Pickaxe and Roll

Ryan Blackburn discusses the news that the Minnesota Timberwolves are attempting to hire Tim Connelly, Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations, away from Denver. Then, Ryan discusses the loss of Jordi Fernandez, Nuggets assistant coach, to the Sacramento Kings. Finally, Bones Hyland made the All-Rookie team! A fun thing to discuss in the midst of some potentially difficult front office and coaching staff changes.

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the NBA Draft Lottery results as the Orlando Magic win the lottery and will select first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Ryan talks about the top teams and the top prospects before pivoting to the Nuggets and the initial players profiled at Denver Stiffs. Finally, Ryan discusses how important it is for the Nuggets to see the floor at a high level going forward to become a championship caliber team.

Ryan Blackburn discusses the Game 7 (and 6) losses by the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia 76ers. MVP narratives are up in flames as Giannis, Embiid, and Booker have all been eliminated from playoff contention just one round after the Denver Nuggets. Ryan shares his thoughts on where those teams were lacking, the traits and styles that define the final four teams, and what mental toughness really looks like in the NBA.

Ryan Blackburn and Jake Coyne (@BroncoSquatch on Twitter) discuss the Denver Nuggets off-season goals and limitations heading into the draft and free agency. Then, they go through an extensive list of trade and free agency targets to revamp the starting lineup and/or improve the bench rotation. Names like Lu Dort and De'Anthony Melton are discussed, but also outside of the box options like Malcolm Brogdon, Amir Coffey, and Victor Oladipo.

Ryan Blackburn breaks down big man rotation in the final 'Season in Review' episode of the 2021-22 season, discussing Nikola Jokić, JaMychal Green, and DeMarcus Cousins in depth. Jokić clearly held up his end of the bargain this season, but the Nuggets still fell short. They also struggled to fill the backup center position until Cousins was signed mid-season. Is he next year's solution as well? Or do the Nuggets decide to change things up again?

Ryan Blackburn discusses the news from Monday morning that Nikola Jokić will be the MVP of the 2021-22 NBA season, laughing at those that think he isn't deserving. Ryan then discusses where Jokić can still improve as a player and leader for the Nuggets in their quest for a title going forward. Finally, where does Jokić rank among the NBA greats now that he's just the 13th back-to-back MVP winner in NBA history?

Ryan Blackburn shares his thoughts on the Denver Nuggets forward rotation and how they performed during the 2021-22 season. Michael Porter Jr. missed the vast majority of the season, so Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green assumed larger roles, while Zeke Nnaji and Vlatko Cancar had opportunities to show what they can do. Were the forwards successful this year? Where must they be better? Does a healthy MPJ solve all of Denver's issues?

Ryan Blackburn shares his thoughts on the end-of-season press conferences of Michael Malone and Calvin Booth setting a tone of immediate pressure on the Denver Nuggets to do everything they can to win a title. Then, Ryan spends some time reacting to fake trades proposed by Nuggets fans by mostly saying that the trade ideas aren't realistic. Although, some of them might be really good!

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the Denver Nuggets wing rotation from the 2021-22 season. From Will Barton and Austin Rivers to Bryn Forbes and Davon Reed, where did the Nuggets wings excel? Where do they need to improve? Do the Nuggets need a wing upgrade this off-season? Yes, yes they do, especially on the defensive end. Ryan breaks down the seasons of each player and where the unit must improve as a whole.

Ryan Blackburn shares his thoughts on the end-of-season pressers for Michael Porter Jr., Jamal Murray, and Tim Connelly before breaking down the seasons of Denver's guard rotation. Separated into guards, wings, forwards, and bigs, Ryan evaluates the guards first, based on the roles they had and how successful they were. From Monte Morris and Facu Campazzo to Bones Hyland and Markus Howard, Ryan discusses where the guard rotation must improve to become championship caliber.