Feb 10, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports With All-Star weekend in the rearview mirror, it’s a perfect time to reevaluate every NBA team’s standing in the title race. NBA All-Star weekend has officially
Denver Nuggets
Close games and clutch minutes bring a lot of random chaos. Case in point — the NBA standings would look very different with only close games. The best teams are, generally, the best teams at winning close games. But things don’t always work out that way. The random variance imbued in small samples, limited minutes
The Phoenix Suns have captured the imagination with their new core. But the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies still have everything they need. Whenever an All-Star nucleus assembles, the expectation is that all other teams must acquiesce their fates. This is a mentality shaped by holding too dear to the tenets of empire-building. Neither history
Jan 22, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Thomas Bryant (31) reacts after a dunk during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports Arizona vs. California prediction and odds for Thursday, February 9 (Wildcats win big) by Josh Yourish Best NBA prop bets
The Denver Nuggets were forced to pursue a trade for Bones Hyland and the Clippers were able to land him for a pretty small return. Who won this trade? Bones Hyland and the Nuggets appeared headed for a separation — he was dissatisfied with his role and the Nuggets needed another wing defender more than
After feuding with Nuggets’ coaches and Denver making Bones Hyland available in a trade, the Raptors, Pelicans, and Timberwolves are showing interest. Bones Hyland is on in the trade market and multiple teams are reportedly showing interest. The Nuggets making Hyland available in the first place was quite strange because he was a solid rotational
The post-up isn’t dying, it’s evolving. And these five players have been the best practitioners of the art in the NBA this season. NBA offenses use the post-up far less frequently than they did a decade or two ago but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a valuable tool when used strategically. Teams have gotten
With just three games on the docket in the NBA on Thursday night, the focus turns to the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat in the early games, and the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers later in the night. Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard’s statuses for tonight’s game are in question, which could make
In 2022, the MVP race became about so much more than just whether you thought Nikola Jokic, or Joel Embiid was the better player. The MVP race between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid came to define the last half of the 2021-22 regular season. In the end, Jokic won his second consecutive MVP, averaging 27.1
The back-cut is among the simplest but most spectacular plays in basketball. Gary Payton II and Bruce Brown are two of the best practitioners of this art form. There is something aesthetically captivating about the back-cut and the way it unfolds. Time slows for a second. From the bleachers or our couches, we can see
The 76ers and Nuggets have each shaken up their guard rotations on the trade market. Will De’Anthony Melton and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope unlock better versions of their new teams? NBA Draft night featured almost no player movement on the trade market, but the 76ers’ acquisition of De’Anthony Melton was the kind of marginal addition that could
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. This morning, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke news that Nikola Jokic had been selected as the NBA MVP, with an official announcement to come later this week. It was Jokic’s
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 27: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after he thought he was fouled by the Denver Nuggetsin the second half during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on April 27, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Last week on The Whiteboard, I began the annual exercise of examining the offensive style of each team using the same NBA offensive style charts I’ve been building for
Apr 16, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) dribbles the ball in warmups before game one of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports 76ers steamroll Raptors for 2-0 series lead: Best memes and
Every NBA MVP candidate has flaws in their resume but digging into those flaws leads down a neverending rabbit hole of arguments and counterarguments. The NBA MVP Award, given to the most valuable player of the current regular season, has been around since 1956. Until the 1979-80 season, players voted on the winner. Since then,
The Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets feature three of the smartest and most creative stars in the NBA. How will their first-round matchup play out? The NBA playoffs have a way of selecting for the most disciplined, intelligent and adaptable teams, but it’s still rare for the first round to deliver the kind of
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Wayne Ellington called out Denver Nuggets point guard Facundo Campazzo on Twitter after an egregious flagrant 2 foul. Sometimes, a flagrant 2 foul call just isn’t enough. At least, that’s how Lakers shooting guard Wayne Ellington seems to feel following a high-scoring 146-141 win over the Denver Nuggets on April
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning.’ There are just nine days left in the NBA season and plenty of things still need to work themselves out. To break down some of the biggest questions in
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Most of the NBA is preparing to take a break for the All-Star festivities but everything else is popping off — awards races, budding rivalries, and more. To break
Denver Nuggets point guard Austin Rivers reveals how he really feels about the Golden State Warriors’ success this season. Austin Rivers is quite candid when it comes to speaking his mind. Described as “so real, so honest, and so authentic”, Rivers has self-scouted his play during his recent COVID quarantine, admitting that he “hasn’t been
Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic had the final say on the Jokic-Morris feud by blaring the Serbian national anthem in a Miami nightclub after the Nov. 29 win. The heated feud between Nikola Jokic and Markieff Morris began on Nov. 8 after Jokic reacted to Morris with a dirty play. The moment caused Jokic, Morris and
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. (Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports) NBA Twitter bowing down to Stephen Curry, monster performance for Warriors by Cody Williams NFL quarterback rankings, Week 10: Josh Allen struggles by Matt Verderame Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler wanted to meet Nikola Jokic outside for a fight after the Nuggets forward cheap shotted Markieff
Nov 1, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green (32) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzles guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports NBA reportedly looking to start it’s own version of ManningCast by Scott Rogust Jeff Green of the Denver Nuggets
For the first part of this season, Jamal Murray will be an inanimate object for the Denver Nuggets. What happens when he comes back to life? These injury timetables are like forgettable Wyclef Jean songs. You’re gone until you’re not. Everyone is lucky if it’s only until November. But the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray will
Why Zion Williamson’s foot injury could spell trouble for the Pelicans, plus what Michael Porter Jr.’s max extension means for the Nuggets moving forward. Monday’s NBA headlines rightfully centered on a small but vocal group of maddeningly selfish and deeply misguided players using incoherent, bad-faith rhetoric to support grossly irresponsible and scientifically indefensible decisions to
Can Michael Porter Jr. cement himself as one of the NBA’s top up-and-coming scoring dynamos in 2021-22? Michael Porter Jr. is a walking bucket. During his first season as a full-time starter with the Denver Nuggets, he averaged 19.0 points on 54.2 percent shooting. He was one of only two players leaguewide who knocked down
Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns. (Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports) Tom Ricketts still worried about money and CBA despite Cubs success by Mark Powell The Denver Nuggets and their fans just keep taking L’s in their best-of-seven series vs. the Phoenix Suns. Down 0-3 in their best-of-seven series vs. the Phoenix Suns, this pair of
Jamal Murray just liked a tweet linking him to the Los Angeles Lakers and now fans are dreaming of him joining the team. In recent years, Jamal Murray has solidified himself as a true standout in the NBA. It led to the Denver Nuggets signing him to a massive five-year deal in 2019 worth $158
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports With Damian Lillard reportedly considering asking for a trade, these are the teams who could get the Trail Blazer’s attention with a compelling offer. After their early exit from the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Portland Trail Blazers knew they’d face a pivotal offseason. It just got a whole lot more dramatic. Talisman