Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Top of the hour, we got Rockies baseball is the
Phillies are in town.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Got the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This week should be uh exciting baseball for somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yep, Rockies by.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
The way, got a I don't even know why this
is funny. Got a big win over the weekend. They
lose yesterday one nothing. They had one hit going into
the ninth and he had two hits. The ninth could
not score right, So they have won eight games, so
at their current pace in modern Major League baseball history,
(00:32):
the worst record of all time. And you don't go
back to the franchise that was known as the Spiders
that was in like eighteen ninety something.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Most of us weren't here. But in modern.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Baseball history the team with the fewest wins was a
couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Was it last year? The Chicago White Sox.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Won forty one games forty one and one twenty one.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Keep that number those numbers of mind.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Forty one dash one twenty one in modern baseball history,
the worst record of all time in a single season.
The Rockies right now are on pace to win twenty
eight games, which would break the all time worst record
by thirteen games. Now, one hopes that they're gonna play
(01:26):
a little better and catch a little bit of you know,
a streak, And I mean, I think so, but it's
it's been like rugged. Man has been tough sled and
I don't even know the word I used last week
round we talked briefly about the Rockies was apathy. There's
just such a sense of apathy. We carry the Rockies
(01:47):
game right where the flagship station have been the entire
existence of the Rockies since nineteen ninety three, and we
honestly it's hard to talk about the team when so
many people at least right now are down in the
dumps and or just don't care, period.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Is exactly the right word.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
So with that, and it's been a bunch of struggling
years for the Rocky So if someone's watching the Rockies
and you got to be as bad as things are,
what would you have them to lean on at the
end of the day to give them some kind of hope, Because,
like you said, you look at the series, a couple
of series that's coming up with the team.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's the Murders Row for them, right, So it's like.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Just winning one of those games or is it just
putting runs together?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Even in the loss.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Can we look at it as a bonus or a
highlight for the Rockies?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, do you want to see competitiveness?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I know we're sort of joking about that earlier when
it comes to the Little League, but I'd say at
a professional level, yeah, you just want to see them
continue to compete. I mean, winning fourteen to twelve on
Saturday night was impressive, right, I mean that was the game.
They got down by like six runs at one point,
they battled back and they ended up winning that game.
Then do you come out the next night and you
lose one nothing? You had one hit until one singular
(03:11):
hits until the ninth inning when you had two more hits,
and then you still loaded the bases with one out
and you lost that game.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Point of it is is I just want to see compete.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I like to see some of the younger guys continue
to make advancements and to say these are guys that
we can continue to build around.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
That's for me.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
It doesn't mean it's for everybody on what they're willing
to watch. It's a tough product. It just is Dave
laid out perfectly, is a tough product. I mean, I'm
still honestly, because I love baseball.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I'm I still, you know, go home and watch them,
listen to Jack and Jerry driving around. But when I'm home,
I'm I'm watching and you're right right now. Which you
have to hope is that a few of these young
guys can catch on.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
And but it's it's there's no there's no way.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
In the past, there have been sort of paths to
look at the team as it struggles in any given
season and say, well, they've got there's you know, this guy,
this guy, this guy, and this guy to look at
and so the rotation. But with the way they've played
so far this year, I mean, at least for me,
(04:24):
it's it's impossible to try to try to spin this
as though, here, here's why you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Know things are going to change.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
I just the only only thing I can say is
I think things will change because they're on an historically
bad pace. They're on a pace that would obliterate the
all time worst single season record in Major League Baseball history.
So my thinking is things have to change a little
(04:53):
bit because it couldn't go this way for an entire season.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Well, you look at the home and away for the Rockies, obviously,
they're not good.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
And I have the category.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And when you are this bad, or dare say you're
struggling at this particular point, you're looking for some kind
of nuggets, some kind of morsel to give you the confidence.
Like I'm not even talking about fans. I'm looking at
it from a player standpoint.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Something that is going to get you going.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
To go out there, not just do a job that
someone's paying you to do, but a game that you have.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
To figure that these players love this game.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
They've loved this game ever since there was a child
sitting on their grandfather's knee watching either the Cubs, the
Yankees or another team.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
My mind, how do they get their mind.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Ready to come out and play, Because you go out there,
like you said, in the game they won fourteen twelve,
they were down, they rallied back, so there's some momentum
and then the next day it tapers off. So for me,
it's got to be a struggle for these guys, very
difficult for them to go home and interact with their families,
knowing as though this is my job, but it's not
(06:01):
going as well as I've hoped.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
You don't think their family wants to talk to him
either I mean, I'm just saying how I worked. In
my family, you're losing. You're not getting too many people
talking to you, or are they're talking.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
To they're talking to that. You're getting really surprised. That's
when you need the most support, is what you're losing.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Because Okay, in my family, they're trying to do right
by you, because my mom would always say, if you
don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Well, there's layers to that, I'd say, especially if you're
an athlete, like.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I would rather you not call me if our call
is going to end and us having a confrontation about
you talking about how me and my team sucks.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well, that's why Nick started rolling bones at age ten,
is the family wouldn't talk to him. Lost a couple
of little league games, just like, damn you get let
me go out on the corner here, get with the fellaws,
something to occupy your time. Walked home one hundred and
seventeen dollars the first night. It's like, well this ain't bad.
Oh my bread. The family talked to him after that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You're a winner, yes, the winner.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Yes, whatever caused you to go out and get that
bread money, go do it again.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Well again, that's kind of weird for me, but I'll
I'll rot with you on it.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
In other words, if you were a Rockies player right now,
sure you would go home and they're eight and what
are they?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Eight and thirty eight?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Is that what they're regular? So they're eight and thirty
eight twenty and a half back. So they're twenty and
a half back.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
So you you you're saying in your world, you would
go home and everything would be just the way it
is as opposed to if you were thirty eight and eight.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I would think, Yeah, I don't know this, but I
would think that my family would support me and love
me regardless of whether I win.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Or list didn't say they can't support you, love you?
Should you should have been a lawyer on The only
problem is so should I?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And so I gets you on this every now and then. No, no, no,
I'm saying, what would your family's reaction? You think it
would be the same eight and thirty eight as opposed
to thirty eight and eight?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Probably not? No, oh okay, no, it probably not.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
But the thing is is, I would imagine because like
I don't talk about sports in my house really. I mean,
I talk about it because I'm watching the games and
sometimes they get animated. But it's not like my wife
or my kids. They asked me, how is the show go?
It's good, you know, good show. I got a couple
of funny moments. Then they're already onto the next thing.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
They don't like you ever say I hate Dave and
they joined in never okay, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No, I don't what do you ever say? Like you
hate Ryan all the time?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Okay, now I'm gonna be legalized how many times.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Earlier today?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So anyways, I would think that they go home and
be like, Okay, let's do anything besides talk about.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I guarantee you well, yeah, like I'm not trying to
talk about radio or anything else too so.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
But because this is your job, and for me, there
are two different things. Working on radio is different than
being on the team that's eight and thirty eight and
you have to sit there and watch your loved one
go through that.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Sure, I mean, you're trying to be.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
An emotional support and trying to figure.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Out what do you say and how do you say?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
I think we got to talk about what the fans
are saying yeah, you know what I mean, and maybe
I mean again, people are still showing up, I think,
although I do think attendance is down, I think down.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
A little bit this year.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
But what you don't want, if you're Dick Montford and
anybody else over there, you really don't want your fan
base to develop such a sense of apathy that you
just don't care. And I would say this, and this
comes from a baseball fan. The demographic I'm in grew
(10:11):
up most of us watching baseball or playing baseball, appreciating baseball,
I think, much more so than maybe the millennials nowadays.
Some like it, but a lot don't not fasten them. Okay,
I get it, But you don't want to create that
sense of apathy that just completely overwhelms your fan base,
(10:33):
because that's man, that's hard to get back.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
You're right, it is down.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
It was a little over thirty one thousand on average
last year. We're at twenty six on average.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Okay, you down. You're down five thousand people per game
per game. Yep, So it is.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Down, But that'd be like settling into a losing mentality,
which is hard to break. It's almost like being in
a relationship where you know your partner's cheating all you
just stand in there just for the sake of the kids,
which never makes any sense at all.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But that's why it seemed like Rockies fans.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Find themselves right the idea that Okay, you're hoping and
wishing that something's gonna happen with the team with a
couple of players here and there that's gonna change the
trajectory of the team.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But you know and your thoughts that nothing is going
to change.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Well, Phi Philly's in town for a four game series,
followed by the Yankees for three So in that stadium
at Course Field over the next seven games, how will
the total number of fans? What's the composition of the
total number of fans? I can tell you this weekend
(11:38):
there's gonna be a huge contingent of Yankees fans at
that game. And I don't know Philly travels or you know,
nearly as much. Philadelphia has had pretty good success recently
as a baseball franchise. So even though you're gonna get
people showing up to the game, how many people are
there to support the home team?
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And that's the part that's wild, that you're gonna have
fans showing up not to see your favorite Rockies player,
but see a player who plays for another team.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That's been relatively consistent though over the last several years.
I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying that's that's
perperticusis in Philadelphia, by the way, number four in the
league at their home park in average attendants of forty
one thousand on average. So to your to your question, yeah,
there's gonna be a huge contingent of Phillies fans, massive
contingent of Yankees fans, and so on and so forth.
By the way, very quickly, the last place is Tampa
(12:31):
Bay on this list.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's what their averages. So I don't draw at all.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
All the Rockies are twenty six thousand. I would say
Tampa draws on average on average per home game like thirteen.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Ten.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Don't care God, and they're playing in the Yankee Spring
training part correct.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I Blue so Athletics are ten as well, But they're
also kind of they don't know where they're playing. They
don't know where the.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Miamis.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Miami's twelve, the White Sox are sixteen, and the White
Sox are example, I mean, a perfect example really of
what you don't want to become right, you don't, you
don't want to let this thing so far.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
But look how they they're improving. Right, was it last
year they won forty one? Last year was forty one?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Okay, I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
They're they're at thirty three and fourteen now, I mean,
excuse me, fourteen and thirty three.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, I was gonna say they're note.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I'm spoken, Well, fourteen thirty three is forty seven games,
so fourteen little less than four fifty. So they're on
a pace to win like forty seven games, which the
Rockies are on a pace to win twenty eight.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It's amazing. Let's just oh, that's that's wild. That's wild.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Well, let's uh, let's get out for tonight against the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I want to ask you guys about I'll be watching
by the way, well hey, well, well two we listening
to Jack and Jerry's driving.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Around and they'll be watching the game tonight when I
get home.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I want to ask you something. Christian Brown, Bobby.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Marks with ESPN, says that he's going to command a
contract of thirty million this next year. Like, so he's
in the final year of his rookie contract. Right, it's
already been played. No, he's got one more year, one
more year. That this is usually when teams start to
get that done, get their contract extensions done. Do you
a let it ride out slash give him an extension
(14:23):
of thirty million, which, by the way is like Drew
Holliday kind of. I can tell you who else is
Isaiah Hartenstein is made a thirty million a year guy too,
So that would be what the contract would be, which
would actually put them over the second apron if they
did nothing else by next year. Or do you use
them as a trade piece and you maybe package him
with MPJ as some kind of deal to really help
(14:45):
the team, because honestly, mpj's contract as it sits right now,
he's got two years left, but it's not a it's
not a favorable situation. He's due next this year thirty
eight million, next year forty one million.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
So how would you approach Christian Brown?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
He would be a cornerstone of what I was trying
to do in the new world of the Nuggets. But
to you qualify that by said or would you package
him with MPJ to really help out the tape? What
I have to sit and listen to that, probably I
don't know. I have no idea yet what the Nuggets
(15:24):
could hope to get back in return. It would make
sense that you're going to have to I would think
package MPJ with somebody simply because you know he's now
when you look at the regular season, there'll be some
teams that say, Okay, this is a six to ten
guy that can shoot it. He averaged over seventeen a
(15:44):
game in the regular season, so I would say he
would have It wouldn't be a huge market, but I
would say he would have a market.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know what you could hope to get in return.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
I think that's a move the Nuggets will make this offseason.
Christian Brown would be a cornerstone guy, and it would
it would have to take something where you're packaging with
MPJ and then you get this player. Now, I'll tell
you a player that I don't know how they would
pull this off, but a guy that I think would
be available from Golden State would be Jonathan Kaminga. Jonathan Kaminga,
(16:18):
for some reason, is not He's not really in Golden
State's plans, and he really didn't play the last half
of the season. He didn't get much tick at all,
and then because of the injury to Steph, he was
forced to play in the playoffs, and the guy's putting up twenty.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
He's an athlete, he can shoot it.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Somebody like that I would have an interest in because
he's a He's a pretty willing defensive player as well.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
You if you're.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Gonna get better, Christian Brown is a willing defensive player.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
MPJ, No Jamal.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I saw Jamal's some in this series in certain situations
bust his ass on defense, so I know he can,
but I haven't seen it consistently enough. So it just
depends on whomever's you know right in the checks. Josh Cronky,
what where's your mind? What kind of team do you
envision moving forward?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I guess you kind of asked. You ask your yourself
the question who is our core? Ag Jokic, It's not
right there, I would say.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I would say, unless Christian Brown is part of a
package with MPJ that brings you, like, okay, one of
those pieces, then I would say Christian Brown is one
of one.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Of the pieces you could move forward with as well.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I like Christian Brown and how he's come along the
way that he plays.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Is he a total player right now? No, he's not.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Would you love the energy and the fire that he
seems to play with, and for me, you get more
of that from Christian then you get that from Jamal,
and you think that you should, not only because he's
a max player, but because of the level of responsibility
that you put on Jamal to be that guy night
in and night out. For me, I would, and this
(18:14):
is just me speaking, if the Nuggets could move away
from Jamal and MPJ, to me, that would be the
best thing to do now financials, but make it a
little difficult, but they need to find ways to kind
of bolster this this roster. Getting rid of Christian Brown.
For for me, that's kind of off the table. We're
(18:35):
not we're not even gonna talk in my mind, based
on what he even he's a he's a young player
that that's received valuable playing time.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I agree, unless as your qualifier, Ryan, Unless some team
is willing to take MPJ but they want Christian Brown
and what you get back in return, I don't even
know who that would be, but it's like, okay, we
can't pass on. I agree that Christian Brown would be
a cornerstone with AG and with Jokic unless somebody knocked
(19:10):
my socks off and said, we're not taking MPJ unless
he's part of the deal.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So trade, And again it was like, I don't think
it's a real when I saw somebody floating out of
trade that had MPJ, Christian Brown leaving, and the Nuggets
got some form of a Harrison Barnes and Kobe White
and just it was like a three team trade with
San Antonio and with the Chicago Bulls. But they got
they got a couple of guys that would be useful.
I think it's an interesting conversation to say, do you
(19:36):
want to get back a quote unquote star player, I
mean certainly a starter, but a star player, or do
you need depth? Because we kept hearing and you talked
about it earlier, NICOLEA. Yokich saying the depth is our problem. Well,
right now, your death is a problem. But if you
trade two starters, then you got more than just a
depth problem.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You also have a starter problem. You talked about two starters.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Of the two starters that you're talking about, Christian Brown
and MPJ, one of those guys, in my mind, is
considered to be a starter. The other guy just kind
of forced into that role. MPJ is not that guy.
He's had a several opportunities to become that guy. So
if there is an opportunity that the Nuggets can go
(20:15):
have a three way trade with the team, and I'm
talking about acquiring two players in this trade, not just
getting one guy who is kind of a perendial all start. No,
that's not going to be enough because you hamstring your
debt yet again.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Ms J iiris eighteen points and seven rebounds over the
course of the season he played the seventy seven games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yes, that's why there will be even though we've seen
it on a consistent basis, there will be a smaller
market I think for MPJ. I mean, I think you
would be able to Now I don't know what you're
going to get back in return, but I think I
will be I will be surprised if MPG is back
(21:01):
next year.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Brown is the only plus defender in the starting five.
Can we really afford to lose that another one. I
can't imagine a world where Christian is playing against the Joker.
That would suck so bad.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Yeah, you don't want that.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
That's that's that's not at all, And nobody here is
advocating that. I'm just saying if because you had mentioned
there was a trade scenario that it was MPJ and
the other team whomever that was said, but Christian Brown
has to be part of that, Well, then I don't
want to do that. But I want to see what's
on the Okay, what are you offering here? Like, what
(21:35):
are you offering? I I but it to it would
have to be a lot because I do think Christian Brown.
Christian Brown is exactly what you want. This team has
to become more defensive minded and tougher physically. Joker is
ag is Christian Brown is you know? And I'll even
(21:56):
go a little bit further. Peyton Watson. I think the
upside of Peyton Watson and is significant.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But you know what.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
You Hey, come on, man, what you got to decide
who you're going to be in this league?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Right?
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I mean, they're up eleven. He has two free throws,
we miss two free throws. He's an inconsistent perimeter shooter.
He's a hell of a defensive player and an outstanding athlete.
So but what is you He's got to refine his
game and take it to the next level to where
you're a viable and then fill in the blank.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Something on offense.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Christian Brown is not a great perimeter shooter, but you
know what he's done. He's improved his game to where
now you know they've got confidence in him that he
can knock down and open look.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
But this is why the younger players are so valuable.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And in the conversation we're having, I'm sure the Nuggets
are having themselves because you can go out and try
to work a package deal for another veteran. How old
is that veteran? How many years will he have in
the Nuggets? So to me, I'm the frame of mind
reward your younger players who have seen extended minutes and
(23:07):
show that they can play. Christian Brown has definitely done that.
Peyton Watson, there's room for him to be able to
do that. That's why hiring the right head coach will
be able to get those types of things out of him.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
But I don't believe.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
That you say, okay, well, you think, okay, well, we
in this win now Mont window, we have to maximize
Jokis's years remaining, which is true, but you don't do
that by bringing in a bunch of aging players. We've
seen teams do that before. How many times did the
seventy six ers have tried to do that. The Clippers
have tried to do that without having little to no success.
(23:43):
So stick with their young players. Those are the guys
you brought in.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Trust the process. Nick wasn't that the model. Wasn't that
the model for Philadelphia?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
How well did that model actually work out? Well?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Kendrick Perkins thought that it worked out. With respect to
Joel Embiid as he did the MVP.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
You won an MVP and what else? What else you
have to build for the future. I'm going to cling
to my younger players who I know that I've developed.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I know who they are. I'm not going to develop.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
You do know watching these players, you know who they are.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Bottom line, you're not gonna be able to keep Christian
Brown if MPG is on the roster. You're not going
to keep Christian Brown at thirty million dollars when you
have MPJ making over thirty million. That's why I think
MPG will not be here next year. I think, and
I think he's valuable enough. And again I give him
credit for playing. You know the shoulder was bad, okay,
(24:41):
but you're literally out there with the exception of one
game over a seven game stretch against Oklahoma City. You're
out there with the exception of the one game playing
four against five.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I mean, it's just it's just how it is.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
So I think one of I think MPJ will will
go somewhere else, and I the Jamal Murray thing is
interesting to.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Me, I'm not I'm not sure what they will do.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Now when when people start talking about that, if they
wind up not dealing him, which I think is possible,
they'll say that was just a bunch of nonsense. He's
a core guy. We just signed him to a four
year extension for two hundred million. Stop with the madness. Okay,
But but I'm saying I realistically, I think there is
(25:35):
there is question. There is room for us to step
back and say what would he bring and are we
going to listen. We'll listen quietly so that we don't,
you know, don't get ourselves in too big a trouble.
But yeah, I think they listen if somebody would make
him an offer that they felt like was something good.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I had to make it over fifteen million per So
it's not gonna be one of those like nope, you know,
true trade, your three team trade.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
It would have to be Yeah, it would have to
be a three team trade.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
What would you be willing to give up the twenty
twenty six first round pick for another elite player?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Like who I mean, I haven't even looked at it yet.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, I mean absolutely, because you think as long as
we have Joker, I mean, that first round pick is
going to be mid to late first round anyway. And
in the NBA, if you're not a lot of years,
if you're not in the top a lot of six
at least, you know, top half of the lottery, then
it's it's a real crap shoot.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
So if I'm cronking, that's what I'm thinking. Can we
move Jamal? Can we move MPJ?
Speaker 4 (26:42):
If someone inquires about adding Christian Brown to it, we
think about it.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
But I would be willing to give up.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That twenty twenty six first round pick for some guy
who can help me being a two way player and
just kind of build around those guys.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Man, you gotta be so careful about that well, because
like part of the reason you don't have first round now,
the first round pick you traded this year was actually
a part of the Aaron Gordon trades.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
So it was a good trade.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
The other one was to move Reggie Jackson off the team.
Remember how we had to give away second round picks.
I think like three second round picks just to get
rid of Reggie Jackson's contract.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
So I'm not.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Saying no, it's saying that under the current CBA, I
think we have to reassess the bit of the value
of having those players under contract for the price tag
that you have them, and then you have to have
an internal belief that we're going to continue to develop
those guys, like for example, right with Jalen Pickett and
(27:44):
Julius Trather.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Boy, you need those guys to hit next year.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Like as we sit here today, not knowing what other
moves they might end up making or can't make, those
two guys got to be monsters for you next year.
Like not only just part of the rotation. They've got
to move the And that's just what the new CBA is.
And that's if you can't do anything at all.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
But I think that there is it's safe to say
that Strather will be much better next season.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
He's received a lot of playing time.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Right looking at the game the other day, even though
it didn't turn out of the way the Nuggets wanted to.
To me, to be in that game as a player
at a game seven, that's valuable experience that you have,
even in the loss, that can propel you forward. So
I think he's going to make nowt Jalen Pickett, I'm
(28:35):
not sure about him because he's not receiving a lot
of that playing time, especially in this series.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I mean, maybe it might have helped when Russ was struggling,
but Adaman didn't go to him. Was see, there's another question,
what do you do with Russ. That's a great one.
Let's let's get to that when we come back.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Boy, I'd say overall additive, But the lasting taste in
your mouth is this last series where he he just
wasn't good and he was hurt. Right, we heard about
his hand. But it's so tough. If you're an organization,
you're looking at this and let's say he picks up
the player option, I guess than at the point you
have a decision whether you want him back or you
deal him. But a three point four million is it
(29:17):
more additive to have him here? I it's an easy answer.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I would say it depends on what the rest of
your team looks like. The fact that Russell Westbrook was
forced into playing significant minutes and asked to do or
took it upon himself to do a lot. Now, I
don't know how bad the hand was hurt. I don't
know whether it affected I mean, he missed a lot
(29:48):
of shots at the rim. I don't know if that's
because of his hand or why. So, I I'd probably
say yes for that kind of money, which is not
much money by NBA standards. And I think I think
the joker I the joker. The report was the joker.
It was his idea to go out and sign him anyway. Now,
(30:09):
unless they've had a complete falling out of the Jokers
looked at his play and said hey, you're not who
I thought you were, then I would say there's a
pretty good chance.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
We'll see him back.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I think it has to be in you would hope
for the Nugget standpoint, it would be in more of
a controlled, established kind of here's what your role is.
But because of the injuries, right, I mean he was
forced to play a whole bunch of time. He's thirty
(30:40):
seven years old.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, they ended up I mean they played him twenty
two minutes in yesterday's game.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
The Clippers series. Yeah, and he actually played pretty good. Oh,
he was really good against Clippers. They didn't win the
series without him, Nope. So you know, even though the
Oklahoma City Series is a disappointing series and that you were,
you know, you get to game seven, you're hoping everybody
plays great. You probably got more out of Russell Westbrook
(31:10):
this year than anybody thought you'd be able to when
when they signed him.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
So then it's the question of diminishing returns, right, Like,
did we get everything we could possibly get out of
this player? And you're eighteen, and we know that bringing
him back is only going to continue to diminish.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
See, I couldn't I'll throw this up to both of you.
I couldn't tell. I think in the Oak City I mean,
there were so many bad passes, and it wasn't just Russell,
but Russell was involved in where he's you know, the
entry passed to Jokic is on the wrong side, or
he's trying to.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Leave Jokic up and jok has already already.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Pinned his guy four feet in front of the basket,
and Russell's pass is trying to lead him up towards
the free throw line.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
And I couldn't tell.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Was that because of his hand, because and their passes
made where you're like.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
No, what are we doing? Literally screaming at the details. Right. So,
I don't know. I don't have the answer to that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Well, the anticipation on those passes clearly are not there.
Does that mean that you don't bring back Russell Westbrook?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
That all depends on what Kronkey decides to do with
this roster. But you know he's an energy type guy.
You know what he brings from that regard. If you
can't find that anywhere else, you bring him back on
a low deal.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Thank you, Grants. We'll be back to March three o'clock.
Rocket's Baseball cut up next on Kawa Sure the long
Ball
Top of the hour, we got Rockies baseball is the
Phillies are in town.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Got the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This week should be uh exciting baseball for somebody.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yep, Rockies by.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
The way, got a I don't even know why this
is funny. Got a big win over the weekend. They
lose yesterday one nothing. They had one hit going into
the ninth and he had two hits. The ninth could
not score right, So they have won eight games, so
at their current pace in modern Major League baseball history,
(00:32):
the worst record of all time. And you don't go
back to the franchise that was known as the Spiders
that was in like eighteen ninety something.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Most of us weren't here. But in modern.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Baseball history the team with the fewest wins was a
couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Was it last year? The Chicago White Sox.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Won forty one games forty one and one twenty one.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Keep that number those numbers of mind.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Forty one dash one twenty one in modern baseball history,
the worst record of all time in a single season.
The Rockies right now are on pace to win twenty
eight games, which would break the all time worst record
by thirteen games. Now, one hopes that they're gonna play
(01:26):
a little better and catch a little bit of you know,
a streak, And I mean, I think so, but it's
it's been like rugged. Man has been tough sled and
I don't even know the word I used last week
round we talked briefly about the Rockies was apathy. There's
just such a sense of apathy. We carry the Rockies
(01:47):
game right where the flagship station have been the entire
existence of the Rockies since nineteen ninety three, and we
honestly it's hard to talk about the team when so
many people at least right now are down in the
dumps and or just don't care, period.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Is exactly the right word.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
So with that, and it's been a bunch of struggling
years for the Rocky So if someone's watching the Rockies
and you got to be as bad as things are,
what would you have them to lean on at the
end of the day to give them some kind of hope, Because,
like you said, you look at the series, a couple
of series that's coming up with the team.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's the Murders Row for them, right, So it's like.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Just winning one of those games or is it just
putting runs together?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Even in the loss.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Can we look at it as a bonus or a
highlight for the Rockies?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, do you want to see competitiveness?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
I know we're sort of joking about that earlier when
it comes to the Little League, but I'd say at
a professional level, yeah, you just want to see them
continue to compete. I mean, winning fourteen to twelve on
Saturday night was impressive, right, I mean that was the game.
They got down by like six runs at one point,
they battled back and they ended up winning that game.
Then do you come out the next night and you
lose one nothing? You had one hit until one singular
(03:11):
hits until the ninth inning when you had two more hits,
and then you still loaded the bases with one out
and you lost that game.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Point of it is is I just want to see compete.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I like to see some of the younger guys continue
to make advancements and to say these are guys that
we can continue to build around.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
That's for me.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
It doesn't mean it's for everybody on what they're willing
to watch. It's a tough product. It just is Dave
laid out perfectly, is a tough product. I mean, I'm
still honestly, because I love baseball.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
I'm I still, you know, go home and watch them,
listen to Jack and Jerry driving around. But when I'm home,
I'm I'm watching and you're right right now. Which you
have to hope is that a few of these young
guys can catch on.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
And but it's it's there's no there's no way.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
In the past, there have been sort of paths to
look at the team as it struggles in any given
season and say, well, they've got there's you know, this guy,
this guy, this guy, and this guy to look at
and so the rotation. But with the way they've played
so far this year, I mean, at least for me,
(04:24):
it's it's impossible to try to try to spin this
as though, here, here's why you.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Know things are going to change.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
I just the only only thing I can say is
I think things will change because they're on an historically
bad pace. They're on a pace that would obliterate the
all time worst single season record in Major League Baseball history.
So my thinking is things have to change a little
(04:53):
bit because it couldn't go this way for an entire season.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Well, you look at the home and away for the Rockies, obviously,
they're not good.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
And I have the category.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
And when you are this bad, or dare say you're
struggling at this particular point, you're looking for some kind
of nuggets, some kind of morsel to give you the confidence.
Like I'm not even talking about fans. I'm looking at
it from a player standpoint.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Something that is going to get you going.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
To go out there, not just do a job that
someone's paying you to do, but a game that you have.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
To figure that these players love this game.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
They've loved this game ever since there was a child
sitting on their grandfather's knee watching either the Cubs, the
Yankees or another team.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
My mind, how do they get their mind.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Ready to come out and play, Because you go out there,
like you said, in the game they won fourteen twelve,
they were down, they rallied back, so there's some momentum
and then the next day it tapers off. So for me,
it's got to be a struggle for these guys, very
difficult for them to go home and interact with their families,
knowing as though this is my job, but it's not
(06:01):
going as well as I've hoped.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
You don't think their family wants to talk to him
either I mean, I'm just saying how I worked. In
my family, you're losing. You're not getting too many people
talking to you, or are they're talking.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
To they're talking to that. You're getting really surprised. That's
when you need the most support, is what you're losing.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Because Okay, in my family, they're trying to do right
by you, because my mom would always say, if you
don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Well, there's layers to that, I'd say, especially if you're
an athlete, like.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I would rather you not call me if our call
is going to end and us having a confrontation about
you talking about how me and my team sucks.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well, that's why Nick started rolling bones at age ten,
is the family wouldn't talk to him. Lost a couple
of little league games, just like, damn you get let
me go out on the corner here, get with the fellaws,
something to occupy your time. Walked home one hundred and
seventeen dollars the first night. It's like, well this ain't bad.
Oh my bread. The family talked to him after that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
You're a winner, yes, the winner.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
Yes, whatever caused you to go out and get that
bread money, go do it again.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Well again, that's kind of weird for me, but I'll
I'll rot with you on it.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
In other words, if you were a Rockies player right now,
sure you would go home and they're eight and what
are they?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Eight and thirty eight?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Is that what they're regular? So they're eight and thirty
eight twenty and a half back. So they're twenty and
a half back.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
So you you you're saying in your world, you would
go home and everything would be just the way it
is as opposed to if you were thirty eight and eight.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I would think, Yeah, I don't know this, but I
would think that my family would support me and love
me regardless of whether I win.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Or list didn't say they can't support you, love you?
Should you should have been a lawyer on The only
problem is so should I?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And so I gets you on this every now and then. No, no, no,
I'm saying, what would your family's reaction? You think it
would be the same eight and thirty eight as opposed
to thirty eight and eight?
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Probably not? No, oh okay, no, it probably not.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
But the thing is is, I would imagine because like
I don't talk about sports in my house really. I mean,
I talk about it because I'm watching the games and
sometimes they get animated. But it's not like my wife
or my kids. They asked me, how is the show go?
It's good, you know, good show. I got a couple
of funny moments. Then they're already onto the next thing.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
They don't like you ever say I hate Dave and
they joined in never okay, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No, I don't what do you ever say? Like you
hate Ryan all the time?
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Okay, now I'm gonna be legalized how many times.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Earlier today?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
So anyways, I would think that they go home and
be like, Okay, let's do anything besides talk about.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
I guarantee you well, yeah, like I'm not trying to
talk about radio or anything else too so.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
But because this is your job, and for me, there
are two different things. Working on radio is different than
being on the team that's eight and thirty eight and
you have to sit there and watch your loved one
go through that.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Sure, I mean, you're trying to be.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
An emotional support and trying to figure.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Out what do you say and how do you say?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
I think we got to talk about what the fans
are saying yeah, you know what I mean, and maybe
I mean again, people are still showing up, I think,
although I do think attendance is down, I think down.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
A little bit this year.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
But what you don't want, if you're Dick Montford and
anybody else over there, you really don't want your fan
base to develop such a sense of apathy that you
just don't care. And I would say this, and this
comes from a baseball fan. The demographic I'm in grew
(10:11):
up most of us watching baseball or playing baseball, appreciating baseball,
I think, much more so than maybe the millennials nowadays.
Some like it, but a lot don't not fasten them. Okay,
I get it, But you don't want to create that
sense of apathy that just completely overwhelms your fan base,
(10:33):
because that's man, that's hard to get back.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
You're right, it is down.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
It was a little over thirty one thousand on average
last year. We're at twenty six on average.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Okay, you down. You're down five thousand people per game
per game. Yep, So it is.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Down, But that'd be like settling into a losing mentality,
which is hard to break. It's almost like being in
a relationship where you know your partner's cheating all you
just stand in there just for the sake of the kids,
which never makes any sense at all.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
But that's why it seemed like Rockies fans.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Find themselves right the idea that Okay, you're hoping and
wishing that something's gonna happen with the team with a
couple of players here and there that's gonna change the
trajectory of the team.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But you know and your thoughts that nothing is going
to change.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Well, Phi Philly's in town for a four game series,
followed by the Yankees for three So in that stadium
at Course Field over the next seven games, how will
the total number of fans? What's the composition of the
total number of fans? I can tell you this weekend
(11:38):
there's gonna be a huge contingent of Yankees fans at
that game. And I don't know Philly travels or you know,
nearly as much. Philadelphia has had pretty good success recently
as a baseball franchise. So even though you're gonna get
people showing up to the game, how many people are
there to support the home team?
Speaker 4 (11:58):
And that's the part that's wild, that you're gonna have
fans showing up not to see your favorite Rockies player,
but see a player who plays for another team.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
That's been relatively consistent though over the last several years.
I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying that's that's
perperticusis in Philadelphia, by the way, number four in the
league at their home park in average attendants of forty
one thousand on average. So to your to your question, yeah,
there's gonna be a huge contingent of Phillies fans, massive
contingent of Yankees fans, and so on and so forth.
By the way, very quickly, the last place is Tampa
(12:31):
Bay on this list.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
It's what their averages. So I don't draw at all.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
All the Rockies are twenty six thousand. I would say
Tampa draws on average on average per home game like thirteen.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Ten.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
Don't care God, and they're playing in the Yankee Spring
training part correct.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
I Blue so Athletics are ten as well, But they're
also kind of they don't know where they're playing. They
don't know where the.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Miamis.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Miami's twelve, the White Sox are sixteen, and the White
Sox are example, I mean, a perfect example really of
what you don't want to become right, you don't, you
don't want to let this thing so far.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
But look how they they're improving. Right, was it last
year they won forty one? Last year was forty one?
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Okay, I mean.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
They're they're at thirty three and fourteen now, I mean,
excuse me, fourteen and thirty three.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, I was gonna say they're note.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
I'm spoken, Well, fourteen thirty three is forty seven games,
so fourteen little less than four fifty. So they're on
a pace to win like forty seven games, which the
Rockies are on a pace to win twenty eight.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
It's amazing. Let's just oh, that's that's wild. That's wild.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Well, let's uh, let's get out for tonight against the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
I want to ask you guys about I'll be watching
by the way, well hey, well, well two we listening
to Jack and Jerry's driving.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Around and they'll be watching the game tonight when I
get home.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I want to ask you something. Christian Brown, Bobby.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Marks with ESPN, says that he's going to command a
contract of thirty million this next year. Like, so he's
in the final year of his rookie contract. Right, it's
already been played. No, he's got one more year, one
more year. That this is usually when teams start to
get that done, get their contract extensions done. Do you
a let it ride out slash give him an extension
(14:23):
of thirty million, which, by the way is like Drew
Holliday kind of. I can tell you who else is
Isaiah Hartenstein is made a thirty million a year guy too,
So that would be what the contract would be, which
would actually put them over the second apron if they
did nothing else by next year. Or do you use
them as a trade piece and you maybe package him
with MPJ as some kind of deal to really help
(14:45):
the team, because honestly, mpj's contract as it sits right now,
he's got two years left, but it's not a it's
not a favorable situation. He's due next this year thirty
eight million, next year forty one million.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
So how would you approach Christian Brown?
Speaker 3 (15:01):
He would be a cornerstone of what I was trying
to do in the new world of the Nuggets. But
to you qualify that by said or would you package
him with MPJ to really help out the tape? What
I have to sit and listen to that, probably I
don't know. I have no idea yet what the Nuggets
(15:24):
could hope to get back in return. It would make
sense that you're going to have to I would think
package MPJ with somebody simply because you know he's now
when you look at the regular season, there'll be some
teams that say, Okay, this is a six to ten
guy that can shoot it. He averaged over seventeen a
(15:44):
game in the regular season, so I would say he
would have It wouldn't be a huge market, but I
would say he would have a market.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
I don't know what you could hope to get in return.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
I think that's a move the Nuggets will make this offseason.
Christian Brown would be a cornerstone guy, and it would
it would have to take something where you're packaging with
MPJ and then you get this player. Now, I'll tell
you a player that I don't know how they would
pull this off, but a guy that I think would
be available from Golden State would be Jonathan Kaminga. Jonathan Kaminga,
(16:18):
for some reason, is not He's not really in Golden
State's plans, and he really didn't play the last half
of the season. He didn't get much tick at all,
and then because of the injury to Steph, he was
forced to play in the playoffs, and the guy's putting up twenty.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
He's an athlete, he can shoot it.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Somebody like that I would have an interest in because
he's a He's a pretty willing defensive player as well.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
You if you're.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Gonna get better, Christian Brown is a willing defensive player.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
MPJ, No Jamal.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I saw Jamal's some in this series in certain situations
bust his ass on defense, so I know he can,
but I haven't seen it consistently enough. So it just
depends on whomever's you know right in the checks. Josh Cronky,
what where's your mind? What kind of team do you
envision moving forward?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I guess you kind of asked. You ask your yourself
the question who is our core? Ag Jokic, It's not
right there, I would say.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
I would say, unless Christian Brown is part of a
package with MPJ that brings you, like, okay, one of
those pieces, then I would say Christian Brown is one
of one.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Of the pieces you could move forward with as well.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
I like Christian Brown and how he's come along the
way that he plays.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Is he a total player right now? No, he's not.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
Would you love the energy and the fire that he
seems to play with, and for me, you get more
of that from Christian then you get that from Jamal,
and you think that you should, not only because he's
a max player, but because of the level of responsibility
that you put on Jamal to be that guy night
in and night out. For me, I would, and this
(18:14):
is just me speaking, if the Nuggets could move away
from Jamal and MPJ, to me, that would be the
best thing to do now financials, but make it a
little difficult, but they need to find ways to kind
of bolster this this roster. Getting rid of Christian Brown.
For for me, that's kind of off the table. We're
(18:35):
not we're not even gonna talk in my mind, based
on what he even he's a he's a young player
that that's received valuable playing time.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I agree, unless as your qualifier, Ryan, Unless some team
is willing to take MPJ but they want Christian Brown
and what you get back in return, I don't even
know who that would be, but it's like, okay, we
can't pass on. I agree that Christian Brown would be
a cornerstone with AG and with Jokic unless somebody knocked
(19:10):
my socks off and said, we're not taking MPJ unless
he's part of the deal.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So trade, And again it was like, I don't think
it's a real when I saw somebody floating out of
trade that had MPJ, Christian Brown leaving, and the Nuggets
got some form of a Harrison Barnes and Kobe White
and just it was like a three team trade with
San Antonio and with the Chicago Bulls. But they got
they got a couple of guys that would be useful.
I think it's an interesting conversation to say, do you
(19:36):
want to get back a quote unquote star player, I
mean certainly a starter, but a star player, or do
you need depth? Because we kept hearing and you talked
about it earlier, NICOLEA. Yokich saying the depth is our problem. Well,
right now, your death is a problem. But if you
trade two starters, then you got more than just a
depth problem.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
You also have a starter problem. You talked about two starters.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
Of the two starters that you're talking about, Christian Brown
and MPJ, one of those guys, in my mind, is
considered to be a starter. The other guy just kind
of forced into that role. MPJ is not that guy.
He's had a several opportunities to become that guy. So
if there is an opportunity that the Nuggets can go
(20:15):
have a three way trade with the team, and I'm
talking about acquiring two players in this trade, not just
getting one guy who is kind of a perendial all start. No,
that's not going to be enough because you hamstring your
debt yet again.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Ms J iiris eighteen points and seven rebounds over the
course of the season he played the seventy seven games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Yes, that's why there will be even though we've seen
it on a consistent basis, there will be a smaller
market I think for MPJ. I mean, I think you
would be able to Now I don't know what you're
going to get back in return, but I think I
will be I will be surprised if MPG is back
(21:01):
next year.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Brown is the only plus defender in the starting five.
Can we really afford to lose that another one. I
can't imagine a world where Christian is playing against the Joker.
That would suck so bad.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Yeah, you don't want that.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
That's that's that's not at all, And nobody here is
advocating that. I'm just saying if because you had mentioned
there was a trade scenario that it was MPJ and
the other team whomever that was said, but Christian Brown
has to be part of that, Well, then I don't
want to do that. But I want to see what's
on the Okay, what are you offering here? Like, what
(21:35):
are you offering? I I but it to it would
have to be a lot because I do think Christian Brown.
Christian Brown is exactly what you want. This team has
to become more defensive minded and tougher physically. Joker is
ag is Christian Brown is you know? And I'll even
(21:56):
go a little bit further. Peyton Watson. I think the
upside of Peyton Watson and is significant.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But you know what.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
You Hey, come on, man, what you got to decide
who you're going to be in this league?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Right?
Speaker 3 (22:09):
I mean, they're up eleven. He has two free throws,
we miss two free throws. He's an inconsistent perimeter shooter.
He's a hell of a defensive player and an outstanding athlete.
So but what is you He's got to refine his
game and take it to the next level to where
you're a viable and then fill in the blank.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Something on offense.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
Christian Brown is not a great perimeter shooter, but you
know what he's done. He's improved his game to where
now you know they've got confidence in him that he
can knock down and open look.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
But this is why the younger players are so valuable.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And in the conversation we're having, I'm sure the Nuggets
are having themselves because you can go out and try
to work a package deal for another veteran. How old
is that veteran? How many years will he have in
the Nuggets? So to me, I'm the frame of mind
reward your younger players who have seen extended minutes and
(23:07):
show that they can play. Christian Brown has definitely done that.
Peyton Watson, there's room for him to be able to
do that. That's why hiring the right head coach will
be able to get those types of things out of him.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
But I don't believe.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
That you say, okay, well, you think, okay, well, we
in this win now Mont window, we have to maximize
Jokis's years remaining, which is true, but you don't do
that by bringing in a bunch of aging players. We've
seen teams do that before. How many times did the
seventy six ers have tried to do that. The Clippers
have tried to do that without having little to no success.
(23:43):
So stick with their young players. Those are the guys
you brought in.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Trust the process. Nick wasn't that the model. Wasn't that
the model for Philadelphia?
Speaker 2 (23:50):
How well did that model actually work out? Well?
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Kendrick Perkins thought that it worked out. With respect to
Joel Embiid as he did the MVP.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
You won an MVP and what else? What else you
have to build for the future. I'm going to cling
to my younger players who I know that I've developed.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I know who they are. I'm not going to develop.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
You do know watching these players, you know who they are.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Bottom line, you're not gonna be able to keep Christian
Brown if MPG is on the roster. You're not going
to keep Christian Brown at thirty million dollars when you
have MPJ making over thirty million. That's why I think
MPG will not be here next year. I think, and
I think he's valuable enough. And again I give him
credit for playing. You know the shoulder was bad, okay,
(24:41):
but you're literally out there with the exception of one
game over a seven game stretch against Oklahoma City. You're
out there with the exception of the one game playing
four against five.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I mean, it's just it's just how it is.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
So I think one of I think MPJ will will
go somewhere else, and I the Jamal Murray thing is
interesting to.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Me, I'm not I'm not sure what they will do.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Now when when people start talking about that, if they
wind up not dealing him, which I think is possible,
they'll say that was just a bunch of nonsense. He's
a core guy. We just signed him to a four
year extension for two hundred million. Stop with the madness. Okay,
But but I'm saying I realistically, I think there is
(25:35):
there is question. There is room for us to step
back and say what would he bring and are we
going to listen. We'll listen quietly so that we don't,
you know, don't get ourselves in too big a trouble.
But yeah, I think they listen if somebody would make
him an offer that they felt like was something good.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
I had to make it over fifteen million per So
it's not gonna be one of those like nope, you know,
true trade, your three team trade.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
It would have to be Yeah, it would have to
be a three team trade.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
What would you be willing to give up the twenty
twenty six first round pick for another elite player?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
Like who I mean, I haven't even looked at it yet.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, I mean absolutely, because you think as long as
we have Joker, I mean, that first round pick is
going to be mid to late first round anyway. And
in the NBA, if you're not a lot of years,
if you're not in the top a lot of six
at least, you know, top half of the lottery, then
it's it's a real crap shoot.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
So if I'm cronking, that's what I'm thinking. Can we
move Jamal? Can we move MPJ?
Speaker 4 (26:42):
If someone inquires about adding Christian Brown to it, we
think about it.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
But I would be willing to give up.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
That twenty twenty six first round pick for some guy
who can help me being a two way player and
just kind of build around those guys.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Man, you gotta be so careful about that well, because
like part of the reason you don't have first round now,
the first round pick you traded this year was actually
a part of the Aaron Gordon trades.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
So it was a good trade.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
The other one was to move Reggie Jackson off the team.
Remember how we had to give away second round picks.
I think like three second round picks just to get
rid of Reggie Jackson's contract.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
So I'm not.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Saying no, it's saying that under the current CBA, I
think we have to reassess the bit of the value
of having those players under contract for the price tag
that you have them, and then you have to have
an internal belief that we're going to continue to develop
those guys, like for example, right with Jalen Pickett and
(27:44):
Julius Trather.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Boy, you need those guys to hit next year.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
Like as we sit here today, not knowing what other
moves they might end up making or can't make, those
two guys got to be monsters for you next year.
Like not only just part of the rotation. They've got
to move the And that's just what the new CBA is.
And that's if you can't do anything at all.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
But I think that there is it's safe to say
that Strather will be much better next season.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
He's received a lot of playing time.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
Right looking at the game the other day, even though
it didn't turn out of the way the Nuggets wanted to.
To me, to be in that game as a player
at a game seven, that's valuable experience that you have,
even in the loss, that can propel you forward. So
I think he's going to make nowt Jalen Pickett, I'm
(28:35):
not sure about him because he's not receiving a lot
of that playing time, especially in this series.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
I mean, maybe it might have helped when Russ was struggling,
but Adaman didn't go to him. Was see, there's another question,
what do you do with Russ. That's a great one.
Let's let's get to that when we come back.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Boy, I'd say overall additive, But the lasting taste in
your mouth is this last series where he he just
wasn't good and he was hurt. Right, we heard about
his hand. But it's so tough. If you're an organization,
you're looking at this and let's say he picks up
the player option, I guess than at the point you
have a decision whether you want him back or you
deal him. But a three point four million is it
(29:17):
more additive to have him here? I it's an easy answer.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
I would say it depends on what the rest of
your team looks like. The fact that Russell Westbrook was
forced into playing significant minutes and asked to do or
took it upon himself to do a lot. Now, I
don't know how bad the hand was hurt. I don't
know whether it affected I mean, he missed a lot
(29:48):
of shots at the rim. I don't know if that's
because of his hand or why. So, I I'd probably
say yes for that kind of money, which is not
much money by NBA standards. And I think I think
the joker I the joker. The report was the joker.
It was his idea to go out and sign him anyway. Now,
(30:09):
unless they've had a complete falling out of the Jokers
looked at his play and said hey, you're not who
I thought you were, then I would say there's a
pretty good chance.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
We'll see him back.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I think it has to be in you would hope
for the Nugget standpoint, it would be in more of
a controlled, established kind of here's what your role is.
But because of the injuries, right, I mean he was
forced to play a whole bunch of time. He's thirty
(30:40):
seven years old.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, they ended up I mean they played him twenty
two minutes in yesterday's game.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
The Clippers series. Yeah, and he actually played pretty good. Oh,
he was really good against Clippers. They didn't win the
series without him, Nope. So you know, even though the
Oklahoma City Series is a disappointing series and that you were,
you know, you get to game seven, you're hoping everybody
plays great. You probably got more out of Russell Westbrook
(31:10):
this year than anybody thought you'd be able to when
when they signed him.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
So then it's the question of diminishing returns, right, Like,
did we get everything we could possibly get out of
this player? And you're eighteen, and we know that bringing
him back is only going to continue to diminish.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
See, I couldn't I'll throw this up to both of you.
I couldn't tell. I think in the Oak City I mean,
there were so many bad passes, and it wasn't just Russell,
but Russell was involved in where he's you know, the
entry passed to Jokic is on the wrong side, or
he's trying to.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Leave Jokic up and jok has already already.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Pinned his guy four feet in front of the basket,
and Russell's pass is trying to lead him up towards
the free throw line.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
And I couldn't tell.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Was that because of his hand, because and their passes
made where you're like.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
No, what are we doing? Literally screaming at the details. Right. So,
I don't know. I don't have the answer to that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Well, the anticipation on those passes clearly are not there.
Does that mean that you don't bring back Russell Westbrook?
Speaker 2 (32:17):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (32:17):
That all depends on what Kronkey decides to do with
this roster. But you know he's an energy type guy.
You know what he brings from that regard. If you
can't find that anywhere else, you bring him back on
a low deal.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Thank you, Grants. We'll be back to March three o'clock.
Rocket's Baseball cut up next on Kawa Sure the long
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