Nuggets Ink

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene a day before the NBA Finals with plenty to talk about. Among the topics discussed:

+ The NBA Finals are here, with the Dallas Mavericks set to face the Boston Celtics. Is Luka Doncic the truth? Could he take the World's Best Basketball Player title from Nikola Jokic if he beats the Celtics in the Finals?

+ The fellas hold a quick and informal draft of the top players in the NBA Finals. How many of the top eight players are Celtics? And who ultimately wins the series?

+ Looking ahead to free agency: Who is likely and who is completely unlikely to join the Nuggets this summer? Does Denver have any chance of bringing an impact player into the fold without trading one of its marquee starters?

+ Is Jayson Tatum a top-five player? Is Joel Embiid still in the conversation?

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: "The Last Dragons" by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert are joined by esteemed author and former Nuggets beat writer Mike Singer. Among the topics discussed:

+ Mike weighs in on what went wrong for the Nuggets after they were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals. Did Denver not have the depth needed to defend its title? Was this team compromised from the very start?

+ Bennett talks about head coach Michael Malone’s reluctance to rely on youth when the team needed an answer for the unrelenting T-Wolves.  Did the head coach run his players into the ground, as he suggested during an end-of-season news conference? Or did he not have a choice?

+ Mike talks about the work that went into producing his debut book: "Why So Serious? The Untold Story of Nikola Jokic." He shares never-before-heard anecdotes ahead of the book’s upcoming release.

+ After the passing of NBA legend Bill Walton, Mike and Bennett share personal stories of their interactions with the Basketball Hall of Famer.

+ Who wins the finals assuming the Dallas Mavericks eliminate the Timberwolves? The Boston Celtics await the outcome.

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: "The Last Dragons" by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Denver in a stunning Game 7 comeback. Among the topics discussed:

+ Where did things go wrong for the Nuggets in the second half of Game 7? What could coach Michael Malone have done differently to stem the tide as Minnesota rallied from 20 points down to advance?

+ How much of the blame for what happened Sunday should be heaped upon the shoulders of superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray? What about the supporting players around them, in particular a cold-shooting Michael Porter Jr.?

+ What part of this result can be pinned on management? Did general manager Calvin Booth not give his head coach enough parts to successfully defend the title? What must be done to avoid this next season?

+ Lastly, Bennett talks about the chain of events that led to Michael Malone blowing up at him in the postgame press conference.

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: "The Last Dragons" by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after the Minnesota Timberwolves blew away Denver to take a 2-0 series lead. Among the topics discussed:

+ Jamal Murray threw in the towel and the heat pack. How does this affect the team, the struggling star and the Nuggets’ chances to dig out of a deep hole against a surging Minnesota team?

+ What answer is there for Anthony Edwards? With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hobbled and struggling, Bennett contends Christian Braun might be the best bet.

+ Nikola Jokic is on the verge of his third MVP but took just 13 shots in the Game 2 loss. Does he need to do more?

+ The Minnesota defense ranked No. 1 this season and is proving its worth during an unbeaten playoff run -- even with Rudy Gobert missing Game 2. Are there avenues the Nuggets can explore to overcome the suffocating attack?

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: "The Last Dragons" by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after Jamal Murray hit yet another game-winner to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers. Among the topics discussed:

+ Jamal Murray's postseason credentials continue to grow after the Nuggets guard hit his second game-winner in eight days. How concerned should the Nuggets be about his health? Or that his shot came and went throughout a hotly contested five-game series against the Lakers.

+ Michael Porter Jr. was arguably the most consistent offensive threat the Nuggets had all series. Can he maintain his hot streak as the Nuggets advance to take on Minnesota?

+ What are the key matchups against the Timberwolves? And how will lingering injuries affect Denver against a surging young team? Should Nikola Jokic be happy to finally rid himself of Anthony Davis?

+ Should the Nuggets feel concerned about the bench matchups against Minnesota?

+ Matt talks up his favorite NBA books then gets back on topic.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after Jamal Murray's buzzer-beating game-winner over Anthony Davis and the Lakers. Among the topics discussed:

+ Jamal Murray has an all-time postseason resume that keeps growing. Is the killer over Davis the best of his shots to date?

+ Down 20 with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, the Nuggets erupted to beat the Lakers for the 10th straight time. Will the Nuggets sweep or can L.A. muster something, anything to push the series to five games?

+ Do the Nuggets need to make any adjustments for Game 3 to avoid another double-digit deficit or is the game plan simply: Win by any means necessary?

+ Matt asks, yet again, who can challenge the Nuggets in the West? Bennett gives a revealing answer, while also shedding light on his mysterious NBA season awards ballot.

+ Bennett trolls loyal listeners, yet again, as he goes inside baseball and talks about a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after the Los Angeles Lakers beat New Orleans in the play-in round to set up another playoff series with Denver. Among the topics discussed:

+ The Lakers held on to beat Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans, setting up a third playoff series in five seasons.  With the series tied 1-1, can the Nuggets ride their eight-game win streak against the Purple and Gold to the second round?

+ With the No. 1 seed on the line and almost in the bag, the Nuggets blew a 23-point lead to the Spurs en route to ending the season at No. 2. Does the seeding matter in a stacked Western Conference?

+ Victor Wembanyama is here and it’s official. Has his second-half emergence moved Jokic's projected titles line?

+ Will Bennett reveal his NBA awards ballot? Or will it remain shrouded in mystery?

+ Bennett and Matt hand out Nuggets team awards for the 2023-24 season.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene following Denver's win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a down-to-the-wire classic. Among the topics discussed:

+ As expected, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama put on a show against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Tuesday night. Are the Nuggets and the rest of the NBA just living on borrowed time? Could Wemby actually win eight defensive player of the year awards?

+ Jamal Murray has now missed six straight games, and it's not apparent when exactly he will return to the lineup. At what point does this start to become a concern?

+ The Nuggets are locked in a three-way battle with Minnesota and Oklahoma City for the top seed in the Western Conference. What do they have to do to lock it down? Is it really worth expending extra energy to make it happen?

+ Luka Doncic is making a late run at the MVP award. Does he have any chance of overtaking Nikola Jokic? Or is the Joker destined to take home his third?

+ Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and the trials and tribulations of the Nuggets bench.

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene following a 3-1 road trip for the defending NBA champions. Among the topics discussed:

+ Do the Nuggets need to fear the Celtics or the Bucks more? Is there another team coming out of the Eastern Conference that should give Nuggets fans pause?

+ The fellas catch up and rehash Kyrie Irving's miraculous left-handed hook shot that took down the Nuggets in Dallas and why Anthony Edwards should be feared by anyone who encounters him.

+ The gold standard for Nuggets fame is securely owned by Nikola Jokic, but when recently paired with fellow Serbian great Novak Djokovic in L.A., did Denver's big man take a back seat? Bennett talks about his encounter with the tennis GOAT.

+ Nuggets are roaring after the All-Star break sporting a 12-2 record. Is the playoff form or are they just warming up ahead of next month's tournament?

+ Matt learns about rizz, emojis and admits to not having seen Dune 2.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando is joined by USA Today national NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt to talk about Denver and the NBA. Among the topics discussed:

+ The Western Conference appears to be loaded. Where do things stand in the hierarchy around the Nuggets? Bennett and Jeff give their thoughts.

+ Lebron James gave Jeff a special shout out at the All-Star Game. The two talk about that and LeBron reaching 40,000 career points against the Nuggets in a prime-time showdown.

+ The Suns took down the Nuggets in a thriller on Tuesday night. What can be gleaned from that result?

Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

Music: "The Last Dragons" by Schama Noel