament’s trophy will be featured at center-court and from the foul lines to each basket, like last year.
The Nuggets host the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 22 and the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 3 in their two home games during the group stage of the NBA Cup. Their road games within the group are at New Orleans (Nov. 15) and Memphis (Nov. 19). Eight teams will advance from six groups to the knockout stage.
In total, Denver City Council voted on five different agenda items related to the redevelopment.
KSE plans to transform roughly 70 acres surrounding Ball Arena into a mixed-use development, complete with apartments, retail and office space. In order to do so, the land first needed to be rezoned.
Specifically, KSE was seeking an exemption from the view plane in that area, which dictates how high buildings can be. The goal is to protect mountain views.
In the only vote that was not unanimous, the Denver City Council exempted KSE, allowing them to build higher than the view plane.
Officials with KSE told Denver7 that without this approval vote on the view plane, they would have withdrawn their plans.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
The only ‘no’ vote from the council regarding the view planes came from Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, who represents District 5.
“So the question is, are we setting a precedent here? I understand that this specific view plane is defunct, then we should have repealed the whole thing. But allowing for a precedent where we are piercing a view plane where in fact you do have a right to that view, it’s in our zoning code,” Sawyer said before voting.
Other councilors considered the increase in affordable housing units that comes with constructing higher buildings. KSE has pledged to allot 18% of its units as affordable housing.
“The basic idea is the more they can build, the more affordable [housing] that they can build,” said Councilmember Chris Hinds before the public hearings. “If they get the height extension, they can build 6,000 units. Eighteen percent of that is 1,080 units. And so, having 1,080 units is pretty substantial when we’re in an affordable housing crisis.”
More than two dozen people signed up to express their opinions to council members on Monday evening.
“The unique beauty of Denver will be compromised forever with the addition of approximately 40 high-rise buildings blocking the view of the mountains,” said Casey Pitinga.
Other members of the public in support of the plan said it would ease the affordable housing issues in the city while creating a place designed for people, not cars.
Denver
Denver City Council to vote Monday on Ball Arena redevelopment plans
Matt Mahoney, a representative of KSE, spoke with Denver7 about the concerns regarding parking in the area since the redevelopment will essentially transform the large parking lots surrounding Ball Arena into a community. He said there will still be parking available for people who drive to games at Ball Arena. There are also plans for parking garages above ground and underground.
Most of the parking will be shared, according to Mahoney.
He said the transformation could increase the number of parking spots in the area since it will utilize more space. However, KSE hopes the trend it has seen — where people choose other methods of transportation to commute to Ball Arena — continues to grow in the next few years.
Mahoney said they hope to break ground on the project in either 2026 or 2027. He did not provide an exact dollar amount for the project as of Monday evening.
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The Nuggets are getting close to having their top-nine rotation players healthy and available for the season-opener.
Peyton Watson was a full participant in practice Sunday for the first time “in close to five weeks now,” coach Michael Malone said. The 22-year-old forward sustained a soft-tissue hamstring injury a few days before training camp, forcing him to miss all five of Denver’s preseason games.
The Nuggets are still planning on Watson being available for opening night, Thursday at Ball Arena against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We’ll see how that injury and how that muscle reacts to what he did today,” Malone said Sunday. “Because tomorrow, the hope is to introduce some more things offensively. … I want to blow it out tomorrow. We’ll be on the main court, which will be nice to finally get on the main court and play, maybe, three or four 12-minute quarters. And the hope is that Peyton feels good enough to be able to get through at least some of those (quarters) tomorrow.”
Watson, who was drafted 30th overall in 2022, played in 80 games for the Nuggets last season, averaging 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. His minutes declined in the second round of the playoffs as Malone felt a need to prioritize scoring and floor-spacing against the Timberwolves’ top-ranked defense. A 25% outside shooter during the regular season, Watson was often left open on the perimeter in each of the first two rounds.
But this season, his role is set to increase again. Malone had labeled Watson, Julian Strawther, Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric as a complementary set of players likely to form Denver’s second unit.
“Peyton, I’m not making him out to be Dr. J, (but) we need him,” Malone said. “The things that he beings to the table, he’s going to be an important part for this team. His athleticism, his versatility. I see him running the floor in that second unit with a guy like Russell Westbrook. I think those two can fit really good together. So just having Peyton Watson back out here, I was happy for him. Because talk about getting hurt at the worst possible time, as you get into training camp and missing all five preseason games.”
The Nuggets remain winless in preseason play with one game remaining after a 124-94 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at Ball Arena. The last chance to earn a win is Thursday in Minnesota.
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook were out this time for the Nuggets, leaving them with a cast of role players to fend off Oklahoma City’s full starting lineup — an inverse of Sunday’s game, when Denver ran the starters for three quarters against Phoenix’s bench.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he had planned to rest Murray for this game even before his knee started bothering him Sunday while warming up.
What awaits Strawther after outstanding preseason?
Denver’s clear standout performers this preseason (other than the three-time MVP) have been Michael Porter Jr. and Julian Strawther, both of whom continued to carry the offense during the first-half minutes Tuesday. Strawther made his first five shots, including 3-pointers in rhythm, a driving floater and a couple of buckets in the lane, where he used his footwork or body to go up strong through traffic. He finished with 12 points.
Most importantly in these four games, he is 8 for 18 from distance, where his teammates have struggled. Christian Braun, who’s expected to start at shooting guard over Strawther, is 1 for 13. That probably won’t change how the rotation will shake out, though.
“Obviously it’s never going to be just about who’s playing better in a vacuum,” Malone said when asked about the position battle. “It’s always going to be about, yes, who’s playing well, but also who complements that unit. And right now to be honest, I think C.B. and Jamal and Michael and Aaron (Gordon) and Nikola, that’s a group that really complements each other well. I think (Russell Westbrook), when we get Peyton Watson back — and that’s been really hard for us, not to have Peyton — but I think Russ, Julian, Peyton, Dario (Saric) and whoever else, I think that’s a really good complementary group as well. But I will give Julian some more chances to get out there and start and play with that (starting) group.”
Watson (hamstring) still hasn’t played this preseason, but Malone says the plan is to have him ready for the season opener next Thursday at Ball Arena.
Nnaji puts together consecutive good games
As frustrated as Malone was with his team’s collective performance against the Suns on Sunday, he pointed to Zeke Nnaji’s fourth-quarter minutes as one of the few positives.
Nnaji earned a starting nod Tuesday and built on his productive outing with 11 points, three rebounds, two steals and three blocks, including one against Jalen Williams in space. There were occasional lapses, too — a ball-screen miscommunication leading to an easy dunk in the first half, a ball fake getting him to leave his feet for a blow-by in the second half — but the highlights should be a welcomed confidence boost. Nnaji’s form has looked smoother, too. He buried a couple of 3s Tuesday.
Before opening tip, Malone gave a candid answer when asked if he believes Nnaji is better at the four or the five, speaking to the general skill set the coach wants to see from Nnaji.
“I don’t get into all that. I think that’s a bunch of malarkey,” Malone said. “‘Are you a four or are you a five?’ In today’s NBA, you’re a big, you’re a small. … This is not 1980s where it’s three-out, two-in. Zeke’s a big. So go out there and play your game. I mean, is Dario Saric a center in anybody’s eyes? Well, he is for us. So yeah, the whole four (or) five thing, I just don’t really understand.”
Two-way guard sneaks up depth chart
Without Murray and Westbrook, this exhibition offered a glimpse of other ways the Nuggets can initiate offense. They used a variety of players to bring the ball up, from Aaron Gordon to Strawther to Braun. And notably, in Malone’s nine-man rotation during the early stages of the game, two-way player Trey Alexander made an appearance over Jalen Pickett, who checked in during the third quarter and played most of the second half.
If there’s anything definitive from Denver’s 0-4 preseason start, it’s that the end of the bench just doesn’t have much to work with. Malone has turned red in the face during the second halves of every game so far. The Nuggets held up pretty well against a mismatch in the first half without Jokic — it was after halftime that they fell apart again.
Let’s continue our Sixers Ties series — evaluating all connections to the team across the NBA — by heading to the Western Conference’s Northwest Division that features a few noteworthy former Sixers players and some other folks who are in some way linked to the team:
The player on Portland’s roster who is still remembered as a Sixer is Matisse Thybulle, who the team traded up for during the 2019 NBA Draft and watched blossom into one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA right off the bat. Thybulle’s inability to develop any sort of offensive utility after more than three years finally led the Sixers to move on, and they traded him to the Blazers in a three-team trade that netted them Jaden McDaniels — who also failed to become a reliable contributor. Thybulle became a restricted free agent the next summer, and signed a three-year offer sheet with a player option in the final season worth a hair over $33 million with the Dallas Mavericks. Portland opted to match the deal.
But the Blazers also have a far more successful former Sixer on their roster. Who would have thought that when the Sixers drafted an athletic, toolsy wing with limited offensive skill with the No. 39 overall pick in 2014, Jerami Grant would become a 20-point-per-game scorer who, at the end of his current contract will have made over $242 million in career earnings?
Grant’s offensive development has truly been astounding. When he was able to develop into a competent player on that end of the floor who could hang his hat on defense, it seemed like he had hit his 100th percentile outcome. And then a stunning leap as a scorer came, and now here we are: over the last four seasons, Grant has averaged 20.8 points per game on 57.4 true shooting.
Trading Grant in 2016 for Ersan Ilyasova and a future first-round pick is not exactly something the Sixers will regret, though, as that draft pick turned into a player you might have heard of.
Denver Nuggets
It was a difficult offseason for the Nuggets, who watched starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope depart in free agency without the ability to replace him externally. First-round pick DaRon Holmes II tore his Achilles. And because they have already made so many large financial commitments, they had very little spending power. Outside of veteran’s minimum contracts, the Nuggets could sign a free agent to the taxpayer’s mid-level exception — worth a maximum of two years at just under $10.6 million.
With that money, the Nuggets signed a new backup center: old friend Ďario Sarić, who has a second-year player option. Sarić joined the Golden State Warriors last season, opening the year as their backup center but eventually falling out of the rotation in favor of promising rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis. Sarić is a similar archetype of center to Nikola Jokić in that he is a passing-oriented big man, so perhaps the Nuggets were looking to create some stylistic continuity across their units. But considering this was their only way to spend above the minimum, it is hard to imagine that signing a declining version of Sarić was their most prudent path.
A note: the Nuggets were in nearly the exact same position last summer, and used the tax MLE on a player who many were similarly skeptical about being worth the money. A year later, the team had to trade three second-round picks to shed the second year of their contract when the player option they put in the deal was executed. Weeks later, the player was bought out by the team that took on his money and became a free agent again. And that is how Reggie Jackson became a member of the Sixers.
Behind Jokić andSarić in Denver’s center rotation is former Sixer DeAndre Jordan, who for the third consecutive season will play for the minimum with the Nuggets. Jordan has been lauded for his locker room presence during his career, and that praise has never been louder than during his time in Denver.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Coming off a remarkable rise to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2023-24, the Thunder made significant improvements this offseason as they look to become perennial championship contenders. Their first move was to trade weak link Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, an all-world defender and much-improved three-point shooter. The one-for-one swap shocked many, and it will make the Thunder considerably better on both ends of the floor. Before breaking out as a legitimate NBA player with the Los Angeles Lakers, the undrafted Caruso played for the 2016 Summer League Sixers.
The Sixers selected Arkansas sharpshooter Isaiah Joe with the No. 49 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but ultimately decided they did not have enough time to observe his developmental process. They waived him after two seasons, but he quickly landed on his feet with the Thunder and almost immediately became the exact player the Sixers had hoped: an accurate three-point shooter on massive volume who can change the complexion of an offense with his presence alone. Joe was rewarded with a four-year, $48 million deal to remain in Oklahoma City this offseason, a worthy reward for a good player.
When the Sixers used some leftover cap space to absorb Wilson Chandler’s expiring contract from the Nuggets in 2018, they received two second-round picks for their trouble — one of them being a 2021 second-rounder. That pick ended up being rerouted a year and a half later, when the Sixers sent it to the Golden State Warriors as part of the package that netted them both Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
The following offseason, Golden State sent the pick and another future second-rounder to Oklahoma City. And with the No. 55 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Thunder selected Aaron Wiggins, an impressive young player who earned a five-year, $45 million deal this offseason as he enters his fourth NBA season. Wiggins is a quality rotation wing who, along with Joe, have helped the Thunder become one of the single deepest teams in the NBA.
By the way, when Golden State traded those two second-rounders to Oklahoma City, one became Wiggins, and the other became Miles “Deuce” McBride, who has emerged as an excellent young player for the New York Knicks. Those two second-rounders were traded for… Kelly Oubre Jr. It’s a small world!
The Sixers and Thunder will be keeping eyes on each other for the next couple of years. The Thunder own the Sixers’ 2025 first-round pick (as long as it does not somehow fall in the top eight), and there is a good chance the Sixers will end up with Oklahoma City’s first-rounder in 2026. The Sixers will receive the least favorable first-round pick out of Oklahoma City’s, that of the Los Angeles Clippers and that of the Houston Rockets in two years from now. It is a strong bet that the Thunder will be the best of those teams.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves do not currently have any players with connections to the Sixers on their roster, but Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch has a long history with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse.
Nurse and Finch have been coaching with and against each other for nearly three decades. They have had rivalries and been each other’s assistants over many years, and have both spoken extensively about their friendship.
Most recently, Finch was an assistant coach for Nurse with the Toronto Raptors before he got his first NBA head coaching job in Minnesota.
Utah Jazz
Signing a nine-time All-Star in Paul George is the most significant addition the Sixers made this offseason, but he is not the only starting-caliber they signed in free agency: the team waited out Caleb Martin and signed him a four-year deal worth just over $35 million that is considered well-below his true market value.
Adding Martin, though, would not have been possible if the Sixers could not create nearly $8 million in cap space at the drop of a hat. That is exactly what they did when they waived Paul Reed, who was claimed by the Detroit Pistons.
When teams sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, they get creative in how they structure the deals as they try to dissuade the player’s incumbent organization from matching the offer. So, last offseason, the Jazz pursued Reed and secured an agreement on an unconventional three-year deal with an atypical incentive-based structure: if whatever team Reed played for advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs, all three years of the contract would be guaranteed; if it did not, the second and third seasons of the deal would be non-guaranteed until mid-January of each season.
The Sixers were largely expected to at least win one playoff series and the Jazz were not — Utah’s goal was to craft a contract that was only a one-year commitment for them, but a three-year commitment for the Sixers should they choose to match the offer sheet.
In case you have not heard, the Sixers did end up losing in the first round of last season’s playoffs — suddenly, Reed’s future in Philadelphia was in doubt. And when Martin became available — with veteran Andre Drummond already secured on a deal to return to the Sixers — it was a no-brainer to waive Reed.
The Sixers rounded out their starting lineup this summer by signing a battle-tested, tough-minded, two-way wing in Martin. And it would not have happened if the Jazz had not gotten creative but come up unsuccessful in their quest to sign Reed last summer.
Nikola Jokic isn’t just the best hoops player on the planet when it comes to dishing out dimes.
The Big Honey might be the best when it comes to dishing out bling, too.
Despite our crack staff being in the writing biz, Team Grading The Week believes actions speak louder than all the words on this page.
And GTW is firmly in the camp of backing up your brags.
Is anybody — certainly not anybody in the basketball sphere — conquering both fronts better than the Joker is, right here and now?
The NBA’s three-time MVP didn’t just help carry the Serbian hoops squad to a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. According to the Blic newspaper in his native country, Jokic purchased Rolex watches for every one of his teammates on the national team.
Jokic’s Serbian gifts — A
The kicker? Those timepieces were reportedly worth $32,500 each. Which puts the Joker’s total purchase at an estimated $357,500 for 11 watches.
Jokic and Serbia won the men’s hoops bronze in Paris thanks to a 93-83 win over Germany in the tourney’s third-place game. The Nuggets star posted a very Jokic stat line, too — 19 points, 12 boards and 11 assists.
The Joker averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists for his homeland, which finished 4-2 at the tourney. He led all tournament players in points, boards and dimes — the first Olympian to ever top all three categories in one campaign.
Apparently, nobody gives like Jokic gives when it comes to the gift department, either. At least the fantastic gesture was one the Joker could afford: The Nuggets center, per Spotrac.com, is slated to take up $51.4 million in cap space in ’24-’25, and $55.2 million in ’25-’26.
If you’re like the GTW staff, you don’t just want Jokic as your franchise centerpiece now. You kind of want him as your secret Santa, too.
Big Russ’ debut — D
Russell Wilson’s Steelers stats after preseason Week 2: One appearance, five drives led, zero points, three sacks taken.
Bo Nix’s Broncos stats after preseason Week 2: Two appearances, seven drives led, 30 points, zero sacks taken.
It’s early, and we’ll know in a month whether Sean Payton won the Broncos-Steelers game, head-to-head. But the coach is off to a flying start in terms of winning the argument. And in justifying one hellaciously expensive football divorce.
Valor’s Friday — A
Love ’em or hate ’em, this past Friday was a pretty good day to be an Eagle.
Earlier in the day, Valor alum and PGA star Wyndham Clark pulled himself back into the BMW Championship title picture by shooting a 68 during his second round at Castle Pines — including five birdies. Later that evening, his alma mater’s football team opened its season with a 31-14 victory over Pine Creek. The latter had beaten Valor in last September’s meeting, 31-17.
This cannot be it. Otherwise, the Nuggets’ offseason becomes the finale of the Sopranos. Remember, Tony sitting in Holsten’s diner, waiting with his family when daughter Meadow walked through the door as a silent black screen popped up before the credits?
Please tell me the Nuggets’ plans are not this cryptic, not this vacant.
Following a heart-in-a-blender Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves in the second round, the Nuggets have responded by trading six-second round picks to draft DaRon Holmes and ship out Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets for $5 million in cap space.
Nuggets Nation is starting to nibble its fingernails.
There has to be more. One super-sized move. Two medium-sized transactions. If not? Then pessimism screams that general manager Calvin Booth saved ownership on the tax bill by trading an aging point guard to free up minutes for Jalen Pickett while committing further to young players Christian Braun, Perry Watson and Holmes.
Those are the types of money laundering moves we expect from the Rockies. Not a title franchise.
When free agency begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, roster construction will resume befitting a team in a championship window, right? Right?
If not, the Nuggets are telling their fans that life will never be better than 2023. Talk about a crowbar to the shins.
A confluence of factors has backed the Nuggets into a corner: a financially top-heavy roster, lacking draft collateral and minimal cap space. And let’s not forget the silly decision to give backup Zeke Nnaji a four-year, $32 million contract. The idea was that he would become a rotational player or perform well enough to offer trade value. He has done neither. He deserves blame for producing underwhelming statistics. And Michael Malone did not help by refusing to use him.
The disconnect between the front office and the coach’s vision for Nnaji is haunting at a time when the team desperately needs flexibility.
Booth has talked about winning multiple championships, referencing the San Antonio Spurs’ three titles in five years. It is why I believe last week teed the Nuggets up to make some noise. The alternative is too depressing.
The biggest play is clear: trade Michael Porter Jr. He brings unique value as a shooter and floor spacer. He is the reason Denver dispatched the Lakers in the playoffs. But his limitations are known. He is not a good defender, and his clutch time usage resides somewhere between puzzling and hibernation. No impact player sees his minutes and production nosedive when comparing the first and fourth quarters quite like Porter.
If he is not going to be in the game in the final minutes, it’s fair to ask if he should be on the team.
The Nuggets are expected to agree to a four-year, $209 million max contract extension this offseason with Jamal Murray.
So, that leaves a payroll gobbled up by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Murray and Porter — and Aaron Gordon’s next contract looming with only a player option left after this season.
The Nuggets will not win another title with a bloated top line and a bench that has less depth than an episode of “Jerry Springer.”
The moving of puzzle pieces makes it seem like a trade is in the works. Maybe, it is something small, like a better backup point guard or center who can provide points for the scoring-starved second unit.
Regardless, the idea of MPJ for two pieces must be considered. The buzz in the NBA is that the Nuggets have kicked the tires on multiple trades, including calling Chicago about Alex Caruso before he was dealt to Oklahoma City.
That is encouraging, suggesting there is more to come.
However, one option vanished on Saturday. According to ESPN, Clippers star Paul George declined his player option and will become a free agent, squashing any sign-and-trade dreams involving MPJ and Nnaji. George will be looking to cash in with a team that has cap space — that’s not the Nuggets — making the 76ers a favorite.
The Nuggets are already operating like guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will sign elsewhere, though they are not done trying to keep him. He is an important veteran, but it’s time to let him walk, start Braun and add a shooter to fill valuable reserve minutes.
No team fits Klay Thompson better than the Nuggets. I am not sure a path exists to sign him given his contract demands. But that’s a call the Nuggets must make even if it is a half-court shot.
Denver faces tough decisions, wondering what starters must be sacrificed to continue contending. Losing Caldwell-Pope and trading Porter would hurt, but it would create a roster with longer-term sustainability.
The argument for keeping Porter is easy. He demands attention from defenses. Gordon does all the dirty things, but the Nuggets could no longer hide him in the playoffs as more than a dunker outside of Game 4’s efficiency vs. Minnesota.
It is why the Timberwolves formed a triangle around Jokic and dared other Nuggets to beat them from beyond the arc. It worked.
It doesn’t against the champion Celtics. They feature seven players who can nail 3s. It’s why this offseason remains so important for the Nuggets. They don’t need to win the Western Conference and exhaust their starters to return to the NBA Finals. There is a road back as a more balanced, better shooting, rested team.
It requires a bold stroke this week.
As Tony Soprano sat anxiously in that booth, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” reverberated around him. I consider it a hint.
The Nuggets are too good, too well run to settle for an annoyingly quiet end to their offseason. They cannot go out like this.
If DaRon Holmes calls you a legend, don’t be too flattered.
It’s nothing personal. It’s just Holmes’ all-encompassing expression, his hello and goodbye. It started in high school. By the end of college, it was practically a comprehensive attitude on life.
“Every time he saw you, every time you did something, it’s: ‘You’re a legend. You’re a legend. You’re a legend,’” Dayton basketball assistant coach Ricardo Greer said, laughing. “Eventually I was like, that’s the last ‘legend’ you’re gonna call me.”
“All my friends, we call each other kings and legends,” Holmes explained. “… So I always say to everybody, ‘You’re a legend.’ And the first time I say it, people are just happy, like, ‘Thank you, man!’ And then after a couple of times they’re like, ‘You call everybody this.’”
Denver’s newest rookie wields a friendly disposition to go with his versatile basketball skillset — characteristics that won over the Nuggets in equal measure this spring during the pre-draft process. They traded up six places in the first round Wednesday to select Holmes 22nd overall, their latest bet on non-lottery youth as a viable asset capable of contributing to championships.
Holmes is a player whose shape-shifting ability could position him to play right away. At 6-foot-9 without shoes, he occupies the awkward space between a power forward and small-ball center. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth outlined a future this week in which Holmes can eventually start as a four. It’s certainly easy to envision him defensively in lineups next to Nikola Jokic, who plays higher up the floor against ball screens than most centers. Holmes was an elite college rim protector and help defender who could rotate across the paint to anchor Denver behind the less vertically gifted Jokic.
For now, he seems just as well suited to space the floor as a center, which could help provide Denver’s second unit a fresh look. Dayton played a lot of five-out last season with Holmes, even entrusting him to bring the ball up and start the offense.
“I definitely see (playing the four) in the future, especially the way the game is now,” Holmes said. “You look at the Grizzlies. They just got Zach Edey. They’re probably gonna play him and JJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) together. I think that’s perfectly fine for me. Small-ball five will be good at times. I don’t think that will be an all-time thing for me. I’m probably not gonna start at the five if I’m gonna be a starter (someday).”
Holmes grew up mostly in the Phoenix area. His mom coached him in YMCA hoops, but he didn’t instantly gravitate toward basketball as a dream career. He enjoyed playing soccer as well.
Above all, Holmes’ goal was to travel the world. Then he started to develop basketball talent, and as he put it, “I found out, hey, I can make money playing this thing. After I found that out, I was like, ‘I’ve gotta train as hard as I can.’”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II stands on the court during an NCAA college basketball game against Davidson, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes transferred twice in high school, going from Arizona to Florida and back, before becoming the highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with the Flyers.
His full potential as a pro prospect was unlocked last season, when he started making 3s. In his first two years at Dayton, Holmes was 27% beyond the arc. As a junior, he catapulted to 38.6% with a wide-base form that Booth compared to Al Horford’s.
Behind that improvement was a commitment to training that Denver loves to see in its draft targets.
“We did the same drill every night. And this was the first year I can truly say I was in the gym, dang near every day, and just getting up a lot of shots,” Holmes said. “I also was asking my coaches about just the little details I can fix on my shot.”
His standard regimen took anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes, usually after practice or otherwise the night before a game. It started with 10 shots from each of the five spots around the perimeter. Then a star drill. Then the same pair of exercises, repeated at the other end (but first, free throws in between). Then another drill in which he gradually slid his feet along the perimeter between every attempt, covering every inch of the arc until he hit 50 shots going corner to corner.
Then back the way he came. Another 50.
Then more free throws.
Then shots out of specific sets, like pick-and-pop 3s at game speed.
“My freshman and sophomore year, mainly the bigs would be in drop (coverage),” Holmes recalled. “I didn’t really even notice, because my mind was just: ‘Catch. Swing. What am I supposed to do next?’ … I was just trying to make sure I was doing everything right — which is good. You need to do a lot of things right. And then we looked at the film.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dribbles the ball against St. Bonaventure center Noel Brown (20) during an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
Holmes remembers head coach Anthony Grant bringing him into his office, along with Greer, to show him how an improved shot could change the dimensions of Dayton’s offense. “I literally need to see how it can impact winning if I can bring that to the table,” Holmes said. “So they showed me how, if I’m able to knock down that shot, it will make the big come out. And if the big comes out, you have so many other options.”
With increased time in the gym came elevated confidence. That was the story of Holmes’ shooting evolution, but also of his entire development throughout college, from Greer’s perspective.
“The first year, I don’t think I heard him curse one time,” Greer said. “He would get mad, and he’ll go ‘Darn it’ or ‘Yeesh.’”
He was afraid of imperfection at first. Dayton allowed him to play through mistakes and mismatches, and he slowly learned to get over it.
The growing pains are the pivotal moments that resonate with Holmes now. Early in his freshman season, Lipscomb’s 275-pound center went for 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against him. Dayton lost by 19. A week later, he was the primary matchup against Belmont senior Nick Muszynski (245 pounds). Dayton escaped with a two-point win, but Holmes got demolished inside again.
“He was moving people with his arms,” Holmes said. “I will never forget, he had a play where he caught it on the right block, and I was trying to front him. And one of my teammates came to help me, and he literally had this arm right here and moved both of us. Hit a hook shot.
“This is when I’m a freshman, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m built for this.’ But all those moments really truly helped me out. Because I would go back and watch the film and see, ‘Hey, this is how you do handle those situations.’”
He learned to trust his IQ and talent eventually. Greer started to notice him swearing more — and calling people “legend” more — signs that Holmes was growing more comfortable in his own skin.
His rookie season in the NBA might resemble a reset of freshman year, but Holmes wanted the opportunity to experience that in Denver, where he can observe “one of the best big men of all time.” He knew the Nuggets were especially interested in him during the pre-draft process, though he says he wasn’t sure if that interest was to the extent of a full promise.
“I’m here to have fun. I’m here to win. I’m here to get better,” Holmes said. “And if (people) do see me (in Denver), don’t be afraid to come up to me and say what’s up. I’m very cool, chill. I’m not the type of athlete that’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t talk to you.’ That doesn’t apply to me. My family raised me a way to be respectful to everybody.”
Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II (15) dunks the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against St. Bonaventure, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
This was the impression left by the Los Angeles Lakers after the Denver Nuggets vanquished them in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers teased with greatness, avoided a sweep with resilience, but more than anything complained about everything. Even their own head coach.
“We have stretches where we just don’t know what we are doing on both ends of the floor,” star Anthony Davis said in a direct salvo at Darvin Ham following the Game 2 loss.
The Lakers fired Ham after two seasons as it became increasingly clear he’d lost the respect of Davis and LeBron James.
Now, the Lakers are targeting UConn coach Dan Hurley. Not a podcaster and former player like J.J. Redick, but the Nick Saban of college basketball.
Uh-oh, Nuggets. What was already an important offseason must take on an added sense of urgency as the uphill climb back to the top of the mountain has increased from a 5 percent to 7 percent grade.
The Lakers might actually figure it out, becoming a bigger threat in an already laughably strong Western Conference. It reminds me of when the Dodgers were owned by glorified parking lot attendant Frank McCourt from 2004 to 2012. There was always the suspicion if the Dodgers ever got a suitable leader they would morph into a monster. Since Guggenheim Baseball Management took over in 2013, the Dodgers have reached the playoffs 11 consecutive seasons, won 10 division titles and the 2020 World Series.
Yes, insert your Rockies joke here.
Hurley won’t own the Lakers, but if he accepts the job he will run the Lakers. According to ESPN, the Lakers are prepared to offer Hurley a massive contract to take over the organization, putting into place his culture and vision for player development (likely including drafting Bronny James).
Hurley is a human Red Bull. He waves his arms, claps his hands, and screams until he is rouge in the face. Whether this type of intensity is sustainable with grown men over 82 games is a fair question. But Hurley is to Redick — the current second choice — what French vanilla is to Milli Vanilli. The Lakers will be better if he takes the job, and they achieve continuity (they’ve had seven coaches since 2011) and success (they boast a .519 winning percentage since the COVID crown in 2020).
Which raises the question: How will the Nuggets improve? Denver often demonstrates the patience of a Tibetan monk. The Nuggets are not expected to trade Christian Braun, Peyton Watson or, most notably, Michael Porter Jr. Porter is the biggest chip if the team wants to shake the snow globe. Shipping him out likely means keeping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and filling two needs with the contract space opened by Porter’s departure. It is unlikely. But, it would signal valuing depth and shooting in the aggregate over the unique potential of a 6-foot-10 offensive force coming off his best season — second-round playoff disappearance notwithstanding.
The Nuggets have followed the philosophy of wanting to win not only now, but from now on. General manager Calvin Booth elected not to add at the trade deadline, preferring not to disrupt team chemistry. Nuggets coach Michael Malone is quick to remind us that during their dynasty the San Antonio Spurs never won back-to-back titles. However, the Spurs were not competing in this Western Conference. Doing nothing means falling behind.
It is no longer cool to say the Nuggets lost to the Timberwolves because they were embarrassed by the Mavericks, who, if you embrace recency bias, possess the new best player in the world in Luka Doncic.
The Nuggets need a better ball-handler to back up Jamal Murray. They require a rim protector and a true backup center to ease the minutes and defensive burden on Nikola Jokic. It would be nice to land a 3-point threat if they trade Reggie Jackson and Nnaji and lose Caldwell-Pope to free agency. And Malone is going to have to allocate more minutes to the development of Braun and Watson to grow their role in the postseason.
A start? Adding Gordon Hayward and drafting DaRon Holmes. Also, the Nuggets need Murray’s best season — an all-star selection, and improved health in the playoffs — from start to finish.
The 2023 Nuggets will walk together forever. Replicating that magic is the goal but requires more work.
It feels like a lifetime ago that the Broncos won Super Bowl 50 and arrogantly assumed they could win with any quarterback because of their gnarly defense. They haven’t been to the playoffs since. The Nuggets are in a much better position, but they cannot take their situation for granted.
UConn is likely coming to Los Angeles. Nuggets, UCan’t stand pat.
In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene a day before the NBA Finals with plenty to talk about. Among the topics discussed:
The NBA Finals are here, with the Dallas Mavericks set to face the Boston Celtics. Is Luka Doncic the truth? Could he take the World’s Best Basketball Player title from Nikola Jokic if he beats the Celtics in the Finals?
The fellas hold a quick and informal draft of the top players in the NBA Finals. How many of the top eight players are Celtics? And who ultimately wins the series?
Looking ahead to free agency: Who is likely and who is completely unlikely to join the Nuggets this summer? Does Denver have any chance of bringing an impact player into the fold without trading one of its marquee starters?
Is Jayson Tatum a top-five player? Is Joel Embiid still in the conversation?
Sports found Vic Lombardi. And he has spent his adult life finding ways to make it more fun and interesting for the rest of us.
The son of Italian immigrants Ezio and Bambina, Lombardi did not speak English until around the age of 7. He remembers watching neighborhood kids play football, not knowing the rules, but joining the game anyway.
“It was my way to assimilate into the culture. A way to be American,” recalled Lombardi, a TV and radio host for Altitude Sports. “It made me want to be part of something bigger. I thank sports for giving me a light.”
By the age of 12, Lombardi found his purpose, enthralled by watching nightly sportscasts of Ron Zappolo, Les Shapiro and Tom Green. Sitting in front of his TV in North Denver, he promised himself that he would pursue a career in broadcasting.
After more than three decades in the media, it is clear Lombardi made the right decision. Beyond having what he calls “the most punchable face in the Denver media for 25 years running” is a fearless interviewer, a journalist with a passion for storytelling and a reporter with a slapstick sense of humor.
Lombardi’s excellence and longevity were honored as he was recently inducted into the Silver Circle of the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It recognizes 25 years in the industry with a meaningful and significant contribution to broadcasting. Lombardi is the first sports-exclusive anchor in the group — an honor revealed to him by the Altitude crew in a surprise ceremony last week.
What is it like to achieve the status of living legend?
“I had no idea. I thought I was going to a cookout, so I was wearing cookout clothes,” Lombardi said. “I am humbled and flattered.”
Lombardi’s greatest strength is being driven without losing his identity. He makes people laugh, he makes them mad and he makes them feel like they would like to hang out with him.
“One of the most authentic TV anchors I have ever worked with, and someone who loved to get involved in his stories. Sometimes too involved,” said Tim Wieland, president and general manager of CBS Colorado. “His stories often included buying or breaking something. I eventually just created a line in my expense budget titled ‘Vic’ because I knew I’d need it for something.”
Lombardi, 55, remains busy as the husband to wife, Terri, and father to son, Dante, and daughters Alexis and Isabella. Sports are never far from his reach. He golfs and plays a mean game of pick-up hoops — competitiveness and versatility that define his career.
“He engages with all audiences. He can tell a story like others can’t,” said Matt Krol, vice president and general manager of Altitude Sports. “He can interview Charles Barkley or a fan at a Nuggets game, whoever it is, it is entertaining.”
During his freshman year at the University of Colorado in 1987, Lombardi walked into the campus radio station and asked to broadcast sporting events and host a talk show. One problem. KUCB played alternative music, dabbling only in sports with the station’s ultimate frisbee intramural team. Undaunted, he borrowed equipment to do play-by-play, while securing a press pass from longtime sports information director David Plati, whom Lombardi worked for part-time.
When he got accepted into Notre Dame, Lombardi continued his broadcasting path with the Irish. As a student, he called some of the biggest games with the biggest names. Upon graduation, he had a job lined up as a researcher for NBC Sports for the upcoming Olympics.
“It was then I was asked, ‘Do you want to be behind the scenes or in front of the camera?’ I am a ham,” Lombardi said. “I got hired by WSJV in Elkhart, Indiana. I lived with the other sports guy at the station and he had seven cats. And I was allergic. But he was so kind.”
Talent does not operate on traditional timelines. Lombardi quickly landed in Austin, Texas, then Phoenix before returning home to anchor weekends for CBS4. It was in Austin where Lombardi began distinguishing himself. Covering the Dallas Cowboys at training camp, he put a uniform and a mic on the athletic weatherman.
“He went through the entire practice with the punters. Coaches had no idea who he was. Players didn’t know who he was,” Lombardi said with a laugh. “It was the most ridiculous story I have been a part of. (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones loved it.”
Current 9News sports producer Brian Olson worked in the area at the time and remembers the piece.
“It was like George Plimpton’s Paper Lion,” Olson said. “Vic always had great energy and was full of ideas. You could tell then he was ready to do big things.”
Working in Denver was Lombardi’s dream. And the stage, to his surprise, was almost too big for him. No longer was his audience nameless and faceless. His family and friends were watching.
“I dealt with anxiety. I had to overcome that,” Lombardi admitted. “I believe that if you don’t have some nervous energy when speaking to a crowd or an audience, there is something wrong with the presentation.”
At CBS4, Lombardi found his way, eventually becoming a major sports personality in Denver. His sportscasts were contagious, his commentaries biting. He colored outside the lines, like the time at Broncos training camp when he conducted interviews without a microphone.
“He used a spoon when talking to the players,” Denver7’s Lionel Bienvenu said. “They didn’t (notice.). It’s a hilarious clip. He was always looking for creative ways to be different.”
At Altitude, Lombardi fills a variety of roles from pre and postgame host to sideline reporter. He also served as emcee of the Nuggets championship parade last summer, with the former Nuggets ballboy producing one of the event’s most memorable moments when he declared coach Michael Malone the “Lakers’ Daddy.”
“I made a fundamental error. I crawled into my 12-year-old body. The Lakers owned us for 40 years. And when I say us, I mean those of us fans that grew up here in Denver,” Lombardi said. “We finally hit the bully in the mouth. My intent was never to be part of the story.”
It came from a place of passion, like so many things throughout his illustrious broadcasting career.
Nearly every big Colorado sporting event over the past 30 years has included Lombardi’s stamp. He has done it while making a lot of friends, a few enemies and winning a lot of Emmys.
“You have to give people a reason to react, to respond,” Lombardi said. “I am not afraid. That comes from not knowing any better. I am born of immigrant parents. I am not supposed to be here. I have already won.”
As a longer-than-expected offseason tips off for the Denver Nuggets, team officials want to be sure they separate from what coach Michael Malone calls “the emotional reaction to losing” before any major decisions are made.
“I think you always want to take time to let everything sink in and go back and take a quality look at everything that happened during the season,” general manager Calvin Booth said, “and then make decisions from that point.”
As those reflections begin, Booth, Malone and team president Josh Kroenke addressed several topics during a 34-minute news conference Thursday. Chief among them: Do the Nuggets need to find a way to upgrade their roster?
It was telling that Booth focused heavily on advancing the development of Denver’s youngest players.
“I think (the 2023 draft picks) need more seasoning,” he said. “They need to get in the gym. They need to play Summer League. They need to get stronger. Obviously, maybe in our top seven, we can use a little bit more talent. Maybe there’s a way to upgrade one or two positions. … Get a guy that’s a more accomplished NBA player for whatever (roster) slot they’re taking. But I don’t see anything that’s, like, crazy out of sorts for our roster.”
All indications from the extensive availability were that Denver isn’t rushing to make drastic changes to its roster. Booth doubled down on his previously stated team-building philosophy, which involves continuity achieved through drafting and developing to fill out the fringes of an expensive championship roster. He acknowledged the need to address the bench this offseason, potentially even with outside acquisitions, but it’s clear the Nuggets would prefer to rely on home-grown depth.
That Kroenke later expressed faith in the starting lineup — despite its poor showing against Minnesota — was among multiple signs that Denver isn’t rushing to shop Michael Porter Jr. as a trade piece this summer. Malone also rebutted Porter’s own comments taking blame for the early exit.
“We think we still have the best starting five in basketball, even though we fell just short this year,” Kroenke said. “Could have gone either way up until the last few minutes. So we don’t think we’re far off.”
Here’s a look at some of the other topics addressed Thursday:
Will Nuggets cross second apron to keep Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?
Booth said: “We spend a lot of time looking at the second apron and all this other stuff. I think for me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, second apron. And I know the second apron is daunting, and there’s all kinds of restrictions, but I don’t think that’s first on our priority list. KCP’s been a great addition the last couple years. We obviously would love to have him back. We’re gonna take a hard look at what that looks like.”
Analysis: Denver’s roster payroll already exceeds the luxury tax line and the first tax apron, resulting in a list of penalties imposed by the new collective bargaining agreement. If Kentavious Caldwell-Pope exercises his $15.4 million player or if the Nuggets re-sign him in free agency, they’ll trigger the second apron next season — meaning even more penalties. But Booth’s comment Thursday indicated that won’t be what stops Denver from retaining Caldwell-Pope.
Kroenke also said that while he’s cognizant of the long-term consequences of existence in the second apron, he’s comfortable going there to make the most of a Nikola Jokic-led roster.
Alignment between Michael Malone and Calvin Booth
Booth said: “We’ve talked about this a lot upstairs. The general manager, front office job oftentimes is to make sure the long-term view is something that we’re satisfied with. And Coach Malone’s down there in the trenches trying to win every night. And a lot of times, those things are aligned, but sometimes they ebb and flow away from each other.”
Malone said: “I’m thinking how do we win the next game? That’s my job. And Calvin as a GM is thinking about how do we win the next couple of years? That’s his job. And Josh is overseeing all that and understanding how to piece all that together.”
Analysis: When Booth and Malone made these comments, they were answering separate questions about different topics. So this has clearly been a theme within the organization in the days following the Nuggets’ second-round exit.
The franchise needs its general manager and head coach to be on the same page in order to maximize all 15 roster spots during the regular season. Most of what that boils down to is Booth’s aforementioned dependence on drafting and developing against Malone’s reluctance to trust young players with extended minutes. (That’s not a tendency that’s exclusive to one NBA head coach.)
Nikola Jokic’s backup big men
Booth said: “We’ll get a great chance to evaluate Vlatko (Cancar) this summer. … If (Slovenia is) able to get out of those qualifiers in Athens, he’ll be available to play in the Olympics, and I believe he’ll be playing in those qualifiers. … Zeke (Nnaji) is a young player. He brings energy to the game. He gives effort every night. He’s trying to grow into both sides of the ball. I think originally we drafted him to be a four. He’s ended up playing a lot of five. I don’t think it matters as much off the bench, but there are certain matchups where it becomes a little bit more problematic. But he has to get better. He has to be ready for his opportunities when they come. I think he’s gonna have a good NBA career.”
Analysis: Cancar missed the entire 2023-24 season after tearing his left ACL during a national team game last summer. His contract has a $2.3 million team option this offseason. The Nuggets need affordable salaries like his, but it would be difficult to justify holding onto him if his health continued to be an issue. If he’s able to make his return in international competition (and maybe even play against Jokic or Jamal Murray in France), it’ll be a huge boost.
As for Nnaji, his four-year, $32 million contract signed last October has aged controversially due to his lack of playing time. Booth seems to prefer Nnaji as a backup four instead of a backup center to Jokic, but if that’s the case, it still leaves a roster hole at the five. (Especially if DeAndre Jordan doesn’t return.) Nnaji’s contract is tradable until it isn’t. If the Nuggets become a second-apron team, they won’t be able to aggregate salaries such as his to get back a larger AAV.
Is Christian Braun an NBA starter?
Booth said: “He obviously has the intangibles and the physical strength and athleticism and defense (to be a starter). And he’s gonna have to make some improvements, as he has, shooting the ball. But I don’t know how you could see a player in his second year that’s done what he’s done and not think he has a chance of starting. He’s ahead of schedule in that regard.”
Malone: “I think Christian Braun, it’s all gonna come down to one thing. To be a shooting guard in the NBA, you’ve gotta be able to make shots. That’s the bottom line. So if you want to simplify CB’s future as a starting two-guard in the NBA, it’ll be determined upon his ability to be a 38% or above 3-point shooter.”
Analysis: If Caldwell-Pope moves on in free agency, this is the leading applicant for Denver’s fifth-starter opening. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Braun was in Malone’s closing lineup for much of the Minnesota series due to his defensive prowess against Anthony Edwards. That’s an impressive notch in the 23-year-old’s arrow, on top of playing rotation minutes in the NBA Finals as a rookie.
In an ideal world, Braun would come off the bench again next season, improving Denver’s 2024-25 depth and giving him one more year to develop before making that jump to a starting role. But to Malone’s point, here’s the good news: Braun already shot 38.4% from 3-point range this season.
Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates against the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs at Target Center on May 16, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets 115-70.
David Berding/Getty Images
Game 7, it is. The Minnesota Timberwolves face the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets today in the final game of the teams’ NBA Playoffs series. The Wolves skillfully forced a Game 7 after Thursday’s 45-point victory over the reigning NBA champs. Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves team has one more game to try to oust Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets from the playoffs.
This is a don’t-miss game. Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets Game 7 today.
How and when to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Game 7
Game 7 of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets series will be played on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT) and air on TNT. You can stream the Timberwolves vs. Nuggets game on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets Game 7 without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t carry TNT, or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch today’s game. Below are the platforms on which you can watch today’s game live.
One of the most cost-effective ways to stream today’s NBA playoff game is through a subscription to Sling TV. To watch today’s game, you’ll need a subscription to the Orange tier, which includes TNT and ESPN. For access to more NBA playoff games, upgrade to the Orange + Blue tier (recommended), which includes the games played on ABC.
The Orange tier is normally $40 per month, but Sling TV has an offer for new subscribers where you can get your first month for $15. The Orange + Blue tier costs $35 for your first month, and $60 per month after that. There’s also an NBA playoffs package deal where you can save $30 when you pre-pay for three months of service on any tier. You can cancel anytime.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
Sling TV is also our top choice to stream the NBA Playoffs.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ABC, ESPN and TNT.
You get access to NFL games airing on ESPN next season at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
Max, formerly known as HBO Max, is known for streaming top-tier HBO content like “Succession” and “House of the Dragon”. Now, NBA fans can enjoy NBA Playoffs games airing on TNT on the streamer with the B/R sports add-on. You’ll need a Max subscription to access B/R sports content like the NBA Playoffs and the NHL Playoffs. Some blackouts do apply.
A subscription to Max starts at $10 per month. The B/R sports add-on is currently free.
You can watch today’s game with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ABC, TNT, local network affiliates and ESPN. It also includes the ESPN+ streaming service. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch today’s game, the 2024 NBA playoffs, MLB this season and network-aired NFL games next season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
The best place to get NBA Playoffs fan gear: Fanatics
Rooting from home is more fun while repping your team with the latest NBA fan gear. Fanatics is our first stop for the newest NBA fan gear, our go-to for the latest drop of NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals merch like jerseys, commemorative T-shirts, hats and more. Fanatics also has just-released NFL Draft jerseys, like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams‘ new Chicago Bears jersey. Free shipping on orders over $24 (use code 24SHIP).
2024 NBA Playoffs: Full playoff schedule
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 15, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
The Conference semifinals is a best-of-seven series beginning on May 4, 2024. All times Eastern.
It’ll be an NBA Game 7 doubleheader to finish the weekend.
The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet for their winner-take-all series finale Sunday at 6 p.m. MT, the league announced Friday night. The game at Ball Arena in downtown Denver will be broadcast on TNT and available for streaming on Max.
The start time was dependent on the result of Game 6 between the Knicks and Pacers. If the Knicks had finished off the Eastern Conference semifinal series Friday with a 3-2 lead, Denver and Minnesota would have been in the afternoon TV slot Sunday. Instead, Knicks vs. Pacers at Madison Square Garden takes that space, pushing the Western Conference clash to the evening.
This will be the Nuggets’ first elimination game in more than two calendar years and their first Game 7 since the bubble in 2020. Denver took a one-game lead over Minnesota for second place in the West on the last day of the regular season to earn home-court advantage for this series, including its grand conclusion. The winner will advance to the Western Conference Finals to face either Dallas or Oklahoma City.
The visiting team won the first four games of the series, with Denver erasing a 2-0 deficit. Since then, the Nuggets and Timberwolves have traded home wins. Minnesota staved off elimination Thursday at Target Center with a 115-70 blowout that holds the distinction of being the Nuggets’ worst playoff loss in franchise history by point margin.
Fans walk through the team logo illuminating the floor of Ball Arena before the Denver Nuggets host the Phoenix Suns in the first half of Game 4 of an NBA second-round playoff series Sunday, June 13, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP
The two greatest words in sports will ring throughout the Mile High on Sunday: Game Seven.
The defending champions Denver Nuggets will host the Minnesota Timberwolves for a Game 7 dance to decide who gets to play in this year’s Western Conference Finals.
Denver has historically reached the conference finals five times in its history, most recently in 2020 and 2023. If Minnesota pulls off the upset, this will be their first conference finals appearance in 20 years.
Games 1 to 6 have featured pesty defensive efforts, mind-boggling offensive outings by 3-time MVP center Nikola Jokic and breakout performances for rising star Anthony Edwards.
Despite the road team winning each of the first four games, both Denver and Minnesota managed to defend their home courts in Games 5 and 6.
Here’s the thing: we don’t know the time quite yet
Tip-off at Ball Arena depends on the outcome of Friday night’s Indiana Paces and New York Knicks game.
If the Pacers force a Game 7 in their series, the Timberwolves and Nuggets game will tip off at 6 p.m. and TNT would broadcast.
If the Knicks win Game 6 to clinch their series, Denver’s Game 7 will tip off at 1:30 p.m. and ABC would broadcast.
Regardless of the time, here are 10 places to catch Game 7 in Denver this Sunday:
DNVR Sports Bar
Location: 2239 E. Colfax Ave.
Chopper’s Sports Grill
Location: 80 S. Madison St.
Tom’s Watch Bar
Location: 1601 19th St.
Tight End Bar
Location: 1501 E. Colfax Ave.
Stadium Inn
Location: 1701 E. Evans Ave.
McGregor Square
Location: 1901 Wazee St.
The 715 Club
Location: 715 E. 26th Ave.
Raices Brewing Co.
Location: 2060 W. Colfax Ave.
Stoney’s Bar & Grill
Location: 1035 E. 17th Ave. (Uptown) & 1111 Lincoln St. (Capitol Hill)
Revenge games provide a platform for players to show why they should have won MVP honors. Nikola Jokic staged a revenge game to show why he did win MVP honors.
The premise was that the Minnesota Timberwolves were trying to reconnect in this series after getting skunked twice at home. They exuded confidence, convinced Tuesday would be different.
Then it became Jokic vs. Everybody. Everybody Lost. The Nuggets won because he is him. Avs stars Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy delivered multiple titles. Rockies greats Todd Helton and Larry Walker remain forever immortalized in the Hall of Fame. And Alex English could slinky his way to 28 points a night.
“He was special. I have to give him his flowers,” Edwards said. “He was that guy.”
The only thing missing from one of the top five performances in his career was Jokic talking like Liam Neeson in his postgame presser about his “particular set of skills.”
He schooled Karl-Anthony Towns, worked over Naz Reid, and held a Roast of Rudy. Rudy Gobert owns four defensive player of the year trophies, a testament to his size, strength and length. Jokic turned him into a one-legged air dancer greeting customers at a used car lot. He converted 8 of 9 shots with Gobert as his primary defender.
I cannot fathom how any current or former NBA player can watch Jokic and not believe two things: that he is the best in the world and that this series is over.
Jokic scored 16 points in the third quarter Tuesday. He scored 16 in the fourth quarter in Game 4. The Timberwolves felt like they were frequently in the right position, and it did not matter. When Jokic gets this hot, this aggressive, there’s little the opponent can do. Nothing screams MVP like making the competition feel powerless.
“He was in the zone. I mean a couple of shots I think I actually blocked and the ball went in,” Gobert said. “He put his team on his back in the third quarter. It was definitely one of those stretches that we are going to have to watch the film. I think there are things we should have done better, but there’s also plays he made that I think are tough to overcome.”
The Thunderwolves began the playoffs with six straight victories, and now have dropped three consecutive games for the first time this season. Minnesota features two coaches – boss Chris Finch and assistant Micah Nori – who spent time on the Nuggets staff. They possess institutional knowledge. And they have no answer for the Nuggets’ basketball Einstein.
Jokic leads by example, not intimidation.
The Nuggets players do what he does out of respect, mirroring his unselfishness. What made Game 5 different and why the Timberwolves will lose Game 6 is because Jokic has solved their Rubik’s Cube. Minnesota finished the season with the league’s best defensive efficiency rating. Following their dominant first two wins, there were comparisons to the 2004 Detroit Pistons.
Time to throw those in one of the state’s 10,000 lakes. Jokic has rendered them worthless. He dropped 40 points. Jokic in the paint was Beethoven at the piano. He bullied Gobert with his forearms, sinking spinning fallaways and left-handed hooks. He sank a 3-pointer in Kyle Anderson’s face, beat Towns on a back cut for a layup, and dunked multiple times.
“I am not entirely sure what I just watched,” forward Aaron Gordon said. “It was ridiculous.”
Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets shoots over Rudy Gobert (27) of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter at Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
When the Nuggets dropped the first two home games, the Timberwolves annoyed Jokic. He made 16 of 38 shots (42 percent) with 11 turnovers and a minus-28 rating. In an off day before Game 3, he was named MVP for the third time, only the ninth player to accomplish the feat. With the national media saying the Nuggets were cooked, it threatened to tarnish his accomplishment.
“Nikola is very relaxed. He is passionate, but he doesn’t show it,” backup center DeAndre Jordan said. “When we went down 0-2, I think a switch kind of flipped for him and our entire team.”
The three games since have been the Revenge of the Serb. Jokic has made 40 of 65 shots (61.5 percent) with seven turnovers and a plus-54 rating. Find a better postseason stretch for a Colorado professional athlete. I dare you. Maybe the Broncos’ Terrell Davis in the 1997 and 1998 playoffs when he put his foot in the ground for 5.52 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns. Or Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez in the 2009 playoffs (10-for-17 with three extra-base hits).
For the Timberwolves to even this series, they must either stifle Jokic or match him. That is the evil of two lessers. There is no chance this will happen.
Truth is, we will not see his like again. Except on Thursday in Game 6.
