On today’s show, Adam Mares visits with Kirk Henderson of Mavs Moneyball to discuss a theory on roster building around Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Like LeBron James, both players are capable of doing most of the heavy lifting for a team on the offensive end. So is talent actually the wrong way to look at roster building around them? Could more offensive talent actually be a bad thing? We look at examples from Cleveland with LeBron, Golden State with Steph Curry, and Houston/Philadelphia with James Harden to see what has and has not worked for those teams over the last decade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrTNPlQRFFk https://megaphone.link/BSND5911625767

This is a compilation of common plays and actions in the Denver Nuggets playbook. I will update this list throughout the season with over 200 unique examples of plays from the Denver Nuggets playbook. This can act a a companion for THE LIST, WHAT MAKES THIS PLAY GREAT, or just as a resource for anyone trying to learn and recognize...

This week on THE LIST, I break down some of the key plays from the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. Clips include a spotlight on poor transition defense and defensive effort, a promising example of the improving Murray-Jokic two-man game, and one of the keys for Michael Porter Jr. unlocking his potential alongside Nikola...

There is a play from last preseason that has stuck in my mind all year long. In it, Aaron Gordon set a ball screen for Nikola Jokic, forcing a switch and catching Karl-Anthony Towns who jumped on the high side of the screen, leaving a wide open paint for Gordon to roll to the basket for an easy dunk. Gordon...

Adam Mares dives into the Nuggets' playbook to break down one of Denver's most common offensive actions.

1. Perhaps the best of Peyton Watson’s skills as a prospect is his cat-like reflexes. He is lightning quick in moments when he is tasked with reacting to a pass or rebound. In the clips below, watch how quickly he pounces once he sees the trajectory of the ball. https://youtu.be/wxVXc7r01v8 He actually has a lot of room for improvement as a defender. There is still a lot that is raw about his game on that end of the court but his length, mobility, and elite reaction speed is what makes him such a high-upside defensive prospect. 2. His height really stands out on passes like the one below. https://youtu.be/gMmNCQMZAXA 3. I made this same note in game one’s edition of…

1. Perhaps the trait that popped the most from Christian Braun in his NBA Summer League debut was how quickly he transitions from defense to sprinting on the fast break. He’s a fast sprinter but more impressive is how there is no lag time between when he sees that the defensive rebound has been secured and when he first hits...

In this episode, George Karl shares his perspective on the Denver Nuggets 5-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors by playing a game of “True or False.” Plus, how he would approach this offseason and which players he would try to trade away, which players he would listen to offers, and which players he would hang up the phone if someone called to make an offer. Plus, what does “North Carolina” basketball mean? What about Kentucky? Kansas? And more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F4k76FzTZ0

1. Game 4 was far and away the most locked in the Nuggets have been on the defensive end of the court all season. https://youtu.be/OxBmXysWrzI 2. Part of game plan discipline is knowing how to change the emphasis based on who is on the court. When Gary Payton III is on the court, the Nuggets have to be willing pack the...

1. The Golden State Warriors might beat the Denver Nuggets even if the Nuggets find a way to lock in defensively for 48 minutes. But we wouldn’t know it from game one. We’ll get into the long list of challenges that the Warriors present in the ensuing numbers on this list but number one has to be that the team just...

1. The first battle will be about getting the ball to Jokic in the post. Draymond does a great job of leaning on Jokic walling off his angles. Lazy passes will result in turnovers. Even good passes will have to be on point to help Jokic hold deep post position. https://youtu.be/kk0KOSyTWTc 2. Jokic took a lot of faceup jump shots...

In this episode, George Karl reflects on learning that he will enter the basketball hall of fame. Then, he shares his thoughts on the upcoming Nuggets-Warriors playoff series and gives his prediction for the outcome. Plus, what really happened with Andre Iguodala back in 2013?

1. One of the big improvements to Nikola Jokic’s game over the last few seasons has been his comfort level attacking the basket off of the dribble. He shot 68.4% on 1.8 field goal attempts off of drives this season, by far the best mark among players with at least 1.8 attempts per game. Most of Jokic’s drives come off...

1. Perhaps the most significant weapon in Bones Hyland’s arsenal is his confidence and ability to take deep threes. Bones was elite at this skill in his two seasons in college and that skill has translated nicely in his rookie season in the NBA where he routinely took threes from 2-5 feet from behind the arc. He even occasionally ventured...

The Denver Nuggets have 6 games left before they head into the playoffs if they can avoid the play in tournament down the stretch? How high can they climb in the seedings and what are they looking like as the regular season comes to an end? Can this team build some momentum heading into the playoffs? Adam Mares is joined by legendary Nuggets Coach George Karl to break down everything you need to know in Nuggets Nation! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYdEYSz08-Q Start – 0:00 Carolina in the tournament – 2:00 Biggest games for GK – 6:00 The HOF – 7:30 Malone’s extension – 9:30 Heading into the playoffs – 15:00 The Suns – 21:00 Winning on the road – 26:00 Fans at home…

In this episode, Adam Mares is joined by Mike Prada, formerly of SB Nation and author of SPACED OUT: How the NBA’s Three-Point Revolution Changed Everything You Thought You Knew About Basketball. The two discuss a wide range of topics on the NBA with an emphasis on the rapid evolution of the game and the various challenges that creates for accessing and understanding the league. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EjjaDsYl9I Start – 0:00 Mike’s book & the change in the game of basketball – 4:00 Media coverage of basketball – 14:00 The interesting things in the NBA this season – 31:00 The next generation of stars – 45:00 Protagonists in basketball – 54:00 The MVP – 1:00:00

In this episode, Adam Mares is joined by Ethan Strauss of the House of Strauss substack and podcast. Ethan began covering the Golden State Warriors for ESPN back in 2014 and had a front-row seat to the rise of the Curry era on the NBA. He also wrote the fantastic book, The Victory Machine, chronicling the not-fully-satisfying success of Kevin Durant, Joe Lacob, and the Warriors during the late 2010s. The two compare and contrast Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic and ask why one is the face of the league and the other is among the least marketable league MVPs we’ve ever seen. The conversation weaves in and out of some behind-the-scenes storylines about how the NBA operates including insight…

In this episode, George Karl and Adam Mares look at the upcoming challenges the Denver Nuggets will face as they try to reintegrate Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. into the rotation. Plus, updated perspective on Bones Hyland, DeMarcus Cousins, and the playoff race out west. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BQnZ4Lj5A8

1. I’ll stop short of a full on conspiracy theory but…upon rewatch, it sure appeared as though Joel Embiid spent several possessions early on trying to keep Jokic from scoring at the expense of allowing some wide open shots for other Nuggets players. No PnR coverage calls for Embiid to jump away from the ball handler on a basic ball...