Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Nuggets Rumors

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Strategy, Jokic, Porter

May 18th, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Arthur Hill

It was an ear infection that had Jamal Murray listed as questionable for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Murray contracted the infection on Saturday, but he was able to score 31 points Tuesday night as the Nuggets held off a late Lakers comeback.

Coach Michael Malone had Murray sit out practice leading up to the game so he could rest and try to recover. He watched film and reviewed the scouting reports, but he didn’t do anything physical until Tuesday’s tipoff.

“I sometimes marvel at the kid,” Malone said. “He showed up and performed like he always does.”

There’s more from Denver:

  • The Nuggets focused on attacking D’Angelo Russell in Game 1, Singer adds in another Post story. Speaking after Wednesday’s film session, Bruce Brown described Russell as “not the best defender, but he tries.” The Lakers guard was a minus-25 for the game and played just nine minutes in the second half. “A guy that’s played really well for them was not on the floor in the fourth quarter, D’Angelo Russell,” Malone said. “And that to me is an interesting storyline. Are they going to play him? Are they not going to play him?”
  • The Lakers had some success by using Rui Hachimura, a smaller defender, to guard Nikola Jokic in the second half Tuesday, but the Nuggets say other teams have tried the same tactic, including the Timberwolves in the first round, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “As a team, we’ve seen everything there is to see on how teams will try to guard Nikola,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “It might have surprised us for a little bit in that late second half, but looking at the film, I don’t think that that’ll be an issue for us. Next thing we know how to counter that when they put (Anthony Davis) off ball and AD is roaming a little bit, it opens up some stuff on the backside, so we just got to execute.”
  • The Nuggets have benefited from Porter’s unselfish attitude during the playoffs, per Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. During the second-round series against Phoenix, Porter told Malone that he wouldn’t object if Brown was used in his place to close out games, adding, “I just want to win.”
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Murray Listed As Questionable For Game 1

May 15th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Jamal Murray is officially listed as questionable to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday due to a non-COVID illness. However, the Nuggets’ point guard intends to play, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Lakers, Reaves, Curry, Miller

May 14th, 2023 at 8:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On paper, the Nuggets are the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. But Lakers guard Austin Reaves doesn’t view his team – the West’s No. 7 seed – as the underdog, Jovan Buha of The Athletic relays.

“I think the seeding thing is, it’s just a number,” the Lakers guard said. “When you have guys like Bron, AD, that’s won championships … (you) always feel like you have a chance, especially with the roster that we have and the talent that we have.”

Lakers forward Anthony Davis echoed those sentiments: “Our expectations inside are way higher than showing up to the Western Conference Finals.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Lakers need to do whatever than can to retain Reaves, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Reaves is averaging 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the playoffs. The Lakers hold his Early Bird rights and are limited to an $11.4MM offer in the first year of a new contract, but they can match an offer sheet.
  • Stephen Curry is still hopeful of getting another championship with the Warriors, Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes. “You can’t win it every year, but you wanna be in the position to be serious contenders,” Curry said after the Warriors were eliminated by the Lakers. “Final eight, you can retool and be back.”
  • A scout told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that if the Rockets wind up with Brandon Miller, he can immediately be inserted into the team’s lineup. “His overall package is sort of the modern, NBA wing-type player,” the scout said. “I think he’ll be able to plug that in wherever he goes fairly quickly.”
Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Caldwell-Pope, Jokic, M. Jackson

May 13th, 2023 at 7:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jamal Murray‘s return from an ACL tear turned the Nuggets into serious title contenders, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Coach Michael Malone points to a December 8 game against Portland when Murray sank a game-winning shot and ran off the court in celebration.

“That was the night that we were reminded of Jamal’s greatness,” Malone said. “It was also a jump-start for us as a team. We started playing really well after that night.”

Denver pulled away from the field and spent more than 100 days as the top team in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are 6-0 at home in the playoffs and have posted convincing series wins against Minnesota and Phoenix on their way to the conference finals.

Jones sees a similarity to the Spurs teams of last decade and suggests that the combination of Nikola Jokic and Murray evoke memories of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

“We understand how much talent we have on the roster, and I think this team has proven that it can beat anybody,” Malone said. “I think with the two-time MVP, this team has worked very hard to get to this point. This is not luck or happenstance. We’re healthy, which is important. But we’re a very good basketball team.”

There’s more from Denver:

  • The offseason addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was acquired in a trade with the Wizards, brought some championship experience to the roster. Malone emphasized the need for poise prior to Thursday’s closeout win in Game 6, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, and Caldwell-Pope responded with 17 points in the first quarter. The veteran guard sees an atmosphere similar to the Lakers’ title team he was part of in 2020. “Just being around these guys every day — practice, shootaround — I can just see it in them,” Caldwell-Pope said. “The confidence is there.”
  • Suns star Kevin Durant was impressed after watching the series-long performance from Jokic, who had three triple-doubles in the six games, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “Jokic is an all-time great,” Durant said. “He’s going to go down as one of the all-time great centers to ever touch a basketball.”
  • ESPN broadcaster Mark Jackson has apologized for leaving Jokic off the top five on his MVP ballot, relays Cydney Henderson of USA Today. Jokic was first, second or third on 99 of the 100 ballots, but didn’t crack Jackson’s top five. “Made an honest mistake with my MVP votes,” Jackson tweeted. “My apologies to the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic. He’s not only a legitimate MVP candidate who deserved my vote, but he is truly one of the all time greats!”
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Which Team Will Win Western Conference Finals?

May 13th, 2023 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 Western Conference Finals will feature two teams that took remarkably different paths to get there.

The Nuggets claimed the No. 1 seed in the West on December 20 and never relinquished it, winning a conference-best 53 games despite essentially going on cruise control down the stretch, losing 10 of their last 17 contests. Since the playoffs began, no team has posted a better offensive rating (118.7) or net rating (+8.6) than the Nuggets, who have yet to lose at home in the postseason.

The Lakers, of course, got off to a disastrous start in 2022/23, losing 10 of the first 12 games on their regular season schedule. While things got better from there, especially once Los Angeles revamped its roster at the trade deadline, the team still occupied the No. 13 spot in the Western standings as late as February 26, which was also the day that LeBron James went down with a foot injury that cost him the next 13 games.

The Lakers persevered, finishing the regular season on a hot streak and claiming the No. 7 seed in the West before knocking off the No. 2 Grizzlies and the defending champion Warriors. Like Denver, L.A. hasn’t lost at home so far in the postseason, but the Lakers are winning games a little differently — they only rank ninth among playoff teams in offense, but their 106.5 postseason defensive rating is the NBA’s best.

The Nuggets will enter the Western Finals as slight betting favorites (-143, per BetOnline.ag), and it’s not hard to see why.

Denver is led by perennial MVP candidate Nikola Jokic, who is coming off a series in which he averaged an outrageous 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game. Jamal Murray, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, is back in peak form, putting up 25.9 PPG and 6.5 APG on .461/.395/.915 shooting so far in the playoffs. And perhaps most importantly, the Nuggets seem to have the right complementary pieces surrounding their stars, including versatile forward Aaron Gordon, three-and-D wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and jack-of-all-trades Bruce Brown.

Still, there are plenty of believers in a Lakers squad that supplemented James and Anthony Davis by swapping out Russell Westbrook in February for valuable role players like D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley. With James and Davis healthy entering the series and holding the edge on the Nuggets’ stars in terms of championship experience, L.A. is only a +123 underdog, per BetOnline.ag.

We want to know what you think. Which team do you expect to win the series and represent the West in the NBA Finals? Should we count on a six- or seven-game series or will it be over in a hurry?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Nuggets’ Jamal Murray Upgraded To Available For Game 6

May 11th, 2023 at 7:58pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray has been given the green light to suit up tonight in a possible closeout Game 6 against the Suns, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Murray had previously been considered questionable to play due to a non-COVID-19 illness that has also impacted his other teammates.

Having Murray available will allow Denver to field a relatively healthy lineup against a Phoenix team that will be down two starters in point guard Chris Paul, still out with a left groin strain, and center Deandre Ayton, who will be shelved for the first time in this series with a rib contusion he sustained in Denver’s Game 5 victory.

Murray has been a huge component of the Nuggets’ success thus far in helping lead the club to a 3-2 series. The 6’3″ guard has averaged 24.6 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG through the first five games.

Denver leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and will now carry a significant health advantage into Phoenix. The action tips off at 9 pm CT.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Suns’ Ayton Out For Game 6; Nuggets’ Murray Questionable

May 11th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns have ruled out center Deandre Ayton for Thursday’s pivotal Game 6 against Denver due to the rib contusion he sustained in Game 5, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

On Wednesday, Phoenix ruled out point guard Chris Paul, who is battling a left groin strain, while Ayton was listed as questionable. Something troublesome must have been discovered during his medical evaluation, as the big man has been downgraded to out.

The team will now be playing without two starters in an elimination game, as the Suns trail the Nuggets 3-2 in their second-round series.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (Twitter link) hears that guard Landry Shamet will enter the starting lineup tonight — I’m assuming that will be in place of Cameron Payne, who has been filling in for Paul, and not for Ayton. Backup centers Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo figure to see extended playing time in the middle with Ayton out.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report argued before the news broke that the Suns would be better off giving the majority of Ayton’s minutes to Landale. Phoenix is minus-59 in Ayton’s 149 minutes in the series, but plus-27 in Landale’s 74 minutes.

The Nuggets might be shorthanded as well. Guard Jamal Murray is questionable with a non-COVID illness that has been traveling through the team, according to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter links).

Murray was unable to participate in Thursday’s shootaround, which was cut short due to the illness that’s going around, but Denver is hopeful he’ll be able to suit up, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Head coach Michael Malone and a “handful of players” are among those who have been affected, Youngmisuk adds.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Thompson Twins, Dekker, In-Season Tournament, More

May 11th, 2023 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers who bypassed college to compete in the Overtime Elite program, are projected lottery picks in the upcoming 2023 NBA draft. Israel Gutierrez of ESPN recently caught up with the brothers during Game 3 of the first-round series between Atlanta and Boston.

While much of the hype leading up to June’s draft has centered on French phenom Victor Wembanyama, the projected top overall pick, and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson, a projected top-three pick, Amen says he’s confident he’s one of the top players in the world.

“They always bring up those names, ‘How you going to pass Victor and Scoot, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” Amen said. “And it’s just like, I’m going to do my thing. I’m going to run my race. And I think if I run my race, I’m one of the best players there is.”

The biggest question marks surrounding Amen and Ausar are the level of competition they faced at OTE and their jump shots, writes Gutierrez. Both players worked extensively on their jumpers over their two years at OTE, but it’s still a focus for improvement going forward.

“I’m improving on shooting, working on pick and roll reads, just reads in general,” Ausar said, per Gutierrez. “My ability to get paint touches, collapse the defense and kick it out for others. Then for myself, just getting open and being able to rise up over defenders and hit a jump shot, or get to the cup.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA forward Sam Dekker, a 2015 first-round pick, has signed a long-term extension with the London Lions of the British Basketball League, the team announced in a press release. The team captain averaged 18.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 2.9 APG during the 7Days EuroCup last fall and is under contract through 2026, per the Lions.
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic spoke to four NBA players who are Premier League fans about the NBA’s new in-season tournament, which will begin next season and was roughly modeled on European soccer tournaments. All four like the idea and believe it could be an interesting way for younger teams to get experience in a more competitive environment. “It’s gonna be really good for our league,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “Seasons can — not necessarily drag on — but adding an in-season tournament there just to like reinvigorate fan interest and give something that the players are playing for, another competitive type of environment, I think it’s going to be really good.”
  • Although the majority of the moves didn’t draw as much attention as the blockbusters over the past year, five guards acquired via trades have made a significant impact in their respective teams’ playoff runs, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The five players Hollinger points to are the Nuggets‘ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (a trade he says he wasn’t a fan of at the time, but has been proven very wrong), the Knicks‘ Josh Hart, the Celtics‘ Malcolm Brogdon, the Sixers‘ De’Anthony Melton, and the Lakers‘ D’Angelo Russell.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Chris Paul Ruled Out For Game 6; Deandre Ayton Questionable

May 10th, 2023 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns will be without their starting point guard again for Game 6 vs. Denver on Thursday night, having ruled out Chris Paul due to the left groin strain he suffered in Game 2, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

It will be the fourth straight missed game for Paul, who was also sidelined for Games 3, 4 and 5. The Suns have gone 2-1 without him thus far, but trail the Nuggets 3-2 in their second-round series and are facing an elimination game at home.

According to Rankin, Paul had an extended workout following Wednesday’s practice, leading some to wonder if he might be able to play. Head coach Monty Williams quickly shot down that notion, however.

“You can see him on the floor working, but I’m sure that leads people to think, ‘He’s doing this, he should be here,'” Williams said. “I just don’t want to speculate on that based on the reports coming that are coming back to me that tell me that nothing has changed as far as availability, but he is doing more, for sure.”

Deandre Ayton is listed as questionable for Game 6 after taking a hard shot to the ribs in Game 5, Rankin adds. The center expressed optimism about being available tomorrow following Game 5, and it sounds like his status is precautionary.

“He seems like he’s OK, but he’s going to get it checked out,” Williams said.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Announces 2022/23 All-NBA Teams

May 10th, 2023 at 6:10pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has officially announced its All-NBA teams for the 2022/23 season.

A total of 100 media members vote on the All-NBA awards. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for Second Team, and one point for Third Team, for a maximum total of 500 points. This year’s three All-NBA teams are as follows:

First Team

Second Team

Third Team

A total of 37 players received at least one vote, per the NBA. The top vote-getters who wound up missing out on All-NBA spots were Lakers center Anthony Davis (65), Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (49) and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (44).

Morant had Rose Rule language in his rookie scale extension, meaning his five-year deal would have started at 30% of next season’s cap had he been voted in; instead, he’ll receive 25% of the cap, which is projected to be a difference of about $39MM across five seasons.

Other players receiving 20-plus points include Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (39), Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (23). The next three highest were Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (15), Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (15) and Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves (14), who is listed under forward but spent most of the season at shooting guard.

As we noted earlier today, both of the Celtics’ top two players will now be eligible for Designated Veteran Extensions, also known as the super-max: Brown will be eligible to sign a five-year extension this offseason that starts at up to 35% of the 2024/25 salary cap, while Tatum will be eligible to sign a super-max extension in 2024 after earning All-NBA nods each of the past two seasons.

Like Brown, Siakam would have been eligible for a super-max extension this summer had he made an All-NBA team. He finished a distant ninth, so his maximum extension will now be worth a projected $192.2MM over four years, tweets Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca observes (via Twitter), Siakam could still qualify for a super-max deal if he makes an All-NBA spot next season as an impending free agent.

This will be the last season under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the new CBA, All-NBA voting will be positionless and players will be required to play a minimum of 65 games to earn major regular season awards. Five of the players honored today — Antetokounmpo, Curry, Butler, Lillard and James — played fewer than 65 this season and would have been ineligible if the new requirements had been in effect, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

LeBron extended his own NBA record with his selection, earning a spot on an All-NBA team for the 19th straight season, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). No other player has more than 15 total All-NBA awards (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are tied for second at 15 apiece).

Giannis was a unanimous First Team selection for the fifth straight season, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link), and the only unanimous choice in 2022/23. Antetokounmpo now has more First Team berths than any European-born player, tweets HoopsHype, and only trails Hakeem Olajuwon among international players (six). The Bucks superstar finished third in MVP voting behind Embiid and Jokic, but Jokic received some First Team votes over the Sixers’ MVP winner, which is why Embiid wasn’t a unanimous pick.

According to HoopsHype (Twitter link), this is the first season in league history that only one American player (Tatum) was voted to the First Team. Doncic (Slovenia) and Antetokounmpo (Greece) are European, Embiid was born in Cameroon, and Gilgeous-Alexander is Canadian.

Despite earning an All-NBA nod for the first time, Mitchell wasn’t happy that he didn’t make the First Team, sending out a tweet on the matter.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts