Nuggets 2024 Free Agency

[00:00:00] have returned. We had to come back because Calvin Booth felt the pre-t. He felt the pressure and did he put the bad signal up? No, he put the wrestle, wrestle, wasprux, and blah. And let me tell you, it's got me feeling good Ryan. Dan, play that funky music.

[00:00:26] Welcome in, we are back to discuss the end of the Boston Celtics reign. That's right, this is an emergency free agency podcast. Here with the Blucifer Brothers, I am Kyle Poen.

[00:00:41] I'm going to disobey my brother Ryan Poen. Ryan, how are you feeling now that it's all but assured that we are going to win the 2025 title? How does that feel to you?

[00:00:56] Well, yeah, that's an interesting question. I'm going to say that if I'm less confident in you but that feels great. When I allow myself to really let that feeling in, it feels great. You know, me, I'm always protecting myself. I don't want to get hurt.

[00:01:18] So, you know, I'm not going to allow myself to fully believe that yet but that is very exciting prospect.

[00:01:26] Yeah, I'm being a little fesicious. I don't fully believe it either, but I am here to, I feel like with the Broncos we're always here and we always get put in this position of being the Debbie Downers of like the local media because people will just be like,

[00:01:46] is bonnix as good as Patrick Mahomes and Peyton Manning combined? Maybe. And what do you tell me that team doesn't win a Super Bowl with this roster?

[00:01:56] We got Tim Patrick coming off after Terran 12 of his ACLs, like, you know, they get a little too optimistic so we have to bring them down. Nuggets fans, it feels like we're in a full on panic two weeks ago.

[00:02:10] No, I'm not a good man. And I think I haven't fully had this conversation with you but it feels like we're actually going to bring some positivity and some optimism to the world here because if I had to give the nuggets adding homes,

[00:02:28] storage and then Westbrook presumably Mark Stein came out a few days ago and said, we are basically the only Super Forum. The Clippers want him off the books and we hit, we can absorb him.

[00:02:41] And Yokech have reported they both said that they want to play with him or not, D. Andre Jordan DJ, which I think actually does kind of matter because he has been teammates with Russell.

[00:02:57] So yeah, well let's just, let's just dive into it, right? Okay. Let's take a moment at the time. So homes first, we've already kind of given that out, but he's officially signed now everything I've seen from the introductory press conference

[00:03:16] And unbelievable, just like, yeah, this organization is going to stick with you. They're going to develop you, you know, there I feel great. Yeah, I mean, other than that. And he's just seems like he's going to be great culture guy going to fit in and I kind

[00:03:37] of like the nuggets adding instead of adding a less skilled player who fits the tradition center, just saying, hey, because like, Sarat is an traditional center too. Sorry, this bleeds into the next one a little bit, but like they're just kind of like,

[00:03:56] hey, when we really want to kick someone's ass, we're going to play Gordon as our backup center. But we saw it's nice to have some other bodies that are 6 9 6 10 that can you can throw on a backup so that you're not getting just killed against some bigger teams.

[00:04:16] And obviously, Sarat just played in big games, homes, you know, has a really great pedigree that could fit in and it's just about seeing what he does. So I don't care about the second round picks. I think they're pretty good thing to give away at this point.

[00:04:38] It seems pretty hard for for a strong pick to stay in the league, much less second round picks. So I would give that my excitement about that was like a nine out of 10.

[00:04:50] Like, I mean, I'm a little jealous that the timber wolves went all in and went and got somebody, but the more I thought about it, the more I was like, this is a historically bad draft

[00:05:00] and you took a gamble on a very skinny guard who, you know, could not pan out easily and you've just traded away your whole future for that. Like I'd wait for a little deeper draft, right?

[00:05:13] To try to make that move, but I do think that was smart by Conley there. So that's the only thing they keep me from being like a 10.

[00:05:20] But like in the range of where the nuggets were, I don't think there's a player that could have made me more excited than homes. I mean, we talked about it beforehand and I think we were both excited about the prospect and it was pretty well linked

[00:05:34] that like that's who we wanted. And I also think that like, Kevin Booth deserves we make criticized him later in this podcast, I don't know, but I think he's done some things that I wish he had done differently or at least I wish he had managed differently.

[00:05:52] But I think Calvin Booth has proven to be a good use or a good evaluator in the draft and I think that matters. And so in what you're talking about, a historically bad draft like it's not as if

[00:06:13] you know we're going to find some second guy on a championship team where we're sitting in the draft. So like you kind of have to find the diamonds and the rough that fit this girl set that you need.

[00:06:24] And I think the underrated thing about potential of homes is playing him next to you, which like he doesn't have to play the five and I think that's true not to step again and to

[00:06:35] sorry, but I think that's true of sorry to like we're playing a timberwolves team that has cat and rooting out there like we can play one of those two guys against cat and it's not a

[00:06:49] mismatch and they can easily switch off with that to well maybe not it's our journey more, but definitely homes can like. And certainly better than anyone we had as a second option when Gordon

[00:07:00] got in the thought trouble in the play. And I think the thing that homes has some AG's type skills in he's not as offensively talented as AG was and Arizona nor will he be as talented as he is in the MBA,

[00:07:17] but he is he's a vertical threat he's athletic he you know has like kind of a sneaky mid range game. So I think it's going to be a positive addition and I think

[00:07:34] to your point about trading up I think you kind of just have to do what you have to do in the moment to go get the guy to make sure that you get the guy that you want to get and if that means giving

[00:07:48] up a second round pick you have to go do that. Certainly not in a position to know enough to criticize anybody and be like well you could have just stayed where he would have still like

[00:07:59] who knows I don't know so they know better than me and I will trust them that they made the right decision. Yeah yep so then we get into Reggie Jackson we get cash considerations back in the end with like a six team deal but it's basically

[00:08:20] we give them Reggie Jackson for nothing what what were your thoughts on that move I know we talked about earlier saying like hey maybe Reggie can go on a little swing and you can get

[00:08:35] a little something for him and nausey it appeared that the nuggets had said nope small guards don't age well I don't think you're going to have a moment that your value is going to go up

[00:08:46] and it's worth it to us to just get this off the roster so we can you know I think this is when panic hit the most when people when we did this and then the news started to come out like a Westbrook

[00:09:00] then you know it's just a little bit but I wanted to know your kind of feelings of would you have liked for them to wait longer to pull the trigger or is the news of Westbrook

[00:09:10] you know which obviously plays into why you need to do this because they don't want to give up on pick it yet and you're renting that I wasn't upset about this in the moment to be honest with you

[00:09:21] yeah we watched a lot of nuggets basketball last year and they were not very moment that they're very many moments where I was like man I'm really happy we have Roger right now like he just didn't

[00:09:33] he didn't impact the game in that way and it's hard to obviously he's a local guy like so I didn't have anything against Reggie I liked the three see hit but to be honest I didn't

[00:09:47] like a whole lot of the other things that he brought to that second unit and I thought he was a lot of the problem so when when you're giving him away obviously it never feels good to not get anything

[00:09:59] back right but that contract is not fun and I'm frankly happy even if we don't get Russell Westbrook what Russell Westbrook that I don't have to watch him yeah it felt like it's jersey

[00:10:17] it felt like we were what's the what's the movie where Ben Affleck is the coach he's the alcoholic coach for the high school the way back the way back great movie but so remember the game

[00:10:32] where Affleck they're down and he gives this like Impassions speech and then they just go to the newspaper clipping and it's just them getting their ass beat by like six year 70 that's how it

[00:10:45] felt it was for us willing Reggie Jackson to do good things like we have never put so much positive energy into someone like you could feel it with the nuggets fans turning on Reggie Jackson so like

[00:10:59] generally when there's a player that everyone on the nuggets fan them is against and you can kind of feel it in the building Ryan and I try to be vocal up in 372 and getting our guys going

[00:11:12] but to Ryan's point it was weird to watch so many young guys and have our one really veteran guy be the guy who is messing up the most defensive rotations and you just like and just oh my god

[00:11:28] did like what are we doing here he's got some Earl Boycons in him where he dribble like 18 seconds yeah clock it's just it's brutal yep yeah so and some of that is a little bit on the

[00:11:42] alone right like you can't keep like you have to be like hey dude if you're gonna do this you're not gonna play and just be like whatever did we're gonna figure it out it's kind of half to stop

[00:11:53] asking alone to make those decisions I kind of want to take them alone in our loot here because I think as the offseason progresses I get more and more pissed off at how he managed this team

[00:12:09] he's just straight up refusal to play any young person despite maybe their defensive limitations but which I understand and I'm honestly all for in most contexts but the context that I'm not for it is

[00:12:27] when the veteran that you're playing also sucks ass on D.S. I don't think I don't think that you're replacing like at a certain point you just should play the younger guy to maybe get a

[00:12:40] spot like put your hit mods and in the fucking game and games seven and see what happens like we needed something like you do something and I don't think to bring it back to our original point

[00:12:53] Redgiaxom has never provided that now he's not gonna provide that and I think part of the reason why we're excited about these people that we're bringing in is like a Dario of Sardin can provide that

[00:13:05] like that guy can hit some threes and like do some fun things in that second unit Russell Westberg can definitely provide that so that's why when you're talking about these guys that we're letting go of like yeah I'll miss the sentimental aspect of Redgia a little bit but

[00:13:23] the player the tough to take rocks man like that it was I honestly think we're sort of underwriting how bad it was and I don't think that the nuggets fans really appreciate how bad it was

[00:13:38] yeah it was pretty brutal there it was pretty brutal all right now we go to our darkest night on the timeline KCP leaves for Orlando right as soon as I saw how much money he got I was kind

[00:13:56] of like I mean good for you don't like I was it was like Bruce last year we were like yeah you should take that deal dude but I should absolutely take that deal if you're KCP

[00:14:10] I think this is where I had a moment where I said to myself is Calvin Booth's sniffing his own fart a little too much like because the press conference was just weird where he was like

[00:14:28] I mean you know I mean Christian obviously you know KCP was a great player in that situation but we think with the same opportunities you know Chris could do a lot of the same things and you're always

[00:14:38] going to be replacing your fifth guy and it was the same thing as like he gave the Peyton Watson breakdown of like his wingspan versus Bruce Browns on the way out of town and like hey just we all

[00:14:52] know we all know why you didn't pay him 22 million dollars because you don't want to go into the second apron we all know that's not it's not fucking rocket science we don't have to shit on

[00:15:04] anyone so that was my only thing that I did want to say uh Calvin Booth we need a little less honesty from our general manager dog he is so candid and you're just like hey can you stop

[00:15:17] he's a robot he's a robot he's just what you need to be to be a good G.A.B.B.C.R but not in front of the media correct yeah you have to be able to turn that off you can't like the

[00:15:30] I feel like he's actually telling like real secrets just out loud oh yeah like that interview with Kevin O'Connor or he's like I just like for duplicates in my roster like I don't want too many

[00:15:42] duplicative people doing the same types of things like I want people doing different types of things like dude shut the fuck up yeah like why are you saying that out loud so we need a uh we need

[00:15:56] a Calvin Booth clone they can go out there and but it's like charming and like gregarious but doesn't actually say anything you mean misogyatory I was gonna say magic Johnson like magic Johnson

[00:16:10] would kind of be perfect to like explain any and all the partures slash moves because magic would just be like KCP played basketball amazing two championships sad to see go

[00:16:27] hello well yeah um I think past tag NBA back to back to the KCP point I I really am gonna miscasep you a lot I mean he was he was unbelievable for us like I think going to games

[00:16:45] you truly do get an appreciation for what KCP does on the defensive end because it's awful too like he is in guy shorts for 40 minutes and that is very difficult to do in the NBA and he got

[00:16:59] very little praise for it I mean we like they were all in first team and the yeah we were trying out here but yeah well I'm not talking about us but I'm just saying in the broader NBA

[00:17:12] media link yeah it's game like what he was doing when under appreciated and I do think we're gonna miss that but also the second apron is real and it is not to be tripled with I think

[00:17:24] that everybody's comparing us to the Celtics which is just so fucking stupid like they're going into the second apron to pay Jason Taden, Jalen Brown, Marcus Mart and Chris Tapps, Porsankis or not Marcus Mart Derek what and all of those guys are like kind of young

[00:17:46] and like in the prime of their careers like yeah they don't need very much more we can't go into the second apron to pay our fifth guy like that's not a sustainable thing you can't I don't

[00:18:01] think people are truly grasping out restricted this isn't I'm not either like but you basically can't move your roster if you're in the second apron like you can't do anything so it's

[00:18:15] I'm sad to see him go I'm happy he got another massive contract because he deserves it like I wish that we could do it Bill Simmons has fucking a random Tuesday, do you have to see Jalen

[00:18:28] Sugs and fucking KCP on defense? I'm not sure they're the 100% fucking that Ryan but like we should be able to be rewarded for drafting to ballmari in Nicole the Oakwich and my

[00:18:43] daughter junior like those guys shouldn't count against our cap as much as they do and we can't sign KCP because we were good at drafting essentially like well not because we're this free agent

[00:18:55] destination like they made this rule to make sure that the 2016 warriors with KD never happen again and what they're actually doing is presenting is a challenge to small market teams that actually

[00:19:08] do their job well yeah no it's done super dumb and I don't know anyone who likes it as a function right like to me it's like I would have just as a team I want

[00:19:26] say that like the nicks have a crazy run next year right if I'm a nicks fan I want to be like I want to go ride and die with the Villanova boys like I want them back no matter what

[00:19:39] if you were the largest market we're getting them back no matter what and tear point if you know they are not a lot drafted but like you know if they can be able to do that I think that's better

[00:19:52] for the product for it's like oh it's Tatum Brown coming up against the nicks like that's how you get rivalries not where like guys know that they're going to be on the move all the time it becomes

[00:20:02] harder and harder to get like those deep seated things we're like you can tell we talked about in the class but like Jamal and Yokewich don't like the Lakers because they got little suned by

[00:20:14] all the time and now they're just like I don't fucking like you and they came up and suffering in that and now they don't like them and I feel like that's getting harder and harder to do with the

[00:20:25] second apron stuff sorry those on the side but it's part of the lack of fun of being able to go to war with KCP again that would be fun yeah it's it's just it's I think it may affect the

[00:20:41] sort of like middle claw middle upper class of the NBA too because like those guys that might have gotten a max deal because they are good in the team drafted them like the really is

[00:20:55] no incentive for that to happen anymore I know that what team is dealing with this right now I mean Kade just got paid wild and I mean if you're the distance what do you can do but like

[00:21:06] that's we had a meaningful yes we had a meaningful moment from Kade cutting him where it's I think I think five years to $289 million I think in two years when one of these bad teams

[00:21:20] pays their rookies max extension and then realizes that they're going to be up against the second apron yeah like you're just gonna see that second tier of guys get paid less money over last year

[00:21:33] whatever this structure has to be to protect that cap because yeah it's it's gonna I mean these guys are making insane money right like nobody's crying for them but if they take a 2%

[00:21:45] honestly the cap's gonna keep going up so their their percentage is gonna keep going up too so it's all gonna work out for the players in the end but it's I do think it will read just the

[00:21:56] market a little bit for some of these guys and teams are gonna have to be better at evaluating their own talent yeah you're not just gonna be able to blindly give a guy the max and say yeah sure

[00:22:07] he's best off to get for us right now it's like well if he can't get you out of the draft you might have a better option that's five years in cap yeah like yeah can't move off that guy like the

[00:22:18] I mean the bulls had to like give away what's his thoughts like they're trying to give away Zach Levine they're in the front they gave away yeah that's what I'm saying like they can't even

[00:22:31] trade Zach Levine because he's on a terrible contract and teams are looking at that now and saying well if I eat that like normally a tanking team would go eat that contract right away it just

[00:22:41] be like Zach Levine's not gonna win us any games that's fine way we have to be above this threshold but now they can't do that so it's gonna be interesting yep now it's it's wild times but we'll miss you

[00:22:56] forever KCP and thank you for coming up with the cool three-point celebration that was my most fun three-point celebration to do I love shooting the KC3 gun that was an iconic iconic celebration

[00:23:14] and uh I love him for it and I must say he kind of got in the Gary Harris wheelhouse of the dribble hand off into the 15-foot pull-up that thing he had a lot of all right let's

[00:23:29] set a lot down here boys moments where it almost became our calm down play of like Yokech dribble hand off to him he would drive hard to that 15 footer and if you went with Yokech at all he was shooting

[00:23:42] and it was cash and if he wasn't then he would don't sneaky dagger moments yeah oh yeah just like that corner three especially in Jamal and Yokech are cooking and they're like really have to start calling it right the amount of corner three is that that guy hit

[00:23:57] off of just I mean it's uh yeah he was awesome he was I mean he's got it for ever be a nuggets legend because he's always gonna be in the clip where he had the ball yeah well and he's I was going to say

[00:24:15] I mean he's titles like he's a starter on that championship team that's uh he is a sad to me I believe I've talked about this on the podcast before he is ascended to me do the highest athlete

[00:24:31] to your that you can get to for me as a Denver sports if he opens a bad restaurant with his name I will go to it weekly and I will insist that when people come into town I'll be like you should

[00:24:44] go to KCP's oh my god and I'll make them go there like I won't just it won't just be a friendly suggestion I'll be like dude I'll pick you up from the airport we're going to KCP's baby

[00:24:56] like I will single handedly keep this business do you do you go to shanahan's like that do you go to always like that like who's well I don't have the same connection with L.A. to be honest

[00:25:07] there's a little young yeah hopefully KCP's restaurant is relatively affordable otherwise you could barely be rackin up a bell listen I'm gonna live whatever lifestyle do whatever needs to be done to support KCP on his post and VA endeavors all right oh dear you're going to public school

[00:25:30] I hope it's gonna come again I hope it's you did into this KCP budget I hope it's just I hope he just gets a spot on gills arena and I just have to subscribe to that oh we know we'll see

[00:25:45] what he wants to do he's in there all right now we start to get to the positive before soar it's the westbrook rumors had come out right and the part of yokech said I'd like to play with him

[00:26:01] right now it's since come out from the Denver Post it's not like he was ultimatum or demanding which I'm sure yokech was like I sound like I being a baby like issue this tell him I know I

[00:26:15] want him but I not leave if he does not come like you know like I could see yokech being like I'm not fucking throwing a fit like you know and so but I think so what was your anything when you

[00:26:28] heard yokech wanted westbrook and we were the front runners if you can take yourself back to then and like what you first thought yeah well I have a lot of history with westbrook yeah I was in Oklahoma and he was on the thunder those teams were super fun

[00:26:50] and I really liked the way that Russell carried himself during those years he had a sort of like reckless abandon and how he played that I really appreciate it and he was just competitive as

[00:27:03] hell like you were always going to get 110% out of westbrook and then then I get started to get good and I really really hate it Russell Westbrook. I've said some pretty mean things about him in the

[00:27:18] past uh app games uh to people you know but it was all born out of the fact that I knew and you're not supposed to like Russell Westbrook when he's on the other team now and he loved messing up the

[00:27:36] nuggets like he really he always seems like he played well we always beat the thunder but like he played well yeah and so super frustrating and so my initial thought was that the best

[00:27:54] version of Russell Westbrook the version that everybody's been asking for for the last eight years of his career has been this like can he set a pick can he play any defense does he care about

[00:28:10] his teammates well being on the offensive end like does he want what a facilitate or is he going to be pulling up for 24 footers uh and that was my initial thought I was like oh man like every team

[00:28:29] has talked themselves into this version of Russell Westbrook that he's proven over and over again just doesn't exist um however I think he is now entering a point in his career that he's he's out

[00:28:46] of that I think he has to be and so on top of the fact that I don't know how much he would actually play with Nicole Yokech because he's going to clearly be coming off the bench and whatever but

[00:28:59] he is like in other worldly creator for this second team this second string unit has been terrible on offense for three straight years we are not going to suck on offense with Dario Sarge at Russell Westbrook we may give up 180 points but we will also score 196 because they

[00:29:28] those two guys know how to score and they're going to figure out how to score together so that is what makes me excited can I give you my instant reaction yeah I looked much alone so what Russell Westbrook and then I just said two words into the universe

[00:29:58] fuck yes all right we are coming right you know me I love a bring your 12 we'll bring our 12 let's meet in the middle and we'll figure this out who embodies that more than Russell Westbrook

[00:30:14] and like while I am sure there are going to be times where Russell is going to over dribble or be a little over aggressive or be whatever Russell Westbrook you talk about Dion Sanders being the

[00:30:28] vibes coordinator Russell Westbrook is going to be a great A plus vibes coordinator for a young team like people were clowning him for that clip in the lot Lakers locker room where it's like

[00:30:44] he's like all right guys we just got to let's just go out there have fun let's just go out there and have fun like you know and you see LeBron looking at him like I'm an emergency like do not just go out

[00:30:53] there and have fun but I think Russell's leadership instincts were right where it's like hey dude we're a young team we're putting all this pressure on ourselves we're all like getting so pissy let's just

[00:31:06] go out there and fucking play right and so do you know who's going to be in there you're just like yeah Julian go ahead yeah that thing you know like if he hits two three in a row you know Russell's coming

[00:31:19] over punching him in the chest and it can't be overstated a lot of these guys grew up with Russell Westbrook being one of their favorite players like you see this with number one yeah you see this

[00:31:33] with you know like guys talking about like Kevin Durant or people like you know like he has a legend kind of status for sure that and the other thing he provides so I did go into it in my full

[00:31:53] brain within minutes of reading this tweet I was like this is gonna be awesome I was like we're gonna get him free those little he comes off the pick so fast and then he just stops and shoots

[00:32:10] a little 12 footer with yokech setting the pick and absolutely no help coming even this version of Russell Westbrook that's going to be very very hard to guard so we're gonna get Russell going on

[00:32:22] offense and then he's gonna get to have his confidence going because he's gonna sub for Murray at like six seven minutes and then he's gonna be able to drive kick to Murray kick to strather

[00:32:37] kick to these boys and Ryan I am telling you nuggets fans are gonna fall in love with this guy because there's gonna be some stupid dumbass Tuesday game where we're gonna where we would normally

[00:32:51] blow this shit to the jazz or something like that and Russell Westbrook is gonna get pissed and he's gonna be like you know what this is fucking bullshit fuck these guys

[00:33:01] fuck them for thinking they can beat us fuck everybody in Salt Lake and he's gonna go out there and just go on a spree and talk a bunch of shit out there and he's gonna get our whole team energy going

[00:33:15] and all of a sudden you don't lose those few games there's a one seed I honestly think him so it's a lot like why D. Andre Jordan has been our first free agent signing for the last two

[00:33:30] because he is the actual bot coordinator of the Denver nuggets but he doesn't play yeah so there's only so much he can do yeah Russell Westbrook couldn't go out there and show your ass

[00:33:42] what you're supposed to be doing and I agree with you he is going to do that like I have watched this guy play a lot of basketball like I mean a lot of basketball

[00:33:53] and there are two things that I think are sort of maybe misunderstood about Russell Westbrook all of his teammates love him yes he is like a plus plus plus teammate he is never he will make stupid mistakes but he's never going to be asks you about them

[00:34:14] like he's not gonna be like no that was Peyton Watson's fault but he missed that like he's going to own what he did but he everybody loves him and two he really embraces the community

[00:34:28] that he is in and if we know anything about nuggets fans nuggets fans love that shit and we also know that ballerina can turn on a dime and when we've turned on Russell Westbrook

[00:34:42] in a dive so when that's going the other way like I think that is really powerful and we haven't had that type of guy since I mean obviously Jamal and Yokech can definitely do that but

[00:34:58] a guy off the bench like that I don't think we've had that in the Yokech era now it's what did I say all playoffs all year everything last year I said we're missing a guy who

[00:35:11] gets you a random 20 and a playoff series and Russell Brack Westbrook can give you a random 30 and a playoff series like Westbrook is awesome I think the fact too you have low maintenance superstars here in Marania Yokech and also there's like

[00:35:34] Yokech will protect you and make you feel wanted all the time which is something that I hasn't had really since leaving okay see you know like he was on some like Lakers teams that were severely dysfunctional he was on obviously that Clippers team that became really wild

[00:35:57] with hardening well yes he's been playing well and that's that's what I wanted to say just with your point of like he hasn't been the perfect version of Russell Westbrook he's never been it

[00:36:11] I agree with that and I don't think we need him to be that we need him to be the a little bit more of the Clippers defender that we saw last year we can't have the lapses because

[00:36:21] the reason we used to always beat okay see was that he would lose track of guys on back to cuts and stuff and you just can't do that against the goal you know so we would just get so many

[00:36:32] free points out there but so we needed to be locked in defensively but then if you're a little over aggressive dude go ahead I don't care man like we need you in an aggressive mindset and we

[00:36:47] need you in the mindset of the second unit is mine I'm going to take ownership of it and we are not going to be a liability we're going to win games because of us and I'm going to you know get

[00:36:58] Peyton going get stronger going get all that going and I think he has that ability and has had to work on fitting in with others rather than everyone fitting around him which obviously he developed some

[00:37:11] habits after Katie left okay see we're like he was the only way they were going to win so they were just like hey can you do everything and to your point he's so competitive he was like I will

[00:37:22] yeah absolutely yeah yeah yeah yeah you want me to average 30 10 and 12 yeah and he's living in the need to center to clear out on every single free throw rebound if I'm gonna steal four of these

[00:37:35] every game but yeah him and him and Yoke is talking about the triple doubles would be hilarious I would pay a million dollars to watch them interviewed and like watch Yoke itch watch some of those

[00:37:49] okay see clips of everybody literally running away from the balls so I'll get the rebound Yoke itch literally hitting it with his head to so somebody else gets the risk so he cuts a triple double yeah like what having that film breakdown maybe we should ask him to

[00:38:08] come on the pod and have that be the premise I think I think that's a bad idea I think we need to be as loving Yoke it's nation as we can find it funny and actually do think they would because

[00:38:21] Yoke itch does a care he'd be like are you serious brother this is what you went through with that I wish these teammates were like this I would have 22 rebounds a game man I mean

[00:38:32] Jesus Christ no no no no no can't have any of that energy but Russ if you can't count or the run like that all right now Russ don't listen to any of this all right

[00:38:48] but you know one of the part that really got me fired up is thinking about if because like it was cool obviously to just see that nuggets win a championship for the first time right

[00:39:01] but like it was really cool to see Jeff Green to see Deandre to see Ish Smith and so part of also what I think was missing last year was like we kind of had the same

[00:39:12] guys back and then Rookie's so you're like oh who's this going to be crazy cool for like who's going to give you know the one speech where everyone's like holy shit all right you're right we

[00:39:21] should stop taking around with the heat like you know like who's going to give that chat and this year imagine it's rusted and imagine we get a nuggets championship and we get the because you know

[00:39:37] they do it I mean he wouldn't direct quoted or anything but do the nuggets equivalent of the this one's for Ray where you know it's like oh they hand it to whoever but everyone's like Russ

[00:39:50] and Russ gets the whole the thing he's crying he's talking about in the press you know what it's just there's been so many people saying stuff about me and talking down about me and saying I would never

[00:40:01] make it here but Yokech wanted me and you know what the nuggets wanted me and they embraced me and they let me be me and I thought I was done for in the NBA I thought I couldn't be me anymore

[00:40:12] and I had to adjust but Yokech showed me the true way and Yokech says brother shut up Ray just starting alright this come on we gotta get this thing going but like seeing that emotional moment

[00:40:24] if we get Russell as for a potato right mark it down right now I famously was working over nights and kind of pushed out on the nuggets parade the first time I promise I will not miss out on

[00:40:43] a parade that involves Russell Westbrook there's zero way I will miss out on that I learned a lot from the first parade and I think I will have a beautiful strategy for us to see them multiple times

[00:40:57] so great the I think did the sentimental you know kind of day dreaming of the fan right we're obviously your free agent signings you're trying to maximize what could happen and you know

[00:41:12] everything well I think I think what makes that especially exciting is that the thing that you're describing in order for that to happen I think the one of the better versions of Russ has to be

[00:41:27] realized and I think he would really get flowers for that like I don't think it would just be like oh he joined Yokech you know he would have moments I think he there would be moments

[00:41:38] to have those type of one shining moment type of clips where you need a Bruce Brown you need to have three games throughout the playoffs where we go holy shit I didn't know Bruce Brown was

[00:41:51] gonna do that and if you get three the rest of them we just need you to be at a baseline of defense all thought right like I just got chills did it's unreal thinking about I want to root for Russell

[00:42:04] Westbrook more than I want to root for I mean if we'd have brought back Paul Mills F. and Gary Harris and Monta Moore maybe them more but like I promise you you're not gonna find a more positive

[00:42:19] fella night one at ballerina then when Russ is out there off the bench I am going to be just going crazy I am good at Jersey all I'm gonna be we're gonna be given him the Paul in love and

[00:42:34] restoration from 372 here your soul's been hurt by those soulless vampires in L.A don't worry about it here in the good old hometown of Denver will get you going right do do you think that he's gonna

[00:42:50] give Christian Brown zero or do you think he's gonna give him a ridiculous amount of money for it I don't even think about that I think of I'm Russ I'm gonna go for a different number

[00:43:03] I'm gonna be like that's fine yeah I'm trying to think of what numbers we have available just I think he's a they were saying that in okay see I remember reading an article that he would

[00:43:14] sit at the team like cafeteria and look overall of his bills and get pissed if they like his internet went up or something like he's like shouldn't be charging me so much like double zero at some

[00:43:28] point maybe he should go double zero I'd be down for double zero a double zero and a zero on the team I'm just saying if you're Russ don't you want to sell bunch of new jerseys just go out there and

[00:43:43] you have some moments in Denver to buy one I don't think you're wrong I'll tell you that because he might be my number one Denver athlete that I'm rooting for this year like not that is the best not

[00:43:57] that is that but that you know how like you can't always be the best if you're always rooting for him right it's like I felt this way about Peyton Watson like last year he was my guy who I was like do just

[00:44:09] fuck and go off man like let's go and you're kind of willing them to it and some nights they do it some nights they don't and that's kind of the fun of the the come up right so I'm along for the

[00:44:20] journey and I'm pro Russell Westbrook welcome to Denver whenever it happens baby we will be locked and loaded and I can't wait to for you to win a title now the news that came through after the Westbrook

[00:44:39] kind of rumors it's litified we got sorry it's two year 10.6 million dollar contract play or option in the second what are your thoughts on this one Ryan as far as it's not a true center he played center

[00:44:58] he played you know like you said he's played three four and five so provides a lot of versatility but isn't like a hundred percent traditional center what were your thoughts on the move how did you feel?

[00:45:10] yeah I like the value of it. I don't know what's arches at this point I feel like I didn't admittedly watch a whole lot of him last year so I mean I looked up the highlights you know it seems

[00:45:27] like mostly old Daria before he got hurt he was filthy like before that injury I mean when the warrior's got him everybody was like oh this is unfair and then he gets hurt and obviously it

[00:45:41] sort of spiraled from there but I think I'm excited about the versatility of him coming off of the bench and I think you can play him in a lot of different spots he's never going to get played off the floor

[00:45:55] so that's important I think he brings some offense like I mentioned before I think his defense is sort of mid so that was the interesting part to me like I I mean I guess we're kind of counting

[00:46:07] on Daran homes to be that sort of rim protecting type of guy if we need that but you know I think I love the value of it and offensively I think it's great defensively I think it's a little

[00:46:24] rough yeah I mean I definitely think obviously this is not a true center I think also there were stretches even in the playoffs where we were like how are we gonna score like

[00:46:43] if they don't turn the ball over and we have to play five on five basketball I don't know what we're gonna do and I think Sarch is a interesting and new strategy for the nuggets in terms of

[00:46:58] I think they'd been trying to get a like traditional five kind of bouncy roll man all that stuff and now they're getting kind of a crafty obviously he's not yolkage but like he looks at the

[00:47:12] game in a similar way he hidden past out of a double team he's got good mid range all that not the most explosive athlete I think this is going to be just fine during the regular season and I think

[00:47:26] the playoffs it's gonna be great you and I were talking before the podcast Aaron Gordon getting in foul trouble was a death sentence for us first the wolves because we didn't have

[00:47:36] anyone else to go in there now you can put Sarch next to yolkage it's not the same athleticism it's not the same thing but you are also saying hey you can't not guard like they chose to not

[00:47:50] guard Aaron Gordon because if you just don't guard Sarch on corner three he's gonna bat you can get a few buckets from Rudy but we're gonna score threes on the other end and it's going to be

[00:48:03] bad for you so I think this is a good strategy in terms of it gives us something that you and I've talked a lot about on this show is like the congruence between playing yolkage ball and then

[00:48:16] playing like normal basketball and this I think gives us a little bit more opportunity to have that similar thing where it's like okay this guy is gonna catch it you know he can catch it out of that

[00:48:28] and he can whip the corners he can do that you can play through a pick and roll with him catching in the mid post his name is Sarch yeah he's six whatever and yeah and his wife and we saw

[00:48:39] it and sling the ball or on the court like we saw it in with Croatia vs. Greece recently our boy Sarch came up short against Yannis but he like they were playing through him and

[00:48:52] off of doubles he was making great passes, making great reads and so I think there's something to that rather than trying to in the past we've had like heart and stine plumbly guys who are really

[00:49:03] limited decision making wise but can be like explosive dunkers good best on the roll but it's really hard for a guard to go from playing with I'm used to dumping this mid post every time

[00:49:16] to like oh I should throw oops every time right and I think there's more congruence that happens and I think this move was also a nod to the fact that like hey in the playoffs we're going

[00:49:27] to still play Gordon at five like Gordon strong and then we're just gonna have size with Sarch out there like in the end it can still play spot minutes like yeah oh for sure but I mean but I think

[00:49:40] the nuggets are saying when we get down to our championship time we're still gonna put Gordon in positions to do that and Sarch I think helps us do that more so than anything we have last year

[00:49:56] so to me I think we upgraded in terms of you would have wanted at the end of last season you would have said hey we were missing some veterans who could have some offense and who weren't

[00:50:06] scared of the moment and who had earned trust and now we're getting extra years and we have Sarch on a cheap deal I think this is great yeah I couldn't agree more and I think really when you

[00:50:18] boil down the off season and you think about the fact that really if you asked any nuggets executive I think for the first or you know if you asked them in January of last year

[00:50:34] during the season is KCP coming back they would have said no right so like that's the big loss obviously you know you lose around the fringes you do every year but KCP was the big one that we

[00:50:49] had to replace and we didn't replace it we sort of just upgraded Christian Brown into the the roster which is fine but if you would told us at the beginning of this that you get Dario Sarch

[00:51:06] in Russell Westbrook like I think we take that and so I just I understand nuggets nation being a little apprehensive like I am too honestly I think going back to the way that Galvan Booth

[00:51:21] has handled some of this stuff in the media like I don't think he's done that well and then I think that that it hurts the value of the signings and it feels a little shittier for the fans when

[00:51:33] you sort of like give a guy kick on the in the ass on the way out like it's not as fun for us to celebrate KCP when you're like shitting off essentially and you're not really shitting on him but

[00:51:46] you're just like you're trying to hide your new guy up but just you're saying you guys are behind you're saying the truth but leave out the negative stuff it's negative or curding yeah like

[00:51:57] and just talk new about your team instead of it's not exactly we're not exactly a destination city all right we can't have these role players worried that we're gonna shit on a month away out be like

[00:52:07] all those stats were inflated he just played with the oakage you know you just unreal like and I think that you know the the key to all of this is yokeage and yokeage is going to make

[00:52:20] anybody who's on this team better I firmly believe that and I honestly think it's backed up by the last five years of time it's basketball like they are a better team because yokeages on

[00:52:32] the team and everybody is better because of him and when they leave the nuggets they sometimes get exposed and I am not ruling that out for KCP he was not good in the playoff I think I think very hard

[00:52:48] very hard to and that's where I think this is I think if you told me to give you a like short honest assessment I'd say our starting five got worse and our bench got better

[00:53:00] and to me our starting five was good enough with Christian in there with whatever like I think that still clears other starting five's by enough that just keeping those guys fresh is the most important thing and so if you can expand the lead because rust lost his mind

[00:53:21] and then he got Julian gone at home and all the sudden instead of the starters coming back into a five point lead when they left with a 13 point lead it's sitting there at 25 and it's a

[00:53:32] laugher and we get 30 minutes from yokeage we get you know those light games I think that's so so important I say this every year but I think it's the playoffs really boiled down to a lot of times

[00:53:47] who is the best player on the floor like do you actually have the best part on the floor and we have the best player on the floor and often we have the best two players on the floor so

[00:53:58] it's really just about figuring out those pieces around it and I think a lot of people can fit into that system which the nuggets fans are not used to. Never had a player like that is as

[00:54:11] plug-in plays a call the yokeage and honestly maybe nobody has ever so I think it's an interesting test and I think you know which is going to pass with flying colors and the nuggets are going

[00:54:23] to be good. Perfect last little thing I wanted to go through obviously there's a little bit of panic today and nuggets nation when it came out that Murray has not signed it you know blackbird

[00:54:40] was coming out saying hey it still could get done absolutely but like it's not done like it's not like oh we'll sign this on this day it's like both sides for mulling off. Yeah and then wind Harrison wind

[00:54:57] does great work for dvr. I think he's very plugged into the team came out and said I fully expect this to happen after the Olympics which to me is a little bit interesting it raised a little bit of my

[00:55:07] antenna of the nuggets were like that's fine if you want to play for your country but we're not being stuck with this contract until we're sure you don't tear shit in Paris which is a

[00:55:20] heartless thing but is a reality of like we have to protect ourselves right like um and I think that's how I read it um do you have any other thoughts are you concerned about the potential of hurt

[00:55:36] feelings here from jemal and or something because like I said all I want to do is watch jemal geocache mpj Aaron Gordon fight down into the dust and and tell one of them wants to leave for

[00:55:53] more money that's fine like I don't care but you know like to me I'm just like yeah no I don't think I don't want jemal to stay so are you is there is there any smoke here or any fire

[00:56:09] there's smoke for sure uh because I mean honestly it's the nuggets playing hardball it has to be there's only so many reasons that this would happen and I don't anticipate like if if the nuggets were just

[00:56:25] offering the max with no stipulations no nothing involved in it no situations at all jemal mary is signing this contract so there clearly has to be some sticking point like I think formally offered

[00:56:41] this of getting into a little bit of trade secrets here formally offered is it I don't I don't deal with that you think on this level but I'm just telling you from what I know formally offered

[00:56:52] is the uh key phrase here because they're clearly negotiating this right so like him and well his agents and the team are negotiating the actual structure of this deal it's going to be the

[00:57:04] max money that's clear like it definitely is going to be it's what does that look like what protections did do the team have if you whatever in the last year or the deal can you guarantee this money this

[00:57:20] way can you what's the incentives like all this stuff gets negotiated that's fine that's fine to delay it clearly is a power move by the nuggets to be like well you're under contract extra so like

[00:57:37] yeah have fun and Paris focus on getting that we'll talk to you in a couple of months like that's a power move and as a player I don't think jemal I don't think jemal mary's feelings are going to be

[00:57:50] hurt and honestly I think even if he tore something in Paris we would sign him to the max deal after his rehab next summer probably so it's I think he's getting the max it's just again back

[00:58:08] to the Calvin booth of it off like why are you doing this what is what are we really negotiating about yeah and I think uh it feels ego based honestly it's like I don't all say

[00:58:23] shams I think his past woege as the most plugged in guy I think that became obvious with the Lakers coaching search shams came out in front of it and was like JJ's the guy and then it was

[00:58:37] clear that the woege leaked the hurli thing at hurli's request so that hurli couldn't go she had a bigger deal from you gone to try to drive that up if shams put his name on it and said they're going

[00:58:52] to get this done that plus win to I think is unbelievably plugged in I think this is done and I don't think there's any hurt feelings or anything on either side I think to your point I think mary has a

[00:59:09] small enough ego and you know the story that ESPN loves using during the games of like he came to malone like crying like please don't trade me like so he thought even with all he'd shown

[00:59:26] in the bubble and all that in his mind when he tore at the first time he was like I'm done and so I don't think a guy with that level of like hunger and ego I don't think I think your

[00:59:38] right it's probably a little bit of a slight to him but I think it's okay like I don't think he'll like have to be pomemary and it's truly me I'm in his position and the nuggets said to me like

[00:59:55] oh and they're like negotiating over a little stipulations and they want to do some you know little things I'm going to look at them and say all right well then if I like when I get through Paris say

[01:00:11] he has an unbelievable and it's like outshines SGA in the yeah group of 10 to get into like they get you know whatever they get out so for like you know he plays unbelievable and gets through healthy looks

[01:00:27] like bubblege ball yeah and they come back to him and say oh we're so happy to offer you the five year max like congratulations Shumong I'd say you know what I actually think I'm going to play this season

[01:00:44] I'm going to get all in the A and you're going to have to pay me the Supermax next summer because you decided to wait until after Paris to pay me my money like you are a risky man

[01:00:57] and yeah I don't foresee him doing that I think that's been honestly like what what's the worst case scenario from his point of view like you tear your ACL and you don't have a super

[01:01:10] you don't have a max sitting there and now the nuggets say well actually who wants to free agent side this guy you even have to sit a whole year yeah it's a risk but yeah I'm just saying

[01:01:26] like there are their risks on both sides of course yep I agree with that but I just want to see Jamal back in a nuggets uniform I want to say and I if in that's what happened I can't wait

[01:01:39] according to it's going to happen I guess that's the that's the key is that yes I believe it's going to happen whether or not Jamal like I just we don't know enough about the negotiations to know

[01:01:49] whether he should be pissed off or well like anything so yeah I hope that where it's all above bored and everybody's on the same page and he's just going to sign it Nargis and it will be no

[01:01:59] problem yeah that sounds right to me let's ride nuggets nation god I can't be more fired up about this team oh my god to see Russell cradling the trophy and Dario Saraj he's gonna be a little tipsy

[01:02:17] just like in that grease encounter he had resubouch out there i protect my voice too much he I think that um Russ is going to be this might be the hottest take of the well it's not a

[01:02:30] hot take but I think Russ might be the most influential on Peyton Watson haven't wild success I think it might unlock Peyton Watson because he loves Russ Westbrook Russ they're from LA like oh

[01:02:45] here Russ was one of the first NBA players to start going to his games by yeah oh yeah it's uh no I think I think you're right there I can't wait for Saraj to do the thing where after we win

[01:03:01] the title and he's a little drunk because he's had a few and so he's just given interviews you know but he's a little doused up at this point and so he's like I can't believe there's people who think

[01:03:12] that NBA is better than y'all it's like I have played with both of these guys holy hell did you see some of those passes out there in bed with a torn as ACL just looking at that pass oh my god

[01:03:26] we didn't talk about the Olympics at all but I think uh and beads like say is about to be sealed by this U.S. team melting down uh there's so a way they can live right you really did quick hit

[01:03:43] I would make me very happy but I'm I'm putting an emotional that on on Serbia in the first game I'll tell you that much for sure money line baby now got that yeah they are not going to be

[01:03:58] anymore up for a game than that one I'll tell you that and it is going to be a buzz saw yeah well place your disagree place your bed at the Kyle Pollen casino

[01:04:12] good year 50 50 odds no big no big you should have to give me a big because of that all point I guess yeah it would be a plus odds thing for money line but

[01:04:30] yeah we we will take your money if you're willing to give it away but go nuggets we can't wait um we're starting to get into the Olympics time it's going to be fun they're plus a 50 to win a championship right now well if you like free money then

[01:04:53] go ahead and place that bed I tell you because it's coming home that feels stupid those are add you feel dumb we had to let that thing go shipping up to Boston briefly but it's coming home right

[01:05:09] it's coming home it's either hemp weight god god bless America Russell S. Brooke Nicole Yokech tomorrow Mary and every Denver nugget across the from sea to shining sea even though

[01:05:29] there are no season caught anything else to add right oh no all right that's great hey how is your fourth you have a good time I basically did nothing do that sounds like great time yeah I went

[01:05:45] up to the mountains with the kid it was great time he was like just rolling and dirt immediately which is there's something some good about that that you're just like I'm being a good parent now

[01:06:00] even if like yeah I haven't done anything they just decided to roll on the dirt you're like looking me to I'm getting my kid out of nature a superior feeling comes up comes upon you we're

[01:06:11] we're under a month to third birthday for bo de and let me tell you I am I'm under stress about this birthday present I mean it's it I feel like I've crushed it so far you have been you have been

[01:06:30] doing well you have been doing well and it feels like it's time to get a little ridiculous so I can tell you that's fine I can tell you there's no way you're going to be cashiest parents gift it's

[01:06:45] gonna be the favorite it's honestly kind of demotivated cashier knife they're getting in one of those a little cars oh fuck where you like motorism or am and stuff I mean you got to play with one

[01:06:58] of us at a friend's house that's what that last weekend I'm not good to do I was about to do super full research like told mom yesterday that I love anyways this is non-hot gas material but yeah

[01:07:15] hey I'm glad you had a good fourth and I'm glad the nuggets are going to be a okay everyone so wrap this episode up the broncos are still gonna suck and the nuggets are gonna be very good

[01:07:30] I and the nuggets most importantly like we want a championship everybody we want a championship two years ago so everybody chilled the fuck out this team's gonna be super fun and Glenn like 54 games so

[01:07:48] just a fucking relax and I'm not really a muscle Westbrook presser I can't wait I can't wait it's gonna be awesome all right well thank you everyone for listening please like subscribe and we will talk to you in a few weeks bye bye