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Tag: Nikola Jokic

  • As Aaron Gordon seeks second opinions on hamstring injury, Nuggets brace for impact

    That shadow over the court was Aaron Gordon’s. Suddenly, the Nuggets felt his absence as painfully as their opponents usually feel his presence.

    He would have been perfect for a crunch-time possession late Saturday night and the unenviable task of guarding DeMar DeRozan with a game on the line.

    David Adelman instead asked for one stop from Spencer Jones, the eager 24-year-old wing who has prospered as a defensive specialist on a two-way contract.

    He had started the game in place of the injured Gordon as well, but this was a step up in stakes. The Nuggets trailed 123-120 after a successful two-for-one bucket with 29 seconds to go, allowing them to play out a defensive possession instead of fouling. They had no margin for error, but they had a chance.

    Jones does have one glaring flaw in his defensive game: He’s foul-prone. And against a savvy veteran scorer like DeRozan, discipline with hand placement is especially vital. Jones didn’t pass the assignment this time. He reached into the cookie jar, and DeRozan immediately drew the contact while burying an improbable midrange jumper. Ballgame.

    Gordon and the Nuggets are seeking second opinions on the severity of his right hamstring strain before determining how much time he’ll miss, Adelman said Saturday, 24 hours after Gordon slipped on a drive to the basket in Houston and then gingerly walked off the court. The injury could result in another prolonged absence for a Nuggets starter, with Christian Braun already on the shelf for the next five weeks.

    “We’re trying to make sure we get the correct answer to make sure we’re doing the right thing,” Adelman said. “… Obviously, that was concerning last night with Aaron.”

    The Nuggets are bracing for impact. Hunter Tyson played first-half rotation minutes in their 128-123 loss to Sacramento. Zeke Nnaji started last Wednesday at New Orleans when Gordon’s hamstring sent him a warning sign. DaRon Holmes II was called up from the G League on Saturday.

    And Jones was a major variable in the defensive equation of replacing Gordon during Denver’s back-to-back this weekend. He was impressive in Houston, matching up on a full range of players from Reed Sheppard to Alperen Sengun.

    On Saturday, he was a minus-18.

    “I’m concerned about anybody guarding DeRozan,” Adelman said when asked whether he was concerned about the foul potential of the Jones matchup. “He’ll learn from that. He got his hand in there. That’s what DeMar does. He’s always been an artist with that. He’s one of the best scorers in the modern era. A lot of it is because of that, and of course, it comes at a really key time. So Spence will learn from it. I have nothing but full confidence in him.”

    Baptism by fire is the only way sometimes, in Adelman’s view. After spending weeks lauding his team’s depth, the injury bug is forcing him to use it even more.

    “We’re going through this process with a couple of guys out, really three guys out,” he said, referring also to Julian Strawther’s recent back pain that has kept him inactive the last four games. “So we want to see what each guy can do. We played Jalen (Pickett) a little bit. We started him (against Indiana). Zeke started in New Orleans. We wanted to give Hunter a little bit of run.

    “As we go through this time, if guys are out — and some are, as you know — we’ll try different lineups to see what we can do. … I can’t play an eight-and-a-half man rotation every night. So I’ll get creative with it as best I can.”

    Denver’s three healthy starters showed out on the second night of the back-to-back. Nikola Jokic amassed 44 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. Jamal Murray continued to be a steady source of offense, with 23 points and nine assists to just one turnover. Cam Johnson continued to do all the little things that prompted Adelman to defend him when he was slumping — and also went for his first 20-point game as a Nugget.

    But with Peyton Watson and Jones slotted in as starters, the bench got outscored 48-20. In a home loss to the Bulls last Monday, the margin was an even uglier 66-9. That happened with Gordon in the lineup.

    “I think 12-4, it’s not the real picture. I think we are not that good,” Jokic said Saturday, laying it on perhaps a little too thick. “I think we need to be much better if we want to do something big. Yes, we’ve played better. We look better. But I think we need to consistently, every night, every possession.”

    “Those guys are really important to what we do. They’re very talented players, CB and AG,” Johnson added. “Very gritty guys. Contribute a lot to the game. But it’s part of the league, you know? It’s part of the game. Eighty-two games is a long season. Sometimes, things happen. I think we have the depth that we can (trust the) next man up and rally and find ways to maximize the guys available on the floor.”

    If Gordon sits out an extended period that corresponds with Braun’s recovery, getting stops will be Denver’s biggest bugaboo. The team’s defensive rating when those two players share the floor is an elite 109.5 in 241 minutes. It’s 118.9 when they’re both off the floor. The Kings turned the ball over only six times on Saturday. Russell Westbrook scored 15 fourth-quarter points to fuel their win, which snapped an eight-game skid.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nikola Jokic is done yelling at refs: ‘I don’t even think about them. It’s great.’

    HOUSTON — Nikola Jokic is determined to make this his season of zen.

    No more animated arguments with the officials. No more pleading for calls. No more of those exasperated full-body reactions to the whistle, those classic images of a 285-pound man tightly wound up, his arms and neck shrinking into his torso, his palms facing the ceiling in bewilderment, his eyes bugging out.

    Nope, no more of that. Jokic is chill with the referees now. He’s a go-with-the-flow kind of guy.

    “That’s my new thing this year,” he says. “I’m not gonna get stressed or yell at the refs or whatever. I’m just gonna try to comport my energy to the basketball place.”

    Jokic has waged a few wars against NBA officiating crews. He has 46 career technical fouls and nine ejections. He has made it clear in the past that he believes smaller players are allowed to get away with grabbing and shoving him an inordinate amount. He once received a rare one-tech ejection in Chicago for uttering a profanity that is considered fairly mundane in the context of professional sports — an incident so unusual that the opposing fans jeered the refs for depriving them of a superstar performance.

    But the three-time MVP claims to be turning over a new leaf now.

    “I feel so much better out there,” he said this week. “I don’t even think about them. It’s great.”

    An exception to the rule: Jokic is not forbidden from gesturing to Nuggets coach David Adelman when he thinks a challenge is warranted. If a tangible and productive result can be achieved by refuting a call, then it’s not a waste of energy, in Jokic’s view.

    He even signaled for a challenge one second into Denver’s game in New Orleans this week, after the opening jump ball was batted directly out of bounds by the Pelicans but was initially ruled to be last touched by Jokic.

    Other than that, he’s trying to shut up and play the game.

    Unfortunately for his new coach, that could mean heightened responsibility as a surrogate agitator.

    “Yeah, he’s in a better mood, and I’m in a worse mood, and it cost me whatever it cost me the other night,” Adelman joked, referring to a technical foul he picked up Monday when the Nuggets hosted Chicago.

    “I actually think it really is interesting how you approach that. … I do think certain guys, the way they react to the officials can help them, the way they interact. … In other ways, it hurts you. So if that’s the approach he’s taking, I trust him that he feels like it puts him in a better mental state. If it helps how he plays, how he feels daily, it’s a good thing.”

    One more exception to the rule: Jokic made sure to get in a full season’s worth of opinions on officiating back at Nuggets training camp, when he held court for at least 15 minutes with a trio of NBA referees brought in by the team to officiate a scrimmage.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Without Aaron Gordon, Nuggets escape New Orleans with win in Zion Williamson’s return

    NEW ORLEANS — Life was detected in the most cavernous building in the NBA for a few minutes on Wednesday, as the Pelicans flew to an early 13-point lead over their lethargic visitors.

    Life was briefly detected again toward the end of the proceedings, when the Pelicans sliced a 19-point deficit to six after Nikola Jokic fouled out. There might have even been noise from the uninhabited upper deck.

    But the Nuggets escaped Smoothie King Center in the end with a 125-118 win, buoyed by a mostly solid night of defense and Peyton Watson’s career-high 32 points.

    In his second game starting for Christian Braun, Watson finished with a 13-for-19 double-double. Jokic added 28 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists on another night with two starters missing.

    And Denver (11-3) finished the game with a frontcourt of Zeke Nnaji and Jonas Valanciunas after Jokic’s disqualification. Valanciunas knocked down a pair of clutch 15-footers to fend off a late comeback from the Pelicans (2-13).

    From the start, this was a game layered with more intrigue than the records indicated. Zion Williamson, the Pelicans’ explosive but aloof star forward, was cleared to play after missing the last eight games. Denver’s Aaron Gordon was a last-minute scratch from the lineup for hamstring injury management, which sidelined him for one other game earlier this season.

    These developments were related. Gordon has been described by Nuggets coach David Adelman as one of “only a few human beings walking around that can deal with Zion Williamson.” Adelman mirrored their minutes when the Pelicans visited Denver three weeks ago, determined to force Williamson to play against that matchup.

    Without Gordon, Nnaji was enlisted as the starting power forward. He had been out of the rotation entirely to start the season.

    The idea had a sound precedent, though. Gordon was out when the Nuggets hosted New Orleans in February, and former coach Michael Malone also started Nnaji for the occasion. Williamson scored an inefficient 14 points on 13 shots that day, as Trey Murphy III had to shoulder more of the Pelicans’ offensive burden. As a team, they went 4 for 11 on shots defended by Nnaji.

    This time, even with two rim protectors on the floor in Nnaji and Watson, the Pelicans scored 18 points in the paint (and 23 total) in the first eight minutes. It didn’t help that Jokic committed four turnovers before he made a shot, surrendering easy transition opportunities to a struggling team that has played faster since firing coach Willie Green last week.

    Out of an early Adelman timeout, the Nuggets gave up two consecutive fast breaks that ended with New Orleans missing the initial layup only to score on a second chance.

    “They had a coaching change,” Adelman said pregame. “New energy. … So this is a totally different challenge.”

    Jokic finally kick-started the Nuggets with five straight points after they fell behind 23-10. He was on his way to a triple-double by the end of the third quarter — those are the norm when he faces New Orleans — but the upstart Pels showed him multiple defenders and made him work all night. On offense, he finished with nine turnovers. On defense, rookie Derik Queen wasn’t afraid to attack him off the dribble.

    Drafted 13th overall after a controversial trade in June, Queen is the latest new-gen prospect whose play style is clearly in Jokic’s lineage. He was responsible for Colorado State’s heartbreaking NCAA Tournament loss at the buzzer last March. Now, a franchise desperate for future answers wants to develop him into a hub of half-court offense. He paced the Pels on Wednesday with 30 points, nine boards and four assists.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nikola Jokic dominates in Nuggets’ 122-112 win over Heat — Denver stays perfect at home

    Altitude might be regaining its status as a safe haven for the Nuggets.

    Obliging Miami’s invitation to play fast-paced, somewhat chaotic basketball, Denver held off the Heat for a 122-112 win Wednesday and improved to 4-0 this season at Ball Arena. They were a lackluster 26-15 at home last year.

    Nikola Jokic had a triple-double by the end of a bizarre and experimental third quarter, en route to 33 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists. He and his teammates benefitted from the departure of Heat star Bam Adebayo, who suffered a foot injury early in the game. With Kel’el Ware and Keshad Johnson splitting minutes at center, Denver out-rebounded Miami 68-44 for a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points and 62-42 edge in the paint.

    That and the tempo at which Miami plays helped the Nuggets (5-2) pile on 68 first-half points despite shooting only 43% from the floor and 6 for 23 outside the arc. They also added 12 points in the first minute and 46 seconds of the third quarter, briefly flirting with a 150-point pace.

    But every time the Nuggets threatened to blow the game open, they started to get messy. Miami shaved a 17-point deficit back to 10 with seven minutes to go, causing David Adelman to call timeout and retrieve his security blanket from the bench. On a sloppier night for the Jamal Murray-led second unit, Jokic steadied the ship. Denver won his minutes by 18 and lost those without him by eight.

    Murray struggled to make his shots for the second consecutive game, going 4 of 15. But he accepted a pick-me-up from Aaron Gordon, who scored 24 points and was on the emphatic receiving end of a few Jokic dimes. Tim Hardaway Jr. also added 18 points on a 4-for-9 night from 3-point range, continuing his hot start to the season.

    The 33-year-old guard, who signed a veteran minimum contract with the Nuggets, is shooting 44.7% from three after seven games. He’s playing more minutes than anybody else off Denver’s bench.

    The Nuggets have now won nine consecutive regular-season home games against Miami. Other than Game 2 of the NBA Finals in 2023, their last home loss to the Heat was Nov. 30, 2016.

    Miami did, however, hand the Nuggets their first deficit at Ball Arena this season when Norman Powell buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key against their zone on the first possession of the game. He went for a team-leading 23 points, but the Heat did most of their leading in the first quarter. Denver trailed by more than seven and never trailed after halftime.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Philadelphia’s Defensive Identity: How the Sixers Stack Up Against Elite NBA Offenses – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR-Unsplash

    The Philadelphia 76ers have built their reputation on more than just star power; they thrive on defensive intensity, tactical discipline, and adaptability. 

    As the NBA evolves into an offense-driven league defined by pace, spacing, and three-point volume, the Sixers continue to assert themselves as one of the few teams capable of neutralizing high-octane attacks. 

    Their ability to defend elite offenses like those of Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, and even the upstart Houston Rockets tells a compelling story about where this team stands, and what it will take to make a deep postseason run.

    Let’s take a deep dive into the elite opponents the 76ers could face and what that reveals about Philadelphia.

    Cleveland Cavaliers: Defensive Chess Meets Offensive Grit

    When the Philadelphia 76ers face the Cleveland Cavaliers, the matchup becomes a showcase of defensive intelligence versus calculated offense. 

    Cleveland thrives on tempo control and physical half-court sets driven by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Yet, Philadelphia’s defense, anchored by Joel Embiid’s rim protection and reinforced by versatile wings, forces Cleveland’s guards into uncomfortable midrange attempts.

    The Sixers excel in closing driving lanes and switching seamlessly between pick-and-roll coverages, limiting Cleveland’s second-chance opportunities. Tyrese Maxey’s quick rotations and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s length have become essential in stifling perimeter scorers, forcing the Cavs to rely more heavily on interior playmaking.

    According to recent trends on FanDuel, the Sixers often hold the Cavaliers below their season scoring average, underscoring their ability to dictate tempo and defensive flow. 

    This matchup reflects what defines Philadelphia’s defensive identity: physical containment, communication, and a refusal to let opponents dictate pace.

    Dallas Mavericks: Neutralizing An Elite Offense

    Few teams present a greater tactical challenge than the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving’s shot creation creates a near-impossible puzzle for most defenses, but not for the Philadelphia 76ers. Philly’s defensive strategy against Dallas focuses on calculated containment rather than overcommitment.

    By deploying length on the perimeter and funneling drives into Embiid’s area, the Sixers force Dallas to take tough step-backs rather than create open looks for shooters. 

    Philadelphia’s help defense is among the most disciplined in the league; rotations are crisp, and double-teams are timed to disrupt rhythm rather than simply pressure.

    Against Dallas’s spread offense, the Sixers rely heavily on switching versatility. The 76ers’ defensive IQ and Tobias Harris’s mobility allow them to handle mismatches without compromising structure. 

    The result is a system custom-built to frustrate Dallas’s preferred pace and expose the Mavericks’ overreliance on isolation play, a testament to how fundamentally sound the Sixers’ defense remains.

    Denver Nuggets: A True Test of Defensive Structure

    Defending the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, is the ultimate measuring stick for any contender. Nikola Jokić is an offensive system unto himself, capable of dissecting defenses with surgical precision. 

    Yet, the Philadelphia 76ers have found ways to challenge his dominance through layered defensive schemes.

    When Embiid anchors the paint, the Sixers can afford to stay home on shooters, forcing Jokić into contested hook shots rather than wide-open kick-outs. Philadelphia alternates between drop coverage and soft doubles, ensuring Jokić sees multiple looks without exposing weak-side vulnerabilities.

    Perimeter containment is equally vital: Maxey will disrupt Jamal Murray’s timing, while Oubre’s wingspan deters entry passes. Against Denver’s movement-heavy offense, the Sixers rely on communication and positional awareness, hallmarks of a mature defensive identity. 

    The result isn’t always perfection, but Philadelphia’s ability to slow the Nuggets’ efficiency demonstrates how preparation and versatility can stand up to elite offensive orchestration.

    Houston Rockets: Young Energy vs. Veteran Discipline

    While the Houston Rockets are still developing into a playoff-caliber team, their youthful energy and uptempo offense provide a valuable test for the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive endurance. 

    Houston’s attack thrives on pace, quick decision-making, and aggressive penetration, the kind of approach that punishes sluggish defensive rotations.

    Philadelphia inevitably responds with discipline. The Sixers excel in limiting transition points, forcing Houston’s young guards to operate in half-court scenarios where mistakes are magnified. Embiid’s rim presence discourages reckless drives, while defenders use physicality to deny second-chance buckets.

    In these matchups, Philadelphia’s experience becomes its greatest weapon. The Sixers slow down Houston’s rhythm, impose half-court sets, and capitalize on defensive rebounding. 

    Their ability to neutralize high-energy teams showcases how defensive maturity can outlast youthful exuberance, a defining characteristic for a team aiming to contend deep into the postseason.

    Bettor Takeaway

    For bettors, understanding the Philadelphia 76ers’ defensive blueprint offers a clear advantage. While many wagerers focus on offensive trends, defense often dictates the spread and total outcomes. 

    Credit: LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR-Unsplash

    When the Sixers face top-tier offenses, their ability to hold teams below average scoring outputs can make under wagers particularly appealing.

    The Sixers’ consistency in forcing inefficient shots and slowing the pace translates directly into betting value. Games against Cleveland and Denver, for instance, tend to be lower-scoring affairs, while matchups with Dallas and Houston often depend on how well Philadelphia controls the first quarter. 

    Savvy bettors on platforms like FanDuel recognize that the Sixers’ defense doesn’t just win games, it reshapes odds.

    Moreover, Philadelphia’s combination of Embiid’s rim protection and elite team defense often leads to in-game betting opportunities, such as live unders or player prop unders for opposing stars. 

    Understanding these defensive patterns is key for bettors looking to capitalize on value that others overlook.

    The Blueprint for Sustained Success

    The Philadelphia 76ers’ identity rests on defense, intelligence, adaptability, and relentlessness. 

    Against elite offensive teams, from Cleveland’s methodical approach to Denver’s fluid precision, the Sixers continue to prove that defense can still win in a league dominated by offense. 

    Their ability to impose pace, protect the paint, and frustrate superstars isn’t just a byproduct of talent; it’s a philosophy.

    When the postseason looms, the Sixers’ path to contention will hinge not only on scoring power but on maintaining their defensive DNA. In an NBA landscape where points come easy, Philadelphia reminds the league that containment, communication, and discipline still separate the great from the merely good. 

    For fans and bettors alike, the message is clear: the Sixers’ defensive evolution isn’t just about stopping opponents, it’s about redefining what it takes to win in modern basketball.

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  • Renck & File: Dre Greenlaw’s body let him down. Then he let down Broncos. Time to change that Sunday

    You thought we forgot about Dre?

    Everything Dre Greenlaw brings to a team, we have not yet seen. His leadership, controlled violence and sticky coverage. That was the hype. Eight months later, it is time to examine Greenlaw’s reality in Denver.

    Hmm. Absent or incomplete? Which one fits best?

    First, his body let him down, a quadriceps injury costing him the first six games. Then he let his team down, yelling at official Brad Allen after the walk-off win over the Giants, resulting in a one-game suspension.

    This must change Sunday at Houston. A Broncos upset could hinge on his performance.

    Greenlaw has made an impact behind the scenes, setting an example with his work ethic and daily intensity. But it has not translated to the field, where his season consists of six tackles on 21 snaps against the Giants. Greenlaw showed accountability on Thursday, admitting he should not have put the Broncos in position to play without him because of his outburst. This was an important step.

    Now, the Broncos need the best of Greenlaw moving forward. They are a contender. Whether or not they can win the AFC West or host a playoff matchup hinges on games like Sunday. The Texans are scrambling for a wild-card berth. The Broncos can move 3.5 games ahead of them with a win. After demolishing the hapless Raiders, the Broncos would then host the Chiefs on Nov. 16 in the franchise’s biggest game since Super Bowl 50.

    This will not happen without Greenlaw returning to his 2023 form, without the former star filling the vacuum left by Pat Surtain II’s absence. There is evidence that Greenlaw’s ability remains; that he can instill fear for roughly 45 snaps on Sunday.

    But he cannot talk about it. He has to be about it.

    Troy Renck

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  • NBA roundup: Nikola Jokic’s triple-double leads Nuggets in home opener

    (Photo credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images)

    Jamal Murray had 23 points, Nikola Jokic notched his second straight triple-double to start the season and the Nuggets beat the Phoenix Suns 133-111 on Saturday night in Denver’s home opener.

    Christian Braun scored 20 points and Aaron Gordon had 17 points two nights after posting a career-high 50 for Denver, which had seven players score in double figures and shot 51.2% (43 of 84) from the field.

    Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds. He took just eight shots, making five, and didn’t attempt a field goal until a goaltending call on Phoenix with 2:26 left in the second quarter. His first shot attempt was a free throw with 4:18 left in the first half.

    Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points, Grayson Allen scored 17 and Dillon Brooks had 15. Phoenix shot just 43.2% (38 of 88) from the field.

    Thunder 117, Hawks 100

    Chet Holmgren overcame back soreness that almost kept him out to produce a double-double and help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten with a win in Atlanta.

    Holmgren was listed as questionable on the pregame injury report and spent time rubbing his back during dead-ball situations. But he played through discomfort to score a season-high 31 points and grab 11 rebounds. He was 8-for-12 shooting from the floor (6-for-8 on 3-pointers).

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 of his 30 points in the third quarter. Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the team with 17 points. Trae Young scored 15 points and had 10 assists, his league-best 22nd straight game with at least 15 points and five assists.

    Bulls 110, Magic 98

    Josh Giddey scored a team-high 21 points, five reserves combined for 58 more and Chicago held off host Orlando to win back-to-back games to start the season.

    Jalen Smith and Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls bench crew with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Starters Nikola Vucevic (15 points) and Tre Jones (13), and reserves Patrick Williams (12) and Kevin Huerter (11) made it seven players — including four backups — in double figures.

    Despite 7-for-21 shooting, Paolo Banchero was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points for the Magic, who lost at home for the second consecutive night. Orlando went just 3-for-24 from beyond the arc.

    76ers 125, Hornets 121

    Quentin Grimes had 24 points off the bench and drilled a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to lift host Philadelphia over Charlotte for the 76ers’ second straight win to open the season.

    After trailing by 10 points with less than six minutes left, the 76ers finished the game on a 23-9 run. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 28 points and nine assists, while Joel Embiid added 20 points.

    LaMelo Ball had 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Charlotte, while Collin Sexton added 21 points. Rookies Ryan Kalkbrenner and Kon Knueppel scored 14 points apiece, while Sion James had 10 points off the bench for the Hornets.

    Grizzlies 128, Pacers 103

    Rookie Cedric Coward erupted for 27 points behind a torrid 3-point shooting effort as Memphis rolled past visiting Indiana.

    In just his third NBA game, Coward knocked down all six of his 3-point attempts off the bench. Ja Morant added 19 points and eight assists, anchoring a clean offensive game which saw the Grizzlies commit just four turnovers.

    The Pacers got little consistent offense outside of Bennedict Mathurin, who finished with 26 points before exiting with a sore right foot. Aaron Nesmith added 15 while Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin each scored 13.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Aaron Gordon didn’t want game ball after Nuggets lost season opener despite his 50-piece

    SAN FRANCISCO — Aaron Gordon gets hyphy when he’s near his hometown.

    His string of exceptional scoring performances at Golden State might seem to defy explanation, but it turns out there is one. Home is where the heart is, or in Gordon’s case, where the ear is.

    “Man, the DJ was playing slaps, you know what I mean?” the Nuggets forward said after Denver’s season-opening overtime loss on Thursday. “So I’m vibing the whole game. He’s playing the straight Bay that I grew up with. Just like hyphy music, you know what I mean?”

    He’s talking about Oakland-style hip-hop, the frenetic subgenre that emerged in the ’90s and spread across the Bay Area as he was growing up in San Jose in the early aughts. Give Gordon the soundtrack of his youth, and he’ll give you a memorable game.

    Fifteen fourth-quarter points to pilot an epic comeback and set up the shot of Nikola Jokic’s life. A 38-point throwback to carry a short-handed team without Jokic, Jamal Murray or darn near anyone else.

    A bittersweet 50-piece.

    “I was just up there getting hyphy,” he said.

    Fifty was not enough on Thursday night, and that will haunt the Nuggets, even if it was only the first game of the season. It will haunt them in annoyingly sentimental and emotional ways more than it will in the standings, at least for now.

    Warriors 137, Nuggets 131 in an overtime opener for the ages.

    “I feel awful for Aaron,” coach David Adelman said unprompted. “Aaron had a night that I’ll never forget. I know that he won’t.”

    Gordon shone brightest, but Steph Curry got the last laugh in a city that he wields so effortlessly in the palm of his hand, even at 37 years old. His effect on the Bay Area is as timeless as hyphy’s spell on Gordon. When he stepped to the foul line late in regulation for three free throws, he first paused, took notice of a momentary lull and calmly implored Chase Center to get noisier. They couldn’t jump to their feet fast enough.

    “He doesn’t need a lot,” Nikola Jokic said. “He just needs to see one ball go in.”

    That was the second-most striking crowd reaction of the night, outdone only by the authentic joy when Gordon missed his first 3-pointer. It happened late in the third quarter, on Gordon’s ninth try. He seemed invincible up to that point, and afterward, too. The final stat line: 50 points and eight rebounds on 17-of-21 shooting, including 10 of 11 outside the arc.

    “Whoever scores 10 threes in a game,” Jokic said, “it’s easy to play with that person.”

    Even after he cashed in a few, the Warriors relentlessly made head-scratching defensive decisions — going under a ball screen, not picking Gordon up in transition as he brought the ball up, selling out to take away the paint from him off-ball instead of the 3-point line, as Draymond Green did with 25 seconds left in regulation.

    Gordon’s 10th triple should have been the game-winner.

    But…

    “He hit a super-tough shot to send it to OT,” Gordon said. “That’s Steph being Steph.”

    From 34 feet deep, Curry pulled up and stole Gordon’s moment. The Nuggets were helpless to stop it. They showed him bodies and ran him off the 3-point line effectively early in the game, but steadily, he turned Christian Braun’s sneakers into ice-skates, predicted the beats and rhythms of Jokic’s double-teams, and found the angles that transferred control back to him. He scored 35 of his 42 points after halftime.

    Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors does his “night night” celebration after Jimmy Butler III #10 made a three-point basket against the Denver Nuggets in overtime at Chase Center on Oct. 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

    The Nuggets didn’t defend well enough. They relinquished a 14-point lead.

    “A few times, we didn’t send him in the direction of the defense,” Adelman said. “If he gets the other way, there’s no one on the other side of that pick. … The shot he made to tie, it’s a shot that only he can make. But obviously you have to be up (the floor) more.”

    Denver still had a chance to win on the last possession of regulation. The Warriors had offense-based personnel on the floor from the previous sequence. But Adelman was OK using a timeout and allowing them to substitute if it meant getting organized on the pick-and-roll setup and making sure his players didn’t rush to shoot before the buzzer. They produced a quality shot out of that timeout, but Jokic missed from floater range.

    This was a night when plenty of components weren’t good enough around Gordon. Braun struggled at both ends. Cam Johnson was cold from 3-point range and had a minus-17 in his Nuggets debut. The defense was often tangled or disorganized getting back in transition. But Jokic’s individual inefficiency stood out. In one of the lesser triple-doubles of his career, he missed 13 of his last 16 field goal attempts. He was 0 for 4 in the last two minutes of overtime. He was 2 for 13 from three. It was a sobering inversion of Gordon’s hyphy night.

    Asked if he could’ve done more to establish an interior presence in lieu of those 3s, though, Jokic played a bit of defense.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Renck & File: Giants’ Jaxson Dart is having fun. He won’t be smiling vs. Broncos on Sunday

    Time for the anvil to drop on Arm&Hammer.

    Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo have injected enthusiasm into the veins of a long-suffering fanbase, hope into a long-suffering franchise. They have a cool aforementioned nickname.

    Skattebo has been a revelation. Cast as a situational player in the draft, he boasts 338 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He is Brian Bosworth meets Mike Alstott, inspiring teammates with his rock’em, sock’em robot running style. He leads with his chin in every conversation and carry.

    But Dart needs to cool his jets. If, for no other reason, based on what just happened to the Jets.

    Some cayenne pepper got sprinkled on Sunday’s game with trash talk, sanitized as it was. Reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Jonathon Cooper made it clear he is not impressed with Dart, saying, “He’s feeling himself a lil’ bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know.”

    It was a warning. Dart found it amusing.

    “I think a lot of guys wear chains and dance when they score touchdowns,” Dart told the New York Post. “I appreciate him following my dance touchdowns.”

    Covering players like Dart is a blast. But quarterbacks lacking humility get clobbered by reality.

    Drew Lock ring any bells?

    He was the singing QB with the nifty backpack celebration until he wasn’t. He has been cast as a career backup since 2021. Dart is more athletic than Lock, but his total disregard for his body and overconfidence have helped him lead the league in blue tent visits the past three weeks.

    This Broncos defense is frothing, eager to put on a show to impress the Super Bowl 50 champions, who will be honored at halftime.

    Dart is great for the Giants, even if his yards per play are worse than Russell Wilson’s. He loves attention. He just picked the wrong week to engage in verbal jousting. The Broncos have not allowed a touchdown at home, while posting nine sacks.

    Good luck “Hanging with Mr. Cooper” on Sunday, Dart.

    It is the team, not QB: Time to stop pointing the finger at first-round quarterbacks who fail when history shows coaching and organizational dysfunction is largely to blame. Baker Mayfield is 5-1, and an MVP candidate. Daniel Jones is 5-1 and an MVP candidate. Sam Darnold is 4-2 for Seattle. Here are the records of the teams that drafted them: Cleveland is 1-5, the Giants are 2-3-1 and the Jets are winless.

    Wrong tone: The Chiefs welcome back receiver Rashee Rice this week. Can folks stop acting like he is returning from knee surgery? He was suspended for six games for his involvement in a six-car crash that resulted in multiple injuries and led Rice to plead guilty to two felony charges. His absence had nothing to do with his health.

    Latin for winning: Talked to Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. And teammates about Jonas Valanciunas. It is clear he has bought into his role as Nikola Jokic’s backup on a team with championship expectations, following the “Age Quod Agis” message posted on the practice wall. Translated, it means: “Do what you do.” Valanciunas gets it.

    Troy Renck

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  • David Adelman on Nuggets’ debut of Nikola Jokic-Jonas Valanciunas lineup: ‘It was hilarious to watch it on tape’

    In one of the most peculiar sights of the decade so far for hard-core Nuggets fans, Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas played hot potato.

    It was Sunday in Los Angeles, in the middle of Denver’s third preseason game. Peyton Watson was having trouble feeding Jokic in the high post, so Valanciunas flashed to the top of the key to give Watson an outlet.

    The Lithuanian center collected the ball and quickly passed it to the Serbian center — the original intended target. But Jokic had limited options with both Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac sitting back in the paint, unconcerned by the 3-point threat of Valanciunas. Jokic immediately passed back out to the open Valanciunas, who reluctantly fired away.

    Yes, the Nuggets were playing two centers together, as first-time coach David Adelman promised before training camp. Their 102-94 win over the Clippers marked the preseason debut of their new double-big look, with the three-time MVP center Jokic essentially playing power forward.

    And yes, the floor spacing looked a little funky at times. Adelman could only chuckle about it later.

    “I thought it was hilarious to watch it on tape,” he said Tuesday before the Nuggets hosted the Chicago Bulls. “We haven’t had a ton of time (practicing with) those guys. They’ve scripted together, but they haven’t played together. But it’s kind of like, rip the Band-Aid off and just see what happens.”

    That’s precisely what preseason basketball is for, Adelman will attest. Denver played only five offensive possessions with Jokic and Valanciunas on the floor together that night, scoring four points for an offensive rating of 80.

    But again, note the minuscule sample size and the lack of practice time devoted to this particular lineup so far.

    “If they end up playing together a lot, we’ll slowly but surely add a package for those two guys,” Adelman said. “And not just for them, but to make the other three guys comfortable. I’ve made this point about Houston. Offensively, with the two bigs, (Alperen) Sengun was the point person, and (Steven) Adams just crushed the glass. So it’s like, our personalities are a little bit different. Val can crash the glass, but he’s also skilled. So I have to find a way to get those guys comfortable in space so they’re not right on top of each other.”

    It wasn’t all bad on Sunday night, either. A timeout was called in the middle of the short stint, allowing Adelman to draw up a set “ATO” play using both big men. Jokic set a screen to bring Christian Braun up to the ball, then a second screen under the basket to get Valanciunas coming across to Braun’s side of the floor. Los Angeles switched that second screen, making the entry pass to Valanciunas difficult but allowing Jokic to flash to the foul line. He knocked down an open jumper from there.

    “The ATO was great,” Adelman said. “We got them organized with the high-low, and that’s gonna be effective. I don’t know how people will handle that. I’m sure they’ll come up with something.”

    The Rockets are a nice template to study after they discovered resounding success with Sengun and Adams last year, but double-big lineups have been a growing trend around the league for longer than that. Adelman is nothing if not an experimenter, and he has expressed an earnest curiosity all preseason about how opponents will guard Denver’s version of the twin-towers look.

    The problem might be at the defensive end. There, too, Adelman is drawing inspiration from Houston by trying a zone scheme with both centers next to each other at the bottom. On Sunday, he placed Valanciunas in the middle and Jokic on the edge, forcing him to defend from the corner to the wing on a couple of possessions.

    Adelman pointed out on Tuesday that he put Jokic in that same location in the zone a few times during the 2025 playoffs, which allowed Aaron Gordon to play the middle and defend pick-and-rolls.

    “I thought we did a really good job as a team defense behind him. … You tilt a little bit more,” Adelman said. “If he ends up with a quality offensive player, wing player, you bring that second defender over a little bit more, as opposed to if it was, I don’t know, Peyton Watson down there. So a little bit of a difference, but not much. And he’s just so smart with his angles, he’ll always force the ball back to where we want it to go.”

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nuggets vs. Clippers: Christian Braun, Peyton Watson adding to their game in preseason

    The Nuggets improved to 2-1 this preseason with a 102-94 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night at Intuit Dome. Here are our three initial observations.

    David Adelman takes off training wheels

    The Nuggets have reached the phase of the preseason where they feel ready to try more stuff. After using a full-bench lineup for the majority of second-unit minutes in the first two exhibitions — and subsequently struggling against ball pressure — they went to a Jamal Murray stagger Sunday.

    Notably, that meant taking out Murray for Tim Hardaway Jr. as their earliest substitution, a sign of David Adelman’s trust in Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon to initiate offense without a traditional point guard on the floor. It could be a sensible rotation template. Hardaway seems best suited to share most of his minutes with Jokic and benefit from the resulting open 3-point looks, while Murray’s ball-in-hand burst and authority are qualities the second unit needs. The star guard has also been highly engaged at the defensive end this preseason.

    Adelman also briefly went to a double-big lineup with Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas for the first time. They screened for each other off the ball in a couple of actions and played at the bottom of a zone together on defense. Schematically, Denver did a lot of stunting, tried out some zone looks and defended the ball more aggressively. (The last part landed the Clippers in the bonus regularly.)

    Rookie extension candidates showing out

    With less than two weeks left to sign rookie-scale extensions with Denver, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson are both making their presence felt this preseason. Braun followed up an 8-for-8 shooting performance by contributing 11 more points and three assists in Los Angeles.

    He went 4 for 5 from the floor and registered the best plus-minus in Denver’s starting lineup (plus-nine). Not only does Braun’s spot-up 3-pointer look more polished than ever, but he continues to hint at new layers to his game. In the first quarter Sunday, he drove for a contested layup as a pick-and-roll ball-handler with Jokic.

    Watson is also on the ball way more frequently than he was in his first two years, bringing it up and running some pick-and-rolls with Valanciunas. He’s always been an underrated passer, but that skill has mostly functioned as connective tissue on the baseline. His play-making could be central to the second unit this season.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nuggets ‘testing the refs’ with more aggressive defense, Nikola Jokic says

    That old adage about the NBA being a copycat league has aged into cliché at this point. But that doesn’t make it any less true.

    One variable the Nuggets seem to be copying as a new season nears: Defensive physicality and the art of almost fouling. It’s an art mastered by the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

    “We are trying to be aggressive,” Nikola Jokic said Friday at Ball Arena. “We’re trying to be, like, close to a foul — testing the refs to call the fouls. That’s something that we’re gonna try to do. That was the emphasis of the practice.”

    The most accurate term for it is probably the one used by coach David Adelman this week: “junking it up” on defense. In two consecutive postseasons, Denver has been vexed by an opponent’s ability to junk it up and unable to return the favor. Minnesota implored Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels to devour Jamal Murray in 2024.

    OKC took the principle to another level last season, collapsing into the paint and recovering to the 3-point line as efficiently as any defense in recent memory. Alex Caruso was the ace in the hole, pestering and prodding Jokic to death in Game 7.

    The Nuggets are searching for ways to renovate their defense after it ranked 21st in the league. Junking it up more is one way to start.

    “Just different ways to shrink on better players. Zone. Working all that kind of stuff, and then when we do zone, who’s on the court, what their responsibilities are at each spot,” Adelman said. “And we’ll continue to work on it. I don’t know if we’ll throw it out there in the preseason, but it’s something we have to continue to improve on, because I feel like in the past, a lot of times you’re trying to get so many things done on the checklist that you kind of tell yourself you’re gonna get to that eventually. And I think if we’re actually gonna do that successfully, we have to work on it daily.”

    Adelman has alluded to zone defense a handful of times this offseason, after deploying it regularly during the playoffs as interim coach. He and his players have also described a structure that’ll be more heavily based around Jokic’s IQ and matchup-dependent decisions. Some games might call for Jokic to be “up to touch” against a ball-handler. Others might be more suitable for various levels of drop coverage.

    “It’s something new, so we are kind of trying to adjust,” Jokic said. “But I think we see that it’s going to be really good, and it could help us a lot.”

    The ideas are complicated, but the overarching theme is that Denver’s scheme will be less rigid than before. Regardless of how it looks in action, peskier ball pressure is a foundational tenet. To put it another way, better effort than last season.

    “There’s gonna be mistakes in this, when we’re not all the way up (the floor) like we’ve been, where the rotations are kind of starting from the get-go of every play, which we were really good at for a long time,” Adelman said. “… We just think this group has the capability of doing some different things, giving different looks, which gives us more flexibility on the defensive end, both man and zone.”

    The end goal is to close the gap, at least marginally, with Oklahoma City — a heavy favorite to repeat thanks to its ability to overwhelm with defense.

    “Hopefully we can be the silent — how do you say it? — the silent knight,” Jokic said. “Silent horse. Dark horse.”

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nuggets vs. Raptors preseason takeaways: Beating pressure needs to be Denver’s priority

    Instant observations as the Nuggets defeated the Raptors 112-108 in their second preseason game Monday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

    More like it

    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.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Keeler: Avalanche roster hasn’t been this old since 2007. Will time, and Stanley Cup, finally be on GM Chris MacFarland’s side?

    The Condor hung up his wings for good Monday. If Eric Johnson turning 37 makes you feel old, imagine how it makes him feel.

    “You snap your fingers and your career is over, and it’s so short in the big picture of your life,” Johnson, who patrolled the Avalanche’s blue line from 2011-2023 and then again for a smidge earlier this year, mused at Family Sports Center. “And it’s so short in the big picture of your life, that I just figured that, ‘Why not come to the rink every day like it’s the best day ever?’ I hope that rubbed off on people over time.”

    RELATED: Meet the 2025-26 Colorado Avalanche: A breakdown of the complete team roster

    Sure did. But seeing the affable EJ call time on a stellar run was also a reminder, and not a sunny one, that the Avs’ current core is creeping closer to the end of the movie than the beginning.

    Brent Burns isn’t the only greybeard in the building. Colorado, per EliteProspects.com, opens the 2025-26 season on late Tuesday in Los Angeles with the fourth-oldest roster in the NHL at an average age of 29.17 years. It’s the third-oldest in the Western Conference behind Winnipeg (30.17 years) and the Kings, their first-night sparring partner (29.74).

    The Avs’ roster as of Monday morning featured nine players 30 or older. It’s the first time a Colorado roster sported an average age over 29, according to the Elite Prospects database, since 2006-07. Joe Sakic was 38 then. That group totaled 95 points but missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Quebec City.

    Coach Jared Bednar is juggling a few katanas while the Sword of Damocles dangles over his head this season. But load management is among the trickiest, given the annual grind of the Western Conference and the usual stratospheric stakes.

    Push the guys in order to snatch home ice? Or ease things up with the marathon of 7-8 months in mind? When your captain’s still testing a new knee on the fly, there’s no easy answer.

    “I think Bedsy and the staff … are going to be smart, particularly with (Gabe) Landeskog, right?” Avs general manager Chris MacFarland replied Monday when I asked about the load. “We’re going to glean information on how (Gabe) does in back-to-backs, or three (games in four days), or four (in six days) and his practice schedule …  He’s a really important player. So I think we’ll just we’ll glean that information … and we’ll read and react off that.”

    For years, C-Mac’s Avs were young, to paraphrase noted philosopher Bob Seger, and they were strong, running against the wind. Only those winds blow even harder now, and they’re not so young anymore. Big Val Nichushkin turns 31 in March. Landeskog turns 33 in November. Brock Nelson turns 34 next month. Among the defense, Josh Manson turns 34 on Tuesday. Devon Toews turns 32 in February. Burns turns 41 in March.

    Time is no longer on Bednar’s side. At one point Monday, MacFarland even sounded reflective, if slightly defensive, about the expiration date on what should’ve been an NHL dynasty.

    “COVID hurt us,” MacFarland said. “There’s no ifs or buts about it. And then the uncertainty of Gabe’s situation and the unfortunate stuff with Val. But that stuff’s in the past.

    “I think our guys, what Bedsy and our players have done is, that they have a chance. I think the organization’s job is to try and give them as good a chance as possible, and their play dictates that. I think over the last seven, eight years, their play (has) consistently dictated that. Hopefully, it will continue to do so this year as well.”

    To his credit, MacFarland has been as dedicated to tweaking and shuffling the fringes of his roster as former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth was to sitting on his hands. Better to try and fail than to shrug, as Booth did, while Father Time coldly ripped the pages from Nikola Jokic’s desk calendar.

    But Avs 1.1 (2023) and 1.2 (2024) never got as close as version 1.0 (2022 Stanley Cup champs) did in terms of bottling that combo of strong health, strong depth, strong special teams, strong goaltending, strong intangibles and strong matchups.

    Although 1.3 (2025), on paper, flew awfully close. Wise puckheads looked at Stars-Avs last spring and declared that the winner was easily bound for, at worst, a Western Conference final — and that we were getting a main event far, far too early. They were right, in hindsight. Not that it should make anyone in burgundy and blue feel any better.

    A long Cup run is a marathon, a two-month, uphill march of sweat, blood, guts, focus and willpower. It’s a battle of attrition and desperation; a story that inevitably demands a dozen hands and five or six heroes.

    Lord Stanley is one of the hardest trophies in sports to win and even harder to keep. And yet the fact that the Florida Panthers have made it look even easier than the Lightning did does not reflect as kindly on MacFarland and Bednar, who have been good at their jobs at the same time some peers have been great.

    It’s not unfair to assume the pair’s window might have already come and gone. If you’re curious, the last 14 teams with an average age of 29 or more from 2020-21 through 2024-25 averaged 95.2 points during the regular season. Eight of the 14 “old” squads reached the playoffs. And four of those eight got bounced out of the bracket in the first round.

    Sean Keeler

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  • Nuggets begin training camp with emphasis on defensive intensity: ‘Blow teams out a little more’

    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.”

    Bennett Durando

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  • Renck: No Michael Malone. No MPJ. No excuses for Nuggets, Nikola Jokic to not win another title

    MPJ with a mic is OMG. Michael Malone remains an angry emoji.

    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.

    Troy Renck

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  • Nikola Jokic triple-double leads Nuggets to second straight overtime win on road

    Nikola Jokic triple-double leads Nuggets to second straight overtime win on road

    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.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Grading The Week: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic dished out almost $400,000 in gifts to Serbian teammates, because of course he did

    Grading The Week: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic dished out almost $400,000 in gifts to Serbian teammates, because of course he did

    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.

    Originally Published:

    Sean Keeler

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  • Renck: Trading picks and a backup for DaRon Holmes and cap space? These can’t be the only moves by Nuggets GM Calvin Booth this offseason.

    Renck: Trading picks and a backup for DaRon Holmes and cap space? These can’t be the only moves by Nuggets GM Calvin Booth this offseason.

    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.

    RELATED: Nuggets 2024 free agency preview: What Denver needs and why options hinge on KCP

    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.

    Troy Renck

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  • How Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II became Denver Nuggets’ ideal draft pick

    How Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II became Denver Nuggets’ ideal draft pick

    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)
    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.

    Bennett Durando

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