The Drive

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Nuggets blow out loss in game 2. Would the guys rather have had the Nuggets get blown out or lose in a tight game? We hear from David Adelman and his thoughts on the Nuggets tough night and leaving OKC tied 1-1. Did the Thunder dare Christian Braun, MPJ and Russell Westbrook to beat them from the three-point line? Zach and Phil react to Demarcus Ware’s comments on Nik Bonitto and comparing him to Shaq Barrett and Von Miller. Will Bonitto get his big pay day, and does it help that former players are advocating for him? Is there a chance Bonitto becomes the highest paid pass rusher of all time? The Mikko Rantanen trade has already burned the Avalanche, but it keeps getting worse by the day. Rantanen is setting NHL playoff history and now we have a report that Mikko chose to sign with Dallas over Toronto, so the Avalanche have to see him for the next 8 years. We react to ESPN’s article detailing the biggest hole on every NFL roster, what is the Broncos biggest hole after free agency and the draft? Do the guys agree that the Broncos do not have many holes if any on their roster?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets blowout loss in Oklahoma City last night. At what point did the guys know last night’s game was a lost cause? Would you rather the Nuggets have lost in a close game than getting blown out? How concerned should we be with last night’s result? How much of an impact did the referee’s have in the Nuggets getting blown out? We react to CBS sports’ tiers of running backs in the NFL. Are the Broncos running backs getting disrespected or properly rated after not accomplishing much? We wrap up the show with Demarcus Ware’s comments on Nik Bonitto and comparing him to Shaq Barrett and Von Miller. Will Bonitto get his big pay day, and does it help that former players are advocating for him? Is there a chance Bonitto becomes the highest paid pass rusher of all time?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Cecil and Richie. The guys debate who will be the x-factor for the Nuggets tonight. Has interim coach David Adelman proved he deserves to be the next head coach of the Nuggets? Was Michael Malone holding Jokic back from being a leader? Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mike Clay projections for Bo Nix’s 2025 passing stats. If Bo put’s up similar stats to his rookie year, would that be a successful season?  We also react to an AI projection of Bo Nix’s 2025 stats and Phil explains why he wouldn’t like to see Nix air the ball out for 4,000 yards and prefers the Broncos to be a running team and that will lead to more wins. There are two specific Broncos looking for a pay-day, how should the Broncos proceed with Nik Bonitto and John Franklin Meyers? Should the Broncos give them an extension now or wait till they prove it again this upcoming season and risk having to pay even more?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil question if the Nuggets can pull off what the Pacers just did in taking a 2-0 lead on the road. Will the Thunder continue to show they aren’t ready to win tough games? Should the Nuggets be happy with a 1-1 split coming back to Denver? Will Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. be able to get back on track and help the Nuggets pull off a second upset in Oklahoma City? Will tonight’s game be similar to game 1 in how many points are scored and Jokic having a big game? Today’s “Three Count” features Desmond Ridder getting a try out with the Broncos at minicamp, Shedeur Sanders to wear number 12 for the Browns, and the Cowboys acquiring George Pickens from the Steelers. How much of the Avalanche loss stings due to the Avs not getting out of the first round and how much of the loss stings due to Mikko Rantanen being the reason why they lost?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to ESPN’s Mike Clay projections for Bo Nix’s 2025 passing stats. If Bo put’s up similar stats to his rookie year, would that be a successful season? We also react to an AI projection of Bo Nix’s 2025 stats and Phil explains why he wouldn’t like to see Nix air the ball out for 4,000 yards and prefers the Broncos to be a running team and that will lead to more wins. DenverSports.com’s James Merilatt joins the show to discuss if the Avalanche should have made a bigger move than only firing their power play coach, if the Nuggets are becoming more believable as championship contenders and much more. There are two specific Broncos looking for a pay-day, how should the Broncos proceed with Nik Bonitto and John Franklin Meyers? Is it premature to give these guys contracts this off season or should they make them go out and prove their worth next season?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil preview tonight’s Nuggets and Thunder game 2. We detail Jokic’s genius on the final inbound for the Thunder and not letting SGA get the ball in the critical moment. Will the Nuggets be able to use their championship meddle to win another game in Oklahoma City? Will Michael Porter Jr. continue his trend of stepping up with a big game directly after disappointing games? What adjustment if any will the Thunder have after Jokic had a monster game? How much of the Avalanche loss stings due to the Avs not getting out of the first round and how much of the loss stings due to Mikko Rantanen being the reason why they lost? We wrap up the show with Zach and Phil’s predictions for tonight’s Nuggets and thunder game. Will the Thunder’s role players show up tonight? Will Jamal Murray continue to struggle with the Thunder’s tough defense?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil reacting to the Nuggets surprising game 1 victory in Oklahoma City. Did last night prove the Thunder have not built up enough “playoff scares” yet? Will the Nuggets experience and championship meddle be enough to get them past the best team in the NBA? How did an interim coach in David Adelman out-coach the 2024 NBA coach of the year? Where does Aaron Gordon belong on the list of all-time Denver sports role players? Zach and Phil detail all the great things Gordon brings to this team time and time again whether its scoring, defense or anything in between. Are things about to get awkward in the Nuggets and Thunder series if SGA wins the MVP but Jokic looks like the greatest player in the world? Is this most invested we have seen Jokic in an NBA season and team?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Avalanche’s top brass’ press conference today in Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland. What was the tone of the Avs today as they addressed the media. How do the guys feel about the Avs letting go of special teams coach after how poor the Avs were on the power play? Will the Avalanche be a force next season with more continuity on the roster? Are we taking a championship window for granted? How involved was Joe Sakic in the Mikko Rantanen trade? We hear the answer directly from Sakic. What questions do the guys still have about the Broncos now that the draft and most of free agency is over? Will this be the Broncos best defense since their Super Bowl winning defense?

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil discuss Michael Porter Jr.’s performance in game 1 last night. What should Adelman do if MPJ proves to be unplayable again? Is Porter Jr. still struggling with his injured shoulder? Is David Adelman making a case that he should be the next head coach of the Nuggets? We hear from Adelman and his thoughts after last night’s thrilling Nuggets win. How much credit does Adelman deserve for the Nuggets postseason success? Zach and Phil detail all the great things Gordon brings to this team time and time again whether its scoring, defense or anything in between. Will Aarron Gordon’s improved shooting from three and the free throw line improve his impact on games as his athleticism diminishes? We hear from multiple Nuggets and their praise of Gordon. Are things about to get awkward in the Nuggets and Thunder series if SGA wins the MVP but Jokic looks like the greatest player in the world?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to the Avalanche post season press conference today. What do the guys make of the Avs moving on from their power play coach? Is it concerning that Cale Makar was healthy and performed the way he did? DenverSports.com’s Will Petersen joins the show to discuss how involved Joe Sakic was with the Mikko Rantanen trade. Would the Avalanche have done anything different this season? Phil explains why he likes the Avs choosing to run the team back with Coach Bednar at the helm. Will the team be able to build on this season and with more team chemistry have a better playoff run? We wrap up the show with a rant on how bad the NHL playoff format is and recounting how miraculous the Nuggets win was last night.