Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets’ Strawther Out At Least Four Weeks With Sprained Knee

March 4th, 2025 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have ruled out a key reserve for the rest of March, announcing today (via Twitter) that second-year wing Julian Strawther has been diagnosed with a left knee sprain and will be reevaluated in four weeks.

The injury occurred in the third quarter of Sunday’s game in Boston. Strawther caught a pass from Christian Braun at the top of the three-point arc and drove toward the basket, but after he attempted a floater in the lane, he came up limping and fell to the floor in pain (video link).

After averaging just 10.9 minutes per game in 50 appearances off the bench for Denver as a rookie last season, Strawther had emerged as a crucial part of the team’s rotation in 2024/25. He appeared in each of the Nuggets’ first 61 games this season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.1 minutes per night, with a .434/.357/.829 shooting line.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post notes (via Twitter), another 2023 draftee – shooting guard Jalen Pickett – may be in line for an increased role while Strawther is unavailable. Pickett has been in and out of the rotation this season and didn’t play at all in the first half on Sunday, but checked in when Strawther went down and played eight minutes in the second half.

Northwest Notes: Watson, SGA, R. Williams, Timberwolves

February 28th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, who has been sidelined since January 31 due to a sprained right knee, was ruled out for at least four weeks when the injury was first diagnosed. His absence is expected to extend a little beyond that initial timeline, head coach Michael Malone said on Thursday.

“He’s still got some hurdles to clear,” Malone said on Thursday, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). “Heading in the right direction. … I don’t know, maybe another seven to 10 days, kind of see what happens after this road trip, when we get back after the Boston game (on Sunday). Kind of reassess everything. But he’s definitely making progress, and hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later.”

According to Durando, Watson played 3-on-3 with teammates this week, but continued to wear a brace on his right leg during that session.

Watson has further solidified his place in the rotation in his third year with the Nuggets after averaging 18.6 minutes per game across 80 appearances in 2023/24. Through 48 games this season, he has averaged 8.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 24.1 minutes per night, with a .471/.340/.752 shooting line.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Asked about his decision to part ways with his agents before becoming eligible for a super-max extension this summer, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said it wasn’t just about avoiding agent fees on his upcoming mega-deal, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). “It wasn’t entirely that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think, for myself, I wanna be a well-rounded human being. Not just a basketball player — a business man, a father, a husband. I want to check all the boxes. I think it would be a good experience for me to learn and get better in another area of life.”
Trail Blazers big man Robert Williams, who is dealing with a left knee sprain, will remain inactive for the rest of the team’s road trip, which runs through next Friday in Oklahoma City, reports Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Williams has been out since February 20 and hasn’t played in two consecutive games in over a month.
Anthony Edwards‘ one-game suspension, which he served on Friday, will cost him $242,393, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That’s 1/174th of Edwards’ $42,176,400 salary for the season. The Timberwolves will receive a tax variance credit of $121,196, Marks adds, which projects to reduce their end-of-season tax bill by about $515K.
Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker discussed the process of establishing himself as a reliable rotation player in Minnesota and brushed off a question about his upcoming unrestricted free agency. “Truthfully, the preparation is to let the time come when it comes and not get ahead of yourself,” Alexander-Walker said. “It’s something for me to learn now. The season’s not done. I’m still trying to win a championship. This organization has given me so much. So I want to continue to pour into the opportunity that I have and see what I can do with it.”

Northwest Notes: Nnaji, DiVincenzo, Clark, Avdija

February 26th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Zeke Nnaji has largely been outside of the Nuggets‘ rotation in 2024/25. However, a knee injury to Peyton Watson has opened up minutes at backup power forward, and Nnaji has been performing well of late, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link).

“This is probably the first time in a while that he has an opportunity to play big minutes, important minutes and a lot of minutes. He’s good,” Nikola Jokic said of Nnaji. “He’s decisive. When he’s open, he shoots. He’s aggressive. He’s attacking the boards. He’s still probably trying to kind of figure it out, but I think he’s doing a really good job.”

Nnaji, 24, was involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline earlier this month in part because he has fifth-highest salary on the team. General manager Calvin Booth later confirmed that Nnaji came up in trade talks, but since he was rarely playing, his long-term contract was almost certainly viewed as a negative asset.

With Watson sidelined and Nnaji playing his preferred position, he has averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.4 blocks on .566/.368/.700 shooting over the past 10 games (21.4 minutes per contest). Would Michael Malone be comfortable turning to Nnaji for spot minutes if he’s needed in the postseason?

“Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, just continue to be present,” Malone said when asked if there’s a path to playoff minutes. “Continue to be in the moment. And I think Zeke’s done that. Ever since Peyton Watson went out, Zeke’s been called upon. … He’s stayed ready. He’s gone out there and done his job. And he’s shown that he belongs out there. So I have all the confidence in the world if I have to call upon Zeke Nnaji at any point the remainder of this season, I feel really confident about doing that. And so do his teammates. I think that’s even more important.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has been out since Jan. 15 due to a left great toe sprain, but he has a chance to return to action soon. He’s officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest at the Lakers, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that both DiVincenzo and Julius Randle (right groin strain) could return at some point this week. Randle will be out Thursday, with two additional games (at Utah on Friday, at Phoenix on Sunday) scheduled on Minnesota’s road trip.
Jaylen Clark will reportedly be converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, with Bones Hyland taking Clark’s old two-way spot. Asked about his impending promotion on Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard said he was thrilled by the news, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “I love being in Minnesota, I’m excited,” Clark said. “It feels like I’m officially a part of everything. I can play in the playoffs. It’s been cool. The journey has been long, but it’s been well worthwhile.”
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija sustained a quad injury in the first half of Wednesday’s win in Washington. After initially being listed as questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the injury will cause Avdija to miss additional time, but hopefully it’s good news that he wasn’t immediately ruled out.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, MPJ, Blazers, Timberwolves

February 26th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic continued to bolster his case for a fourth MVP award on Monday by racking up a career-high 19 assists in a road win over the Pacers.

Jokic, who grabbed nine rebounds in the victory, narrowly missed his 27th triple-double of the season, but the Nuggets star is now averaging a triple-double on the year, with 29.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per contest. If he can maintain those averages, it would be the first time in his career that he has averaged a triple-double for a full season.

“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” head coach Michael Malone said, per ESPN. “And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. … He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual. It’s the collective.

“But 19? … What is that? … He’s just an incredible player. And what a luxury to have when you can just play through him down the stretch of a close game and you know something good is going to happen each and every time.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to a minor hamstring injury, struggled upon returning last week, scoring 19 total points on 7-of-25 shooting (28.0%) in his first two games back. After contributing 19 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win over Indiana, Porter explained that he’s still working on getting his conditioning back to normal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I hadn’t ran at all for those three games I missed before the break, and then over the break, I didn’t run, so the first time I really ran was that first game back (last Thursday),” Porter said. “Now I’m just kind of getting my wind back and getting my groove back. It’s still not ‘a hundred a hundred’ percent, but it’ll be back in probably the next couple of games.”
How do the Trail Blazers stack up against the NBA’s other rebuilding teams? Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers that question, evaluating how the Blazers compare to Brooklyn, Utah, Charlotte, Toronto, and Washington in terms of young talent, future draft assets, and a few other variables. Although the Blazers have a solid base of young talent, they don’t have a clear-cut franchise player, their cap sheet isn’t clean as some of the others, and it’s unclear whether Chauncey Billups will be their long-term answer at head coach, Highkin writes.
The Timberwolves pulled off arguably the most impressive comeback in franchise history on Monday, rallying from a 25-point deficit to knock off the West-leading Thunder in overtime. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has the story on the improbable, galvanizing victory, exploring how the Wolves got crucial contributions from role players like Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, George, Trail Blazers, Williams

February 23rd, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Ater the Nuggets had a nine-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers Saturday night, Nikola Jokic suggested that the extended success may have been a mirage, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Many of those victories came during a soft part of the schedule, and the opposition is about to get much tougher with a four-game trip to Indiana, Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston.

“We had the nine-game winning streak against teams that were injured, and teams that were not really good or high in the standings,” Jokic said. “So maybe we tricked ourselves into (thinking) that we are playing good.”

Regardless of the circumstances, the Nuggets were able to briefly rise into second place in the West, although Saturday’s loss pushed them back down to third. To stay in that range, they’ll have to improve their performance against high-level opponents, as Durando notes that they’re just 10-14 against teams that currently have winning records.

“No one’s going to be scared that the Denver Nuggets are coming to town,” coach Michael Malone said. “So we have to play a lot better than we did tonight. We got away with it against Charlotte (on Thursday), but against the quality of opponent that we played (in the Lakers) … we have to understand that we can not just rely on our offense. We averaged 128 points per game on our nine-game win streak. And tonight, we had 100. So when we’re not scoring, when we’re not making shots, what are we going to do?”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Keyonte George‘s 30-point night in Saturday’s win over Houston shows that the Jazz guard may be more effective coming off the bench, observes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. George is naturally a volume shooter, and he gets more opportunities when he’s not on the court with all the other starters. “It’s time to make my presence felt, to understand who I am as a player,” George said. “I know the amount of work that I put in, physically, mentally. I just think, you know, it’s time. It’s time now.”
The Trail Blazers set a franchise record for largest margin of victory in Saturday’s 141-88 win over Charlotte, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Portland out-shot the Hornets 20-5 from three-point range and scored 27 fast-break points in the first half, which is the highest mark in the league this season. “We’ve definitely been on the other side of that too many times as a group,” coach Chauncey Billups said. “It feels good to be on this side of it.”
The only downside for the Trail Blazers was the absence of Robert Williams, who was held out of the game due to swelling in his left knee, Highkin tweets. Billups isn’t sure if it’s a long-term concern and said the medical staff will be cautious.

Western Notes: Smith, Thybulle, Kuminga, Nuggets, Suns

February 21st, 2025 at 9:17pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, Rockets forward Jabari Smith returned to action on Friday vs. Minnesota in the team’s first game after the All-Star break. Smith had been out since January 1 due to a fractured hand.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Smith had started each of his first 188 NBA regular season games, but he came off the bench on Friday for the first time in his professional career. As Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes, head coach Ime Udoka explained before the contest that he wanted to take advantage of having Tari Eason available on the first end of a back-to-back and didn’t want to throw Smith into the deep end in his first game action in over seven weeks.

“Tari (is) coming off some really good games and getting him to the minutes where we want him to be,” Udoka said. “But it was just a little bit everything. I think easing (Smith) back into it a little bit, not really conditioning-wise, but you see how he looks in this game and everything’s kind of open moving forward.”

While Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks made up Houston’s starting five on Friday, Udoka will have some decisions to make once Smith has gotten back to full speed and Fred VanVleet returns from his right ankle injury. The Rockets’ coach said that he hasn’t yet decided what his starting lineup will look like when everyone’s healthy, according to Lerner.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Western Conference:

Trail Blazers forward Matisse Thybulle, who has yet to play this season due to knee and ankle injuries, has started doing some light 3-on-3 contact work, but hasn’t yet been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmages, according to head coach Chauncey Billups (Twitter link via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report). Billups indicated that he isn’t sure how far away Thybulle is from making his season debut.
The Warriors provided an update on Jonathan Kuminga‘s recovery from his right ankle sprain this week, announcing (via Twitter) that he returned to practice on Wednesday. Kuminga has been sidelined since January 4 and head coach Steve Kerr previously stated that he expected the forward to miss the “first few” games after the All-Star break.
According to reporting from Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops), the Nuggets are hiring former Serbian guard Nenad Miljenovic. It’s unclear what sort of role Miljenovic will have in the organization – Eurohoops refers to it as a “front office’ position – but he has a clear connection to Denver’s franchise player, having spent two years as Nikola Jokic‘s teammate with Mega Basket in Serbia from 2013-15.
In their first game after the All-Star break, the Suns made many of the same mistakes that resulted in six losses in seven games ahead of the break, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Star forward Kevin Durant showed some frustration in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to San Antonio – Phoenix’s fourth in a row — with the Suns’ defense struggling to get stops, barking at head coach Mike Budenholzer, “You need somebody who can guard,” according to Rankin.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Braun, Clingan, Randle, DiVincenzo

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook hasn’t played in February, having missed seven games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury. As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, that forced Christian Braun into the starting lineup, where he immediately played some of the best basketball of his career.

In Westbrook’s absence, Braun averaged 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 59% from the field. However, with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon unlikely to move to the second unit, it makes for a difficult decision with the starting lineup.

Westbrooks has started 27 of his 48 outings in 2024/25, averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in total. When Gordon missed time with injury earlier this season, Westbrook and Braun started together. However, that is seemingly not going to be the case going forward, as Braun started alongside Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon for Thursday’s game.

“All I’ll say is that it’s great to have options,” coach Michael Malone said. “We have a healthy team, and obviously, Russell Westbrook’s done great things for us. Christian Braun, this last eight-game stretch, is playing just incredible basketball. And so people say, ‘Oh, that’s a tough decision.’ I look at it the opposite way. I’m really fortunate to have a tough decision to make where you have quality players that have really impacted winning. And that’s what it comes down to. It’s never about one player. It’s about what’s best for our team.”

In a separate piece, The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler writes that Braun starting is the correct decision, pointing to his impressive net rating in trios alongside Jokic and Murray.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets have placed no restrictions on Porter, Gordon or Westbrook coming out of the All-Star break, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Porter had been dealing with a hamstring injury while Gordon was putting up with a calf issue.
With Deandre Ayton out for at least three more weeks due to a calf strain, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan is slated for the starting job, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. Clingan said he’s “definitely ready” for a larger role. “I think this is going to be a really awesome stretch for him just to grow up and learn and play against starting centers,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “But more importantly, for him to continue to man that glass. Be a beast on the glass. Protect our rim. And he’s doing a much better job of catching and finishing and also play-making when he needs to.”
Timberwolves offseason acquisitions Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both been dealing with injuries, but seem to be getting at least somewhat closer to a return. Randle has been dealing with a groin injury and missed the Wolves’ eight games leading into the break. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link), he was recently cleared for five-on-five practices. As for DiVincenzo, Bontemps adds that he’s now able to participate in non-basketball activities. DiVincenzo hasn’t played since Jan. 15 because of a toe injury.

Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2024/25

February 14th, 2025 at 4:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ten NBA teams are still operating in luxury tax territory in the wake of last Thursday’s trade deadline, but this season’s total projected luxury tax payments – and the clubs projected to be taxpayers – have declined significantly in recent weeks.

As of January 23, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links) observes, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $17.8MM apiece, which would have been the largest payout in NBA history.

But the Cavaliers, Pelicans, Clippers, and Sixers all ducked the tax line with their pre-deadline moves, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills. Milwaukee, for instance, had been projected to pay about $74.8MM in tax penalties, but has since reduced that figure by more than half, according to Eric Pincus of Sports Business Classroom.

Here are the current projected tax penalties, per Pincus’ data:

Phoenix Suns: $152.26MM
Minnesota Timberwolves: $84.85MM
Boston Celtics: $53.45MM
Los Angeles Lakers: $52.53MM
New York Knicks: $36.45MM
Milwaukee Bucks: $32.66MM
Denver Nuggets: $20.36MM
Golden State Warriors: $12.36MM
Dallas Mavericks: $6.39MM
Miami Heat: $4.18MM
Total: $455.49MM

These numbers will fluctuate a little before the end of the season. For instance, the Lakers recently increased their projected bill when they signed Alex Len to a rest-of-season contract, and the Warriors will need to make multiple roster additions in the near future, which will cause their bill to rise. Various contract incentives that go earned or unearned could also impact the end-of-season tax figures.

Based on the current figures from Pincus, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $11.4MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 20 clubs).

As significant as the Suns’ tax penalty projects to be, especially for a team currently flirting with .500, it won’t be a single-season record — Golden State has actually exceeded $152.26MM in tax payments in each of the past three years (2022-24).

Assuming these are the 10 teams that finish the season in tax territory, the Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2025/26 if they’re taxpayers again next season.

And-Ones: Shaq, TNT, MVP Race, All-Star Game, 2025 Draft

February 14th, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal has reached an agreement on a new long-term deal with TNT Sports that will be worth in excess of $15MM per year, reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.

Although TNT Sports will no longer have the right to broadcast NBA games after the 2024/25 season, the show’s popular Inside the NBA studio show will remain on the air, with the company licensing it to ESPN beginning this fall. O’Neal’s agreement with TNT ensures that he’ll still be part of the show’s panel going forward.

O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have each reportedly talked to new NBA media rights partners NBC and Amazon, who will begin broadcasting games next season. However, Barkley and O’Neal have deals in place to remain with TNT and the expectation is that Smith will sign a new multiyear contract with the network too, according to McCarthy. As for host Ernie Johnson, he’s considered a “TNT lifer,” McCarthy writes.

We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the top two spots on 99 of 100 ballots submitted by media members to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link) in his latest Most Valuable Player straw poll. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed a single second-place vote, with Jokic coming in third on that voter’s ballot. However, it’s clearly a two-player MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander, who received 70 first-place votes and 910 total points, and Jokic, who got 30 and 788, respectively.
The NBA and NBPA will speak to this year’s All-Stars this weekend to stress the importance of competing hard in Sunday’s All-Star event for the sake of both fans and the business, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). The All-Star game has been a low-intensity affair for years, but the league is hopeful that a new mini-tournament format featuring three shorter games will help address that issue.
The 2025 NBA draft class continues to look stronger, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who write in an Insider-only story that NBA executives are enthusiastic about the overall depth in the class, not just the potential difference-makers at the top of their boards. The international class also may be better than initially believed, with as many as nine possible first-round picks in that group, Givony and Woo say. The ESPN duo has updated its full mock draft, from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to South East Melbourne forward Malique Lewis at No. 59.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Jokic, Westbrook, Pickett, Strawther

February 13th, 2025 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Maher

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray made up for being ejected from Monday’s game against Portland by scoring a career-high 55 points in Wednesday’s rematch with the Blazers. Murray exchanged trash talk with Portland on Monday, earning technical fouls in the third and fourth quarters of the game.

“They shouldn’t have done that,” big man Zeke Nnaji said of the Blazers’ trash talk, per ESPN.com. “When he’s mad, there’s no one in the world that can stop him.”

In part due to Murray’s strong play, the Nuggets have now won eight straight games and trail Memphis by just a half-game for the No. 2 seed in the West. Murray shot 20-of-36 from the field, including 7-of-15 from three-point range, in 42 minutes on Wednesday. Denver outscored Portland by 26 points when he was on the court in the 11-point victory.

“It’s just all competitive spirit,” Murray said. “I came ready to play. Especially just being used to the playoffs and playing the same team over and over, and they know your plays and things get chippy and you have to see them again. So, I think just that kind of factor made me ready to go. I was truly prepared today.”

As ESPN’s story notes, Murray’s scoring outburst — the third-highest mark in franchise history — overshadowed Nikola Jokic‘s 25th triple-double of the season. Only Oscar Robertson (28 in 1961/62) and Russell Westbrook (27 in ’16/17) have recorded more triple-doubles before the All-Star break than Jokic has in ’24/25, per ESPN Research.

“Please, let’s never take Nikola’s greatness for granted,” head coach Michael Malone said. “We are witnessing history every single night. I don’t take it for granted. He’s incredible, and I really feel fortunate and blessed to have coached him for 10 years now.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Malone told reporters on Wednesday, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link), that Westbrook should return to action after the All-Star break. The former league MVP, who is on a two-year, veteran’s minimum deal with Denver, has missed the past seven games with a left hamstring strain. “Everything’s pointing forward to him being able to use this break, use this stretch of games when he’s been out rehabbing, to come out of the break and be active and be available,” Malone said.
After a storied five-year college career, second-year guard Jalen Pickett found himself outside of the Nuggets’ rotation as a rookie in ’23/24 and to open ’24/25. However, he has been been a steady hand of late for the second unit with Westbrook out, according to Durando (subscription required). “I’ve had a rough last year. And you’ve gotta just love that, being able to go through some challenges, find things that you’re good at,” Pickett said. “After such a successful college career, coming here and just basically starting over, it was tough at first. And then I just kind of fell in love with the grind, and just getting back in the gym and seeing where I could take my game.”
Will second-year wing Julian Strawther be part of Denver’s playoff rotation? Durando explores that topic in another subscriber-only story for The Denver Post. “He’s still a young player, and so you see the inconsistencies,” Malone said. “Two games ago, his first start, he’s down on himself, doesn’t play as well as we know he’s capable of playing. Doesn’t make shots. Then he rebounds in his second start. … I think for all young players, you go back to all guys, early stages are up and down. You have to live with those. Obviously, if and when we get to the playoffs, we’ll figure all that out. But he’s an important piece. He’s a guy that we, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, we need him to be aggressive.”