Nuggets Ink

In a special edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast presented by Evoca TV, beat reporter Mike Singer is joined by second-year point guard Bones Hyland at ViewHouse Ballpark in downtown Denver to discuss a myriad of topics.

In just his second season, Hyland has risen from slept-on late first-round draft pick to the backup point guard on a championship-contending NBA backcourt. Over the course of 40 minutes, Hyland talks about his connection to the city of Denver, while dishing on toughest players to guard, most nerve-racking arenas and developing a winning routine.

Listen long enough and you can catch a bonus audio track from Hyland -- aka Bizzy — titled "Rags to Riches...Vlone."

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast presented by Evoca TV, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert look ahead of the 2022-23 season and a big live event in downtown Denver. Among the topics discussed:

+ What can be taken from Nikola Jokic's performance at EuroBasket? Could he be in line for yet another MVP campaign. What will it take for voters to hand him the award for a third straight season?

+ What's the word on Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray's health with the start of the season fast approaching? How will the Nuggets handle their two stars coming off long-term injuries? Will there be minutes or games restrictions? Should there be?

+ What will the Nuggets depth chart look like without everyone back and healthy? Where will players slot in?

+ Is the Northwest Division the Nuggets' to lose now that Utah is in full rebuild mode? How will they stack up against the rest of the Western Conference?

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after the draft and opening hours of NBA free agency. Among the topics discussed:

+ Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was aggressive at the start of free agency, signing veteran center DeAndre Jordan and wing Bruce Brown within 24 hours of the negotiation period opening in the NBA. Why did Booth target these two players? What were his goals entering free agency? And did he achieve those goals with his two signings, re-upping with Davon Reed and signing Nikola Jokic to a supermax extension?

+ In his first draft as the Nuggets' top decision-maker, Booth selected Kansas wing Christian Braun and UCLA wing Peyton Watson with the No. 21 and 30 picks, respectively. What made these two prospects such attractive options for Booth? Should we expect either, or both, to contribute right away?

+ Within days of the draft, Booth executed his second trade as Nuggets GM, sending Monte Morris and Will Barton to Washington for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith. What does this mean for the Nuggets' backcourt rotations? Did Booth upgrade the team's roster?

+ Where do the Nuggets now stand in the Western Conference pecking order? And is Minnesota suddenly a threat in the division?

+ Lastly, Mike shares some stories from his recent trip to North Carolina, including a visit with Sir Charles himself.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene with the NBA draft just days away. Among the topics discussed:

+ It's been less than a month since Calvin Booth took over as the top decision-maker in the Nuggets front office, and he already has one trade under his belt: JaMychal Green and a future first-round pick to OKC for this year's 30th overall pick and two future second-rounders. What does this say about how aggressive the franchise plans to be this offseason?

+ With the Nuggets now holding the 21st and 30th overall selections in the first round, who sort of players might they choose to target if they hold on to one or both picks? What are the chances they trade up in the first round?

+ There's been talk of the Nuggets potentially trading one of their point guards in order to add depth and improve defense on the wing. Who would be the guard most likely to get moved: Monte Morris or Bones Hyland?

+Looking ahead to the 2022-23 season in the wake of the Golden State Warriors' championship run, where would a healthy Nuggets team land among the Western Conference contenders?

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene in the wake of team president Tim Connelly's sudden departure for Minnesota. Among the topics discussed:

+ When did buzz start to emerge in NBA circles that teams were targeting the Nuggets president of basketball operations? And at what point did it become clear the Minnesota Timberwolves had shifted their focus entirely on bringing Connelly on board? Why were they so determined to poach him from Denver?

+ What ultimately drove Connelly, the architect of a Nuggets team on the verge of title contention, to accept the Timberwolves' offer? How difficult of a decision was this? Did it simply boil down to more money, or were there other motivating factors? And did Denver make a last-minute push to keep him?

+ With general manager Calvin Booth presumed to be the next head of basketball operations for the Nuggets, how aggressive will the team be this summer? Will there be extra urgency for an executive who might feel the need to prove himself right away? Will he be able to bring in a No. 2 to fill out the front office after the Nuggets lost Connelly and Artūras Karnišovas in the last three years?

+ The Nuggets Ink fellas take a look back at Singer's story on the touching MVP coronation of Nikola Jokic in Serbia, including the reporting that went into it and how it now serves as a coda to the Connelly Era in Denver.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene to talk about Nikola Jokic's MVP coronation and the critical offseason ahead. Among the topics discussed:

What was long expected finally became official this week as Nikola Jokic was named MVP for the second consecutive season. The announcement came complete with an emotional gathering outside Jokic's horse stables in Serbia, with the entire Nuggets brain trust in tow. Singer gives his thoughts on the ceremony and what was clearly a very touched Joker.

With several contracts coming off the books this summer, and Michael Porter Jr.'s five-year max deal coming into play, the franchise enters a hugely important offseason. With the team almost guaranteed to enter luxury tax territory, we look ahead to the summer to figure out who should stay and who should go prior to the 2022-23 season.

Jamal Murray spoke with reporters for the first time in months after the Nuggets' season came to a close. What are the big takeaways from his comments? Did the Nuggets handle the messaging around his situation properly? Is there any bad blood between the team and Murray?

After a long season that spanned nine months, multiple injuries and countless twists and turns, Singer shares his favorite behind-the-scenes story from 2021-22.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene with the Nuggets trailing the Golden State Warriors 2-0 in their first-round playoff series. Among the topics discussed:

+ What's the state of the Nuggets after a humbling 126-106 loss in Game 2 in San Francisco? What should be made of Monte Morris' despondent postgame press conference in the wake of the loss? Can the team pull itself back together after fissures surfaced in the second half of their second straight blowout loss to the Warriors?

+ How can the Nuggets turn the tide of this series coming back to Ball Arena? Do they have the weapons necessary to push back against a Warriors team that has unlocked yet another death lineup? How can they ease the burden on Nikola Jokic, who has been relentlessly attacked by Golden State? Should coach Michael Malone consider making a change to the rotation?

+ What are the chances the Nuggets bring back Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. in this series? Should they even consider doing that?

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene with the Nuggets preparing to take on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs. Among the topics discussed:

+ With Nikola Jokic set to win his second consecutive MVP award, Singer reviews his end-of-season awards voting before discussing his recent story polling numerous NBA big men about Jokic vs. Embiid. How did his MVP ballot shake out? Did any other Nuggets make Singer's awards voting? Where did the league's stars land on his All-NBA team?

+ The Nuggets sat most of their starters in the final game of the season in an apparent concession of the No. 5 seed to Utah. Did the Nuggets get the matchup they wanted with the Warriors and the No. 6 seed? What will be the keys to Denver springing a first-round upset? Is there a chance Jamal Murray returns to give the team a boost? Singer and Schubert open up the mailbag to take listener questions about the series.

+ We asked for listener reviews, and they came through in spectacular fashion with a series of humorous and creative iTunes reviews of the podcast. Schubert reads off a handful of the best before Singer selects the winner of the coveted Nuggets 2009 NBA Finals T-shirt.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene with just two games left in the regular season. Among the topics discussed:

+ The Nuggets missed out on an opportunity to clinch a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a disappointing home loss to the Spurs on Tuesday night. What are the implications of the double-digit loss?

+ With just two games left in the regular season, the likelihood of Jamal Murray returning ahead of the postseason appears to be dim. Would the Nuggets consider bringing their star guard back in the playoffs without any regular-season game reps? Would it be wise for them to do so given the intense, physical nature of postseason play?

+ Along those same lines, it's been weeks since there's been positive news regarding the potential return of Michael Porter Jr. What are the chances we see MPJ back on the court this season? Should the team be even more cautious with the young star they recently signed to a long-term extension?

+ The Nuggets are approaching decision time with wing Davon Reed, whose two-way contract must be converted in order for him to be available for the postseason. Given his defensive acumen, should the team consider dropping a player in order to make room for him on the playoff roster?

+ The recent release of ESPN's MVP straw poll has made Nikola Jokic a prohibitive betting favorite to win his second consecutive MVP award. Does the Joker have the award wrapped up?

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene with the Nuggets reeling following back-to-back losses. Among the topics discussed:

+ The Nuggets are approaching an inflection point with Jamal Murray with 10 games remaining in the regular season. At what point does it no longer make sense to bring their star point guard back? Has the team already reached that point? Is the risk worth the potential reward?

+ Along those same lines, what should the Nuggets do with Michael Porter Jr., who had his third back surgery just four months ago? Should the team be even more cautious with Porter, given that he's dealing with a recurring injury and his max contract hasn't even kicked in yet?

+ Bones Hyland has exceeded all expectations in his rookie season, culminating with a superlative performance in a virtual homecoming game at Philadelphia. How much are teams regretting passing on Hyland? What is his ceiling three to four years down the road?

+ Where will the Nuggets land in the Western Conference playoff chase? What teams do they want to avoid? What matchups would they welcome?