Katy Winge shines a little light on things

Altitude analyst, reporter, and host Katy Winge was kind enough to catch up with DNVR during a little down time in her busy schedule.

DNVR/Mike Olson: Hello! Been a little while! Last we chatted, Altitude had just assigned you to multiple roles. You seem to be thriving, and it feels as if things have only expanded.

Katy Winge: It’s wonderful. I believe last time we talked, I had used the analogy of being a utility player. That is absolutely still the case, and I love that. I love my role, moving around, and being put in different chairs.

I don’t actually think it’s any different this season. I don’t know how many games I’ll get to do as an analyst, but I already got to do the San Antonio game, and then I’ll have two sets of two games coming up back-to-back in the month of February. Those dates have become dates I circle on my calendar, and underline, and highlight, and get really excited for.

I’m so grateful that Altitude gives me that opportunity. Scott (Hastings) and Chris (Marlowe) two of the absolute best, if not the best, in the regional sports business, and for Altitude and the team to be willing to throw me in there and mix it up is something that I don’t take lightly or for granted.

I’m also hosting a little bit more, with Vic (Lombardi) and his radio show now being on Altitude TV. The later games, I handle the studio duties, and me, Vic, and Demps (Chris Dempsey) rotate through sideline reporting. Oh, and then there’s the Altitude sports radio analyst beat as well… (laughs)

I’m doing a little bit of everything, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It keeps me on my toes, it keeps me from feeling like I’m in a rut, or that I’m plateauing, because I feel like every day I have a new challenge, and that always makes me really excited. How do I get to tell the Denver Nuggets story a little differently every day?

Olson: Maybe even more impressive that you’re excelling at each of them. Do you feel that you’re growing into them?

Winge: This being my third season, I feel so much more comfortable being thrown into so many roles. In who I am and what I bring to each role, and feel that confidence grow, my voice be found, whether I’m an analyst, host, or reporter.

When I first got this job, and news broke that I’d be the first female analyst in Nuggets history, you and others asked me, “which one is your favorite?”, and I had no idea.  I was just trying to hold on, buckle up and do the best I could in every one of them. I had no idea which one I wanted to chase after a little bit more seriously. Now I think I’m finding my rhythm in terms of getting better in each role, and which ones I want to pursue to project my career forward.

Olson: When we first met, you’d been in Colorado for a very short amount of time. Now it’s gotten to be a much more familiar place for you. Tell me about Colorado for you now.

Winge: Honestly, Mike, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I had no idea when I moved here how quickly I would fall in love with this state. And that in a variety of different ways. I immediately fell in love with the people. With a couple years with the team, I am so in love with Nuggets Nation and the relationship I have with the fans. I’m so thankful for social media still giving me an opportunity to interact with that fan base so it feels a little bit more like we’re all watching it together. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have that community.

In terms of the place itself, the lifestyle, things I enjoy, and what I spend my off days doing, it’s been so good for my soul. I had no idea moving here that It would have this impact on me. I can imagine raising a family here, and really putting down roots.

Exploring Denver, skiing in the winter, hiking in the summers, crossing 14’ers off of my list, and then covering this basketball team that just continues to get better each and every year… I’ve known these amazing personalities since I stepped in the door. But now everybody else is falling in love with these guys and this culture on this Nuggets team, and that’s just so fun to be a part of, even as COVID has changed how we all get to participate.

Olson: Speaking of COVID, this has been going on a while now. How crazy-making was it for you to have to watch that Nuggets playoff bubble run from afar?

Winge: I think that you nailed it with your earlier description of me trying to make the most out of a really crappy situation. Before we knew sports would be coming back, Altitude took on a digital show called Sports Social. We’d all Zoom in from our homes and talk about what was going on in the world. It wasn’t normal, but at least I felt like I was still working, and I was thankful.

Once basketball came back, there was a collective sigh of relief. We had something to hope for and come together for. Being able to watch that, even from a social distance, was such a bright light for me, and I think so many other Nuggets fans, especially when things could get tough to handle. It’s just like sports have been during so many other times for us, an entertainment or getaway. I think it was so important.

There was also the social justice aspect of the bubble, and the mental aspects of all the players got to deal with. Having to be in a bubble, and away from family and friends for so long. It was such a fascinating microcosm of what was going on in the world as a whole. To be able to connect and draw the attention of people who might not have the heart to watch the news, who were at least getting some of their news through the world of sport. That’s also how they were getting something to hope for when so many were falling ill.

The whole world is going through these trying times. Pandemic. Social injustices. Hate and violence. But then the basketball game comes on, and we all have something to gravitate towards together. Sports are so powerful that way in being able to bring people together, the NBA in particular made it about so much more than just the game, and it made me proud to be a part of that.

It’s a lot like you said earlier. You never know the set of challenges the person across from you is going through. I think now more than ever is the time to be kind. To treat people with the utmost respect, kindness, and grace. There are so many battles that are going on behind closed doors, people who may have lost a loved one to this terrible disease that’s just rocked our world. There’s a lot of darkness, and I’m just trying my best to be a bright light and make the best of what we have. I’ve done my best to try to be someone that people can smile with, or hope with. Hopefully we can be humble and recognize that there have been bad things going on for all of us.

Olson: Definitely achieving on the bright light front, for whatever it’s worth. COVID also made for a strange and shortened offseason, and Denver had some adjustments to make on several fronts. Do you see big swings continuing throughout the season, or is the Nuggets engine finally starting to hum?

Winge: I think there are still ups and downs to come, and will probably be even more unpredictable this season. Not having any fans, the protocols the players have to go through, game cancellations, all the minutiae that goes on behind the scenes. It’s a very different normal for these players and coaches. It changes things subconsciously, because it’s not just about basketball right now. You see guys having to adjust, and it creates good days and bad days, frustrations and understanding all around. Sometimes we don’t cut them enough slack with all they’re going through.

In terms of the slow start, I’ve said this since the beginning of the season. Think about this Nuggets team going further than they’ve gone in a really long time. The world is watching,  looking for something to cheer. Suddenly, these guys voices were so loud and mattered so much. The spotlight was squarely on them. The Nuggets were one of four teams remaining in the bubble. And when you come off a high like that? Where everything you do matters, everything you say matters, you’re performing amongst the elite on the biggest stage you’ve ever performed on… and are playing ridiculously well. You lose to the team that ultimately ends up being the NBA Champions. I think that there’s almost got to be a hangover period there. Combine that with the shortest offseason in NBA history, it’s not that surprising. I don’t think we talked about this as a collective media group enough. Was this team mentally and physically rested and ready enough when they came back to play? We’re used to a three or four month offseason.

Olson: And this felt like a long weekend.

Winge: Exactly! You spend all that time fighting for your life and trying to prove people wrong like the Nuggets did throughout the bubble, and then you come back to… regular season basketball. You know you need to prioritize in a short season, but don’t even have fans in your stadium. You lose that fan energy, that energy you got from the bubble because it was the playoffs. It’s a regular season that feels like a pickup game at the YMCA. I don’t think that we in the media talked much about the emotional get-up needed for those early games. As a professional athlete, you need to come in prepared, play hard and take it seriously. But it’s hard to discount how different it is from what the Nuggets were doing in what feels like just yesterday.

Add in playing with seven new guys, early injuries, new rotations… They needed a little bit of time to figure things out. I do think that now they are on a much better track. They’re starting gel and find their rhythm. Starting to track towards being the best version of themselves.

Olson: Even though the team got off to a bit of a slow start, not everyone on the team did. We’re both probably a little biased here, but is there a player more valuable to his team this season than Nikola Jokic at this moment in time?

Winge: I… uh… (pauses) No. Just, no.

I’m so glad you asked that that way. Because I like to think of the MVP conversation in terms of players who are adding details to their team, aspects to their team that you couldn’t get anywhere else. If you removed that player from the team, what would they look like? I think Jokic is the best example of that.

If you took Nikola Jokic off this Nuggets team, I don’t know how far they would fall. Everything runs through him. All the decisions that he makes offensively, he makes the best one every single time. What he draws in terms of double teams, getting teammates open, it’s incredible.

We always talk and joke about this on Altitude. In terms of being a former player, there’s no one you’d want to play with more. You like getting the basketball? Play with Nikola Jokic. You want open shots? Play with Nikola Jokic. He puts guys in a spot where the defense is scrambling to catch up. Beyond that, his defense has continued to improve. He’s in debatably the best shape of his life, and I think you see that most on defense, when he’s guarding ball screens and ball handlers, and moving well that way.

The first guy I see a similarity with who lifts his team is LeBron, but as he is sharing duties and Anthony Davis is such a huge part of what that Lakers team is doing, it’s debatable. Coach Malone actually talks about their similarities a lot, having coached them both. I got to ask Nikola about the similarities the other day.

And as everyone has now seen, Nikola joked about athleticism and the quickness, but… Joker has noticeably amped up his speed and agility and quickness. I’ve seen plays from him this season that are decidedly athletic.

You wonder every year, how can he get better? He puts up ridiculous playoff numbers, he does so much every season. How can he get better? And then he comes back and shows you how he can. To nearly average a triple-double, with that efficiency, to be that crucial an ingredient to this Nuggets team, I can’t imagine as it is right now, I don’t see a better MVP candidate.

Olson: Who on the team has caught your eye this season? Does Denver have the pieces they need?

Winge: I always root for Jamal. He and Joker are the keys to this team being successful, and he brings this swagger and energy that I believe is contagious to this team. When both Joker and Jamal are clicking, they are really hard to beat.

I also love seeing some of the new faces. I love the way JaMychal Green plays. He just plays hard. He does the little things. I am such a fan of a guy who knows his role and does it to the best of his ability. I think JaMychal is picture-perfect in terms of that. He shoots when he’s open, rebounds, defends well, doesn’t try to do too much, and does a lot of the little things that most people don’t like focusing on. I really appreciate that.

Then there’s Michael Porter, Jr., a guy that we haven’t gotten to see a whole lot of. Now that he’s getting more games, getting more experience under his belt, I watch him constantly. I think a lot of Nuggets fans do when he’s on the floor. He can have moments of such brilliance and greatness. He also has such lofty expectations on him. So you can’t help but watch when he’s in, even if to see what type of effort he’s putting in on both ends of the floor.

I was asked this question a couple of times, most recently on Twitter. Can this Nuggets team contend without making any moves? After giving it some thought, I think this. When this team is at their best, yes. Absolutely. I genuinely believe that. With the best version of Nikola Jokic. The best Jamal Murray. The best Michael Porter Jr., and then a whole bunch of really great players sprinkled around them that know their role, collectively defend, and find the best shots on offense? I think that team can contend right now. People will call me biased or naïve, but I genuinely believe that. You get the best of the Nuggets all at once, I believe they could be NBA Champions.

Olson: I often key into your keys to the game, and find you prescient, as you often hit on what led to success or failure that night. Along those lines, let’s go a little macro. What are the team’s keys to success for the rest of the season?

Winge: Good question.

First, acknowledging and recognizing what happens when they play defense well. That has been an obvious reason why they have won and why they have lost. I don’t think it need to be picture-perfect defense, not the best defense in the NBA. But if they can be a mid-level or better defensive rating in the NBA, with their offense being this good? That would be enough. Do we want to see their defense lockdown? Absolutely. But I wouldn’t want to see that take away from the style of basketball they are playing on the other end. If their defense can gain a couple more upticks, they can beat anyone. At their defensive best, they are getting stops and taking away the things that other teams are good at.

Second, you need the guys to run and score with Joker this season. He’s averaging near a triple-double and has 20 double-doubles to start the season. Now can you knock down shots around him? When he draws the double team, will the open man knock it down? It eases the attention Joker sees when those perimeter guys are making it tough for defenses. Shooting at a consistent and solid clip is hugely important.

Third, they have to take care of the ball. All three of these probably seem rudimentary, but the moral of the story usually is: don’t beat yourself. More often than not in losses, you see where they didn’t take care of the ball, didn’t take care of the glass. When they don’t have the errors or slips, they are very very good. So fun to watch.

Olson: What are you most excited about for the rest of this Nuggets season?

Winge: I’m excited to see if Joker can keep this up. What kind of national attention it gets if he can. It’s been so fun so far.

I’ve covered a lot of these guys from their second or third year in the league, and they jokingly call themselves veterans. It’s been fun watching them mature and find themselves. Coming together collectively as a team with everyone doubting them. No one knowing what they’re capable of, and them proving it.

Last season, I think they surpassed what everybody expected. Seeing they have that in them, with experience being the best teacher, and knowing they got a whole lot of that last season. I’m excited to see what steps they take with that under their belt.

Olson: What about the rest of your world outside the Denver Nuggets? What are you most looking forward to when the world gets back to something resembling normal?

Winge: Hugging my parents. Easy, easy answer for me. I haven’t seen them in close to a year now. I FaceTime them every day. That’s been the hardest part of this whole thing for me. I’m so close with my family, and it was so hard to not be able to go home for Christmas this year.

It has been such a challenge. Not being able to be physically present with those people I love the most. I’m so glad to have my dog and my boyfriend as my family here. But to be able to hug my mom and dad, spend some time with them, and do some of those “normal” things… that will be tremendous.

We’ve all been missing our someones. I’m so excited to get back to that. To have Nuggets Nation back in the Pepsi Center. To be able to high five and cheer and hear them roar inside the arena when the team has made a great run. Instead of having the bench jumping up and down, having the entire crowd jumping up and down. I hope that those games are coming sooner rather than later. The city deserves it, and the fans deserve it. But most of all, these players deserve it.

***Many thanks to Katy Winge of Altitude for her time and conversation.