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Tag: troy renck

  • Renck: Avs need Jared Bednar to be their “Bedrock” this season, firmly reshaping team’s identity

    Renck: Avs need Jared Bednar to be their “Bedrock” this season, firmly reshaping team’s identity

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    Jared Bednar is the Avalanche.

    And suddenly this organization needs him as much as he has needed them.

    Two years is not a long time. But the Stanley Cup parade feels like forever ago. No longer are the Avs entering the season, which starts Wednesday night, as the favorite to win a championship. That honor belongs to the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars. Colorado is a team seeking to maintain a standard of excellence while going through an awkward transition forced by injury (Gabe Landeskog) and absence (Val Nichushkin).

    There was a time when the Avs could not escape the second round of the playoffs, and Bednar was advanced as the reason why. He dispelled that notion with the 2021-22 title run, delivering a 16-4 postseason record.

    But the days of the Avs running on fiber optics against dialup opponents are over. They led the league in goals per game last season, something they are unlikely to repeat with Landeskog (uncertain) and Nichushkin (possibly mid-November) unavailable. They ranked 16th in goals against.

    That number remains more salient than ever, tracing back to the man on the bench. Bednar has guided the Avs to seven consecutive playoff berths and averaged 52 wins over the past three seasons. Some believe an auto-pilot coach could produce these results. I respectfully disagree, and this represents a season for Bednar to drive this point home.

    As a roughneck minor league player, Bednar answered to the nickname “Bedrock.” His plus-minus was horrifying, but revealing. He was the guy who had everyone’s back and never shied away from dropping the gloves.

    He wants to succeed as much as the next coach, and this season he will have to convince the players to buy into his long point of emphasis: defense.

    He has created a strong culture, one that will be tested with the meshing of as many as five young players on the opening roster. It needs to manifest itself in the first few months through goal prevention, not Disney on Ice skating.

    “It is obviously demanding, his style of play. He takes a lot of pride in the defensive game, which is exactly what we have to think about. We have to be pushing toward being really good defensively,” right winger Mikko Rantanen said. “What I have noticed the last couple of years, it’s been more demanding on that side, which is really good because in the playoffs you need to be rock solid defensively to have success.”

    The Avs lost their way at the end of last season, their breakdowns staggering as they were stunning. Throw in the suspension of Nichushkin before the puck dropped in Game 4 against the Dallas Stars last May, and any chance of regaining their traction disappeared.

    The Avs can sit around and cross their fingers until their knuckles are white, hoping everything works out with Landeskog and Nichushkin. Or Bednar can move forward like it will not. This team must operate under the worst-case scenario to avoid another early postseason exit.

    Of course, that means finding more secondary scoring outside of reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Rantanen.

    But this group requires consistent defense to ease the pressure on Alexander Georgiev, a solid goalie, whose slumps call for gulping Tums.

    “It absolutely must be that way to start the year. With those injuries and guys we are missing, it’s going to be critical that we play in the structure of our system and be detail-oriented. Obviously, we generally do that, but we could get away with not doing it before,” right winger Logan O’Connor said. “There’s more emphasis on it. (Bednar) lays out the template for us with video and the numbers to see where we stand. He does a good job of using the analytics and meshing it with the message on what we need to do.”

    Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, left, talks to players Nikolai Kovalenko (51), Ross Colton, third from left, and Colorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood (28), right, during practice before game five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Canada on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

    No conversation about Bednar’s coaching occurs without the word “accountability” surfacing. Bednar cites the word in his press conferences. And players insist it is not hollow. They say he is fair in conversations, but hard on them. It remains tricky when leading an accomplished team, knowing when to hit the gas and when to throttle back. Too much of either creates static that morphs into background noise.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Broncos podcast: Denver’s week at The Greenbrier and the challenge of losing ILB Alex Singleton

    Broncos podcast: Denver’s week at The Greenbrier and the challenge of losing ILB Alex Singleton

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    Denver Post beat reporters Parker Gabriel, Ryan McFadden and columnist Troy Renck break down the Broncos’ 26-7 win over Tampa Bay, weigh the impact of losing ILB and captain Alex Singleton for the season to a torn ACL and give the latest on Sean Payton’s team from West Virginia.

    What do Parker and Troy think of The Greenbrier and the surrounding rolling hills of West Virginia? And can the trip help Denver get an upset win Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets?

    All that and more on the latest edition of the 1st & Orange Podcast.

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    Parker Gabriel, Ryan McFadden, Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Broncos left guard Ben Powers wants to re-establish physical brand of football in Denver: “Getting dirty, man, there’s nothing like it”

    Renck: Broncos left guard Ben Powers wants to re-establish physical brand of football in Denver: “Getting dirty, man, there’s nothing like it”

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    It was not an inscription but a premonition.

    On Father’s Day in 2012, Todd Powers received a book from his children. They thanked him and wished him well, but one sentence remains etched in his memory. It read: “I want you to know I will never stop being your kid when I am the best offensive lineman in the NFL” – Bennett.

    Bennett is now Ben and he’s a big deal, one of the linchpins of an offensive line that is being counted on to form the F-around-and-Find-Out identity of the 2024 Broncos regardless of when Bo Nix starts.

    “Ben already had in the back of his mind what he wanted to do,” Todd said on Wednesday. “He was ready to work to make it happen.”

    What makes Ben’s vision surprising is that he was the only one who saw it. Looking at the 6-foot-4, 310-pound left guard now, it is hard to believe he was a late bloomer. His entire family played basketball for decades, including his father and seven aunts and uncles at Friends University. Prior to his sophomore season at Kapaun Mount Carmel Catholic High School in Wichita, Kan., Powers’ body began to look wrong for hoops.

    “The coach said he didn’t need me on the team,” Power recalled.

    This watershed moment ushered Powers into his pro football future. He took up wrestling, learning footwork and the art of physical confrontation that translated seamlessly to the gridiron. As a senior, he lost the state championship in overtime, which “remains one of the biggest regrets of my athletic career,” Powers said, shaking his head.

    The thing is, the Powers kids were raised to compete. “And you know what makes competition fun?” Todd asked rhetorically. “Winning.”

    With his athleticism improving and his body growing, Powers was determined to earn a college scholarship. One problem. None arrived. Pittsburg State, a Division II powerhouse, offered, but Powers was bent on playing D-I and elected to go the JUCO route at Butler Community College. He wrote a diary of havoc in one semester – “I bet on myself,” he said – before accepting a full ride from Oklahoma.

    He was not expected to play much in his first season with the Sooners. Then in the third game of the season, he landed in the starting lineup because of an injury and was told to not “(bleep) it up,” by a line coach with a wicked sense of humor.

    Powers became one of the team’s most reliable pieces. The writers covering the team referred to Powers as “The Accountant” because he reminded them of Ben Affleck’s movie character — a quietly trained, unassuming snatcher of souls.

    Powers morphed into an All-Big 12 performer, blocked for two Heisman Trophy winners (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) and began to realize that Father’s Day message was not just bravado, but possible.

    As a fourth-round draft choice of the Ravens in 2019, Powers was slowly developed, playing sparingly his first two seasons before emerging as a standout. Coach Sean Payton targeted him as his first free-agent addition in Denver as he began an HGTV makeover of the offensive line.

    “He’s smart and he’s tough,” Payton said. “He’s one of our leaders and is very consistent. You know what you are getting day-to-day from him. And he’s a great teammate.”

    Powers plays football like he’s in an old Western, throwing down sawdust in a bare-knuckle brawl. He understands and embraces the responsibility placed on the offensive line. Just follow the money. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, right guard Quinn Meinerz and Powers have $126 million in guaranteed money. Those paid well must play well, and give the Broncos an edge.

    “You can tell where a team cares and where they want to be great based on where they invest. And clearly with our unit, they did that,” Powers said. “With that being said, we have to do every bit of our job to carry this team where it wants to go and we take a lot of pride in that.”

    Powers knows he must improve at pass blocking, which is expected in his second year in Payton’s scheme and with a quarterback not coloring outside the lines. He is a force in the run game. Powers relishes in the physicality offered on a weekly basis, traced to his days sparring as a boxer in his father’s gym.

    “I love football, and at this level, it’s as competitive as it gets. We are fighting for our livelihoods out there. And to be able to win a football game on Sunday is the greatest feeling in sports I have ever had,” Powers said. “I love being in the trenches, in the mud. Why? Well, I am good at it. And getting dirty, man, there’s nothing like it. I take pride in doing my job for my teammates.”

    As Powers talks, the juxtaposition remains jarring. He is nice, polite, and soft-spoken. When reporters are in the locker room, McGlinchey is the Mayor and Powers is the margins, moving quietly in the shadows. Affable before practice with teammates, he goes through a transformation that would make The Incredible Hulk blush.

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    Troy Renck

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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.

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    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.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Uh-oh, Nuggets. With Lakers targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley, it’s another reminder Denver can’t stand pat this offseason

    Renck: Uh-oh, Nuggets. With Lakers targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley, it’s another reminder Denver can’t stand pat this offseason

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    It is whine o’clock somewhere.

    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.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Broncos Ring of Famer Steve Foley knows what winning looks like, and insists Sean Payton will bring it back to Denver

    Renck: Broncos Ring of Famer Steve Foley knows what winning looks like, and insists Sean Payton will bring it back to Denver

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    I wish I was as thin as Broncos Country’s patience.

    This came to mind while watching the Broncos practice on Thursday morning. Before the unscripted flyover, before the press conferences, before the injury updates, there was a moment of pause.

    Former Oregon Duck Bo Nix dropped back during practice and fired a dart to tight end Lucas Krull. Release the Quackin’. This is what we all came to see — the young kid microwaving his development. Krull made the catch. Then he didn’t, the football swatted away by a defensive back, followed by trash talk.

    Seeing the ball on the grass, memories flooded my head of the past eight seasons, all ending without a playoff berth, seven straight finishing with a losing record. There was a time the postseason felt like the Broncos Invitational, something to plan around like Christmas and birthdays. We knew the Broncos would be in. The only question was, how many games would they win?

    When will the present get closer to the past?

    When the Broncos won Super Bowl 50, receiver Marvin Mims Jr., whose 50-yard touchdown from Jarrett Stidham provided the workout’s top highlight, was 12 years old. Nix was 14.

    The Broncos last endured a stretch like this without a winning record from 1963 to ’72. It took an unforgettable group of players to erase those memories. Two were recognized Thursday as tight end Riley Odoms and defensive back Steve Foley were elected to the Broncos’ Ring of Fame.

    Denver Broncos defensive back Steve Foley (43) rushes the ball for 14 yards on a trick play designed to look like a field goal attempt to keep the drive alive in the forth quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 16, 1978. The Broncos went on to score and emerged with a 16-7 win. (Photo by Lyn Alweis/The Denver Post)

    Foley attended practice because — unlike Odoms, who lives in Texas — he lives near the facility. Foley is the fifth member of the Orange Crush defense to receive the honor, joining Hall of Famer Randy Gradishar, should-be-a-Hall of Famer Louis Wright, linebacker Tom Jackson and safety Billy Thompson. The 1977 team provided a watershed moment, putting Denver on the map as a metro city and a sports market.

    When Foley spoke to the media, he made a connection. A prediction.

    “It was a special time. It was Mile High Magic. I have never seen such a rabid group of fans, and finally something came to the middle of the country and they had to pay attention to us,” Foley said. “I do know this, being from New Orleans, and watching Sean Payton all these years and always rooting for (the Saints), I knew once we got him (in Denver), he was going to right the ship. It’s just a matter of how long it takes.”

    What if Foley’s right?

    We spend so much time talking about what’s wrong with the Broncos that everything this team does is viewed with suspicion. There is no benefit of doubt after letting Nathaniel Hackett do donuts in his clown car in the parking lot. There is no reservoir of goodwill after starting 13 quarterbacks since Peyton Manning, and paying the last one $124 million for 11 victories.

    Foley watched practice, and walked away impressed with the energy, the attitude, the attention to detail. This is a team in transition, younger at multiple positions, and hungrier at many of them with competition existing at running back, receiver and in the secondary.

    Foley knows what success looks like. During his 11-year career, which included a franchise-record 44 interceptions in 150 games, he experienced one losing season. When he spoke to the Broncos players on Thursday, he reminded them of the importance of playing not for honors, but for each other. Payton echoed the message, explaining that some of them in the meeting room might become Ring of Famers. But you know what makes that possible?

    “You have to win,” Payton said.

    In his second season, Payton continues to bring in more players he knows, and more coaches and scouts from the Saints that know him. When Foley played, he was surrounded by continuity and excellence. But let’s not dismiss his talent.

    Former coach John Ralston watched Foley play quarterback at Tulane and believed he would make a great defensive back. Consider this: Foley started in the Super Bowl in the 1977 season as a right cornerback. He started nine years later in the Super Bowl as a free safety.

    Who does that?

    Foley was universally liked and respected. He became a coach on the field.

    This is provided as anecdotal evidence that he wasn’t having a fever dream as a former player giddy from having a day pass at practice. He sees the game through famed defensive coordinator Joe Collier’s eyes. Collier was Bill Belichick before Belichick, a genius at finding what players did well and molding them into a selfless scheme. Foley’s only regret after learning the news from Broncos owner Greg Penner was that he could not hang up and call Collier. One of the NFL’s greatest assistant coaches, Collier passed away at the age of 91 earlier this month.

    Seventeen years ago, Foley and his business partner and former Broncos linebacker Bob Swenson developed land in Dacono, north of Denver. One of the main streets? Joe Collier Drive.

    So yes, Foley knows what a standard looks like.

    Is there room for Sean Payton Circle in his next project? For a coach to finally bring the Broncos past and present together again?

    “He will not tolerate mediocrity, and that starts a culture,” Foley said. “Players are going to come into it, and there is going to be a winning culture here.”

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: In career defined by humor and fearlessness, broadcaster Vic Lombardi has left stamp on Colorado sports. “I am not supposed to be here.”

    Renck: In career defined by humor and fearlessness, broadcaster Vic Lombardi has left stamp on Colorado sports. “I am not supposed to be here.”

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    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.

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  • Renck: Nuggets series has become Nikola Jokic vs. everybody. And Jokic always wins.

    Renck: Nuggets series has become Nikola Jokic vs. everybody. And Jokic always wins.

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    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.

    But other than John Elway, our Babe Ruth, none of them is a bigger legend than Jokic. Even Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards conceded the obvious, a telling compliment with a knockout game looming.

    “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.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Michael Porter Jr. finds support from teammates as he seeks refuge on court

    Renck: Michael Porter Jr. finds support from teammates as he seeks refuge on court

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    There is a chair in front of Michael Porter Jr.’s locker where the artwork rests. It was a gift from teammates Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jamal Murray, a reminder that there is no paved road back to an NBA title. It reads simply: “I am going to do today what others won’t, so that tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

    Porter looked back at the picture Saturday night with comfort.

    “I have to go hang that up at the house,” Porter said.

    Porter, 25, had an awful week off the court. Wednesday, his brother Jontay, 24, a former Toronto Raptors reserve, received a lifetime ban from the NBA for allegedly betting on basketball and disclosing confidential information to bettors. Two days later, Coban, 22, a former University of Denver guard, received a six-year prison sentence for a drunken driving crash that killed a 42-year-old woman last year.

    Porter missed Nuggets practice Friday to testify on Coban’s behalf, telling the judge how Coban provided a source of motivation growing up, always pushing him to work harder and get better.

    “It’s not often a big brother looks up to his little brother,” Porter said.

    It was against this backdrop that Porter entered the playoffs. The scrutiny only amplified because of the stakes and the opponent.

    Would MPJ be able to find refuge on the court?

    What unfurled suggests the playoffs will remain a continuation of the best stretch of his career. Porter delivered 19 points and eight rebounds in the Nuggets’ 114-103 Game 1 victory. He did not turn the ball over. His length and athleticism caused fits for the Lakers.

    “I definitely tried to compartmentalize — some bad and sad stuff with a couple of my brothers,” Porter said. “But I’ve got, you know, 15, 16 more brothers in here. I knew I had to be here for them, and come in and do my job and prepare to do it at a high level.”

    Basketball offers an escape, a two-hour diversion from reality. Yet the specter of what has happened to Porter’s family is inescapable. No one would have been surprised had he been distracted. What Saturday revealed offers hope for this postseason. The caring and trust of teammates is real, genuine. Without it, there is movement but no progress.

    “For his mindset to be where it is, I applaud him,” guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “We are going to keep him as a brother and keep him straight.”

    Porter appreciates the environment his teammates have created, enveloping him with a cocoon of support. After all, he is not pretending to be immune from what has happened in his personal life.

    “Each one of them texted me separately and just told me that they’ve got my back. That if I need anything they’ve got me,” Porter said. “We’re human, so we carry our emotions and the things that go on off of the court, onto the court. But I am mentally tough.”

    As an X-factor, Porter creates options and questions, a refrain that has followed him since he was drafted. His talent is unique – a 6-foot-10 wing capable of living behind the arc and working the boards. When the Nuggets defense intensified in the third quarter – Denver outscored the Lakers 32-18 – it created opportunities in transition. During these times, Porter thrives, drifting to the corners for wide-open looks.

    The Lakers have no answer for the Nuggets bigs, most notably the future three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Coach Darvin Ham insisted, like he did a year ago, that there are adjustments they held back as part of the series chess match. Riiiiight. Is he saving them for a beach volleyball game in Cancun?

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Jets get tacos, Avs get Denver omelet on their face in most embarrassing defeat of season

    Renck: Jets get tacos, Avs get Denver omelet on their face in most embarrassing defeat of season

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    Alexander Georgiev wore disheveled hair and a distant stare into nowhere. His helmetless head told a sobering story even before coach Jared Bednar opened his mouth Saturday afternoon.

    The Avs are in trouble. Their goalie has blown more saves than the cast of “Baywatch,” and was benched during one of the worst first periods in recent memory. Or any memory.

    The final score: Winnipeg 7, Avs 0. The Jets got tacos and the Avs settled for a Denver omelet on their face.

    “We didn’t show up,” defenseman Devon Toews said in an eerily-silent locker room. “It was just really bad.”

    The Avs framed their matchup with the Jets as a must-win with home ice in the playoffs dangling in the balance. What unfurled can only be described as an unmitigated disaster, a performance so mind-numbingly bad that it raises questions about the Avs’ postseason veracity.

    Colorado is set to face the Jets — a lunch pail, hard hat team — in the postseason. The same Jets team who swept the Avs in three games this season, outsourcing them 17-4.

    It wasn’t too long ago — like Tuesday — that the Avs looked like they had regrouped and were dancing to the same beat. There was no Mack Trick during this matinee, only a sellout crowd, in between full-throated boos, wondering if it could wave a wand and make the goalie and defensive issues disappear.

    “It seemed like with our structure that we didn’t know what we were doing at times,” forward Andrew Cogliano said. “It was mental errors.”

    More like a comedy of missteps. Except exactly no one was laughing. Bednar explained that the Avs were beaten to the net, beat on the rush and beat to the boards. A lack of execution happens. Lack of effort is a sin.

    “I felt like we got out-competed,” Bednar admitted.

    There is also no easy way to say it: Georgiev is in a slump. The 4-0 first-quarter deficit cannot be laid solely on his crease, but his fingerprints were all over this mess. He made a stop with 14:35 remaining in the first period that drew cheers as Brandon Duhaime shoved the Jets’ Alex Iaffollo. It was a fleeting glimpse of intensity and swagger.

    Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, top center, looks on with assistant coach Ray Bennet, upper right, and Nolan Pratt, upper left, in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck: Russell Wilson went from “Let’s Ride” to “Last Ride” with Broncos, revealing dangers of desperation

    Renck: Russell Wilson went from “Let’s Ride” to “Last Ride” with Broncos, revealing dangers of desperation

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    From “Let’s Ride” to “Last Ride” in two years.

    Broncos coach Sean Payton filed for divorce from quarterback Russell Wilson on Monday. The only thing to figure out now is who gets custody of Thunder.

    I was enjoying my return to The Denver Post, stomach full of lunch and face sore from laughs. Then the phone pinged. Any time there is an alert in early March about an NFL team, it means you’re not going to be home for dinner.

    Wilson arrived in Denver in March 2022 determined to make history. This is not what he had in mind. The Broncos will take on an $85 million salary cap hit, divided over two seasons. No team has absorbed this much money for a mistake. As in, ever.

    When the Broncos acquired Wilson, he was viewed as a savior — a former Super Bowl champion capable of returning Denver to relevance. Somehow, inexplicably, he made it worse. He won 11 games for roughly $124 million, a return-on-investment cringe not seen since the Rockies shipped off pitcher Mike Hampton in 2002.

    It was not all Wilson’s fault, though his decision to reinvent himself as a pocket passer in 2022 under clown show coach Nathaniel Hackett and consistent failings in the red zone this past season left his fingerprints at the scene.

    No one quite knows how the Broncos became a quarterback nadir, replacing the Cleveland Browns. Peyton Manning retired, walking into a life of commercials and coaching youth football, and there became a sobering new reality. The Broncos did not know how to find a replacement. John Elway had as much to do with it as anybody when he whiffed on Paxton Lynch, leading to long-armed reaches into the island of misfit toys that included Joe Flacco and Case Keenum. When general manager George Paton took over in 2021, he inherited the mess at the league’s most important position. Watching the Broncos spiral out of playoff contention in the final month, he surveyed the AFC landscape and determined a franchise quarterback was a must.

    Tired of shopping for a couch on Craigslist, Paton wandered into IKEA and wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He traded four draft picks (two first-rounders, two second-rounders) and three starters (quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris) to Seattle in exchange for Wilson.

    The trade now serves as a cautionary tale of desperation. The Broncos gave up everything and ceded all power to Wilson in the relationship. Getting a revised contract was always part of the deal to waive his no-trade clause, though he will never play a down on his five-year, $242.5 million extension.

    Wilson was given the green light to bring his entourage into the building and function as a pseudo-coach.

    It was an epic failure. With Hackett complicit, Wilson sacrificed a season trying to prove he could run an offense that was designed for Aaron Rodgers, the Broncos’ original 2022 target before he received a new contract from the Green Bay Packers.

    At one point in 2022, nobody was neutral in Broncos Country about Wilson. They disliked him. Or hated him.

    When the Broncos hired Payton 13 months ago, he made it clear he was not married to the quarterback. He would give it a season. It only took 15 games and he went to Jarrett. Stidham, that is. He became the 13th starter since Super Bowl 50 and was as underwhelming as those before him.

    It is important to remember Payton was not brought here to fix Wilson. He was brought here to fix the Broncos. That could not happen, he decided, with Wilson. The Broncos offense stank in the red zone and specifically in goal-to-goal situations. While Payton was rather ordinary on game day in his return after a one-year hiatus, he laid the blame on Wilson.

    Russ went off script. He failed to call plays quickly enough. He forgot to send players in motion.

    Payton, however, did the impossible and made Wilson a sympathetic figure when he benched him as it leaked out that the Broncos asked Wilson to adjust his contract during the bye week last October. Wilson’s $37 million in base salary in 2025 would have become guaranteed if he had remained on the roster past March 17. Denver wanted to move the date back. Wilson balked and explained in December that it was then that a benching was first broached. I don’t blame the Broncos for asking for relief, nor do I blame Wilson for refusing. The relationship was fraying at the seams.

    When the season ended, Wilson held a morsel of hope that things could work out as the team publicly kept the door slightly ajar.

    Wilson reached out to me last week, saying he “forever wished it was going (to happen) in Denver. I really wanted to win there.” His first year was a lost season for several reasons, including injuries — hamstring, shoulder, concussion. But he believed he played well last season, posting 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was “grateful for long-lasting relationships,” but acknowledged it was time to move on from a “sad and disappointing” ending.

    No one will ever question Wilson’s work ethic or passion. He was better, but not in the eyes of the one person who mattered.

    Payton wants to run his offense — steeped in timing, execution and the ball coming out from the pocket. Scribbling outside the lines — Wilson’s strength — is not sustainable for the coach.

    Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, center, stands between Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3), left, and Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (4), right, as the team comes out of the visiting tunnel before the game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 7, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders took on Denver Broncos during week 18 of NFL season. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

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    Troy Renck

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  • Letters: Denver, get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

    Letters: Denver, get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

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    Get to the bottom of these long lines at DIA

    On Feb. 17 at 9 a.m., we encountered significantly long security lines at Denver International Airport’s west side, leading to delays and frustrations for hundreds if not thousands of passengers. Lines snaked through common areas, adding to the inconvenience. Certainly not an upgraded experience.

    While millions of dollars were supposedly invested in security upgrades, the recent experience suggests further improvements are needed. Are there staffing limitations contributing to the issue?

    I urge the airport authorities and Denver City Council to investigate the root cause of these long lines. The city spent millions of dollars and obviously didn’t improve the security process. This makes our airport look like a third-rate facility. If the City of Denver can’t run the airport, hire professionals to do the job.

    Gregg S. Hayutin, Denver

    Welcome back, Troy Renck

    Re: “Troy Renck returns to The Denver Post as sports columnist,” Feb. 15 news story

    I am filled with gladness at the hiring of Troy Renck as a sports columnist and especially happy with the departure of Mark Kiszla, who was, in my opinion, a journalistic hack, a peddler of negativity, and a troll who unnecessarily attacked and demeaned the character and personality of Denver sports personalities. Most recently, his remarks about Broncos coach Sean Payton were odious, and he was unkind to quarterback Russell Wilson before he ever stepped on the field. This represents a move toward more balanced and positive reporting by The Post and I hope it continues.

    Digby Kirby, Denver

    Hey GOP: What would Reagan do?

    Re: “Aid to Ukraine hinges on House speaker,” Feb. 18 news story

    Republicans in the U.S. House have abandoned the freedom fighters in Ukraine. When Ronald Reagan built the strongest military force in the world and stoutly supported freedom, Ukraine and other states were able to throw off Russian domination. Vladimir Putin is determined to rebuild that “evil empire,” and today’s Republican appeasers are happy to open the door for him.

    Ukraine will not be the last country Putin enslaves. We can stop him now by supplying ammunition, or we can retreat and imperil our future.

    Ray Harlan, Denver

    Ronald Reagan would turn in his grave if he knew Donald Trump’s puppet, House Speaker Mike Johnson, is sitting on Ukraine aid. If Trump’s buddy, Putin, succeeds in ensnaring the Ukrainian people, who is next? We need to help Ukraine for their sake and for our own sake.

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