We back

The Pickaxe is back to a weekly pod!

Denver Nuggets arrive in the Bubble

It appears several players, key players, are still missing

Nikola Jokic en route

A week away from games

Exhibition schedule just a week away, Nuggets will warm up against Magic, Pelicans and Wizards.

Will Denver have enough time to get everything set so it doesn’t cost them games?

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Host Ryan Blackburn is joined by Big Stiff Andrew Feinstein and King of Thornton Jeff Morton to discuss the following:

Excitement for the NBA again after a long break

Comparing the bubble playoff to the 1998-99 lockout season

Dark horse playoff contenders throughout the NBA

Opining the trade machine

That time when Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke stopped by Stiffs Night Out

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Host Ryan Blackburn discusses quarantine news and how the Nuggets will handle their entry into the quarantine bubble before diving deep into lineup discussion. He breaks down 13 lineups in depth, including:

The starting unit's strengths and weaknesses

The bench unit the Nuggets may have settled upon before the break

The importance of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in almost every lineup

How Michael Porter Jr. and Jerami Grant fit into things and why they more often than not go together

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In this episode, hosts Ryan Blackburn and Gordon Gross spend time talking about head coach Michael Malone's press conference on Wednesday and how he can be a great leader during the Orlando playoffs. They also discuss Bol Bol's reverse 360 windmill dunk and a second bubble for non-playoff teams in Chicago.

Then, they dive into a Twitter Q&A, answering questions from Stiffs readers on:

Michael Porter Jr.'s ideal role

How the time off will affect the Nuggets

If Denver's defense is playoff ready

How the Nuggets can avoid being a "good-not-great" team moving forward

And more!

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In this episode, host Ryan Blackburn is joined by T.J. McBride (@TJMcBrideNBA) of Mile High Sports to discuss the latest Denver Nuggets news. They hit on the two positive coronavirus cases within Denver's traveling party and what possible ramifications could be. Then, they go through the bubble playoff schedule and talk about NBA players they are excited to watch, including Michael Porter Jr. discussion.

At the end, they hit on The Last of Us 2 and why the video game has taken the world by storm.

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Hosts Ryan Blackburn and Zach Mikash discuss the following Nuggets basketball topics:

What it means that Nikola Jokic tested positive for coronavirus

PJ Dozier's new contract and potential role with the team

One bench, rotation, and starting player we are each most excited to watch in the bubble

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Part 2 of a discussion between Ryan Blackburn and Denver Stiffs' own Daniel Lewis about the 2020 NBA Draft.

In this episode, Ryan and Dan discuss:

Should the Nuggets keep or trade their draft pick?

Seeking out a quality starter with bust potential versus a safer role player in this class

How many starters on a championship team could there be past ~ the 20th pick

Then, they delve into specific players:

Center candidates: Daniel Oturu, Xavier Tillman, etc.

Forward candidates: Saddiq Bey, Tyler Bey, Paul Reed, Patrick Williams, etc.

Guard candidates: Aaron Nesmith, Jahmi'us Ramsey, etc.

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Part 1 of a discussion between Ryan Blackburn and Denver Stiffs' own Daniel Lewis about the 2020 NBA Draft.

In this episode, Ryan and Dan discuss:

Our first experiences as NBA draft analysts

Re-evaluating talent from the 2016 and 2017 drafts

Anthony Edwards, Onyeka Okongwu, Obi Toppin, and other top 10 draft picks

Who Dan and Ryan think will become stars from this class

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Hosts Ryan Blackburn, Zach Mikash, and Gordon Gross spent the first segment talking about video games new and old:

The Last of Us 2

Best video games of our past and present

Why sports video games aren't the same (or all the same)

Then, they discuss Michael Porter Jr. and make predictions for his return to play this season:

What kind of potential does he have?

Will he be part of the regular rotation?

What are the best ways to utilize him?

How many minutes does he play in a playoff setting?

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Host Ryan Blackburn spends some time talking about head coach Michael Malone opening up about having coronavirus last March before heading into a Twitter Q&A:

Will the games be shown on Altitude?

First video games I ever played

The perfect playoff picture for the Nuggets to win a title

The perfect fit around Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.

And there's more where that came from...

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