What to Make of the Denver Nuggets Front Office Shakeup | DNVR Nuggets Podcast LIVE

What to Make of the Denver Nuggets Front Office Shakeup | DNVR Nuggets Podcast LIVE

[Music] get down A lot of owners are talking about it The future of the cat is actually just 12 aprons Every team has to fall one or the other on top of one another Oh guys get ready for a show here Let’s go What is up everybody welcome to the DMs podcast Let’s go Live from the eye of the storm right now If you guys don’t know this because you’re not in Denver Colorado just like 2 minutes ago an enormous storm rolled in It is thundering down there It’s really Is it hail or just rain i think it’s just rain but that’s like the most rain If I can make a bold prediction we’re going to lose power during this show Very good odds on that That’s like a one pepper tape Yeah maybe We’re safe and sound Why because we’re in the Toyota lounge room by your front range Toyota stores Toyota the official vehicle of DNVR It is spirit week What’s our theme today mystery guest There is a guest joining the show that none of us on the panel know who it is Kale has booked a mystery guest Gail has booked somebody and we were unable to prepare for it That’ll come in segment two But first we have some big stuff to talk about including a shake up at the Nuggets front office Let me introduce my panel Brennon Vote I wore the All City St Patrick’s Day shirt I don’t know if this is a part of spirit week It’s not St Patrick’s Day but it is very comfortable You can get yours now for next year at the uh the merch store What a promo Wow Just cut the promo right there If you want to get a Christmas shirt you can get that I mean just anything you want Get them now wear them then you know Uh Harrison Wind Um man Spirit Week rolling on A lot of really cool surprise guests across the network Former ABS coach Yeah Tony Granado was on the AB show Yeah Buffs had a former player on the on their show uh Cam Silman Craig So uh some cool guests so far No Moreno popped on the Broncos show today Oh did he get booed no People hate Noan Maria Well people only hated him when uh Bonix played well and then when Bonix played bad they were like “No shot might be on to something.” No so people don’t know Noshan Moreno kind of a beloved Bronco at the time running back you know very very passionate guy tiny guy but was you know gave it his all And he comes on he’s what a ringing endorse Yeah he was good tiny guy but he’s actually kind of big for running back NFL running back who eat tackles one on Sunday Yeah I’m just saying he gave it his all and he comes on the show and then just hated Bo Knicks who everybody loved I can’t imagine what the equivalent be like Earl Boykins I guess maybe if he was on the show and just hated Jokic Oh you’re thinking of a small player small guy Uh anyway yeah we got to get to our top story here ahead of our mystery guest which is the Denver Nuggets finally made a decision in their front office Yeah Uh Tommy Balchettis is gone He will not be returning next season Yeah Not the decision They Somebody made the joke The Nuggets so far are minus one and a half The front office got smaller They keep cutting cutting uh roster spots in the front office This one’s a huge bummer man But I think there’s a lot of implications here I mean Tommy Balchettis joined the Denver Nuggets organization under Tim Connley all the way back in 2013 At that time he was director of analytics and had worked his way up until all the way to assistant GM Uh he’d been with the team for a very long time I mean that is now 15 years 15 plus years Smart guy Harvard guy and is part of in my opinion part of the front office that played a huge role in building the culture of this nuggets I mean they had a personality uh that he was a big part of And so to me my first thought is I obviously like Tommy you know he was a part of this I’m not totally surprised because when he was passed up yeah you know he was assistant GM and then all of a sudden Tenzer’s name came in That was odd We all kind of thought that was odd Uh but at the same time you know my initial thought is you know bummer It was a guy we kind of you know had Tommy Bracelets man Tommy Bracelets had been there since the start of I’ve been coming Love coming on the show too Accomplished a lot with the Nuggets was part of the class of executives coaches players that grew up with the Nuggets Yeah Um you know I hopefully there’s a lot of of bright spots for Tommy to come but I would imagine the championship is a strong candidate for highlights in one’s career Uh so it’s accomplished a lot here Helped us out coming on the show helped the fans out sort of explain the perspective of the front office Uh understood the importance of a of of any sort of conduit between a fan base and a team and and just a cool guy to spend time with So we appreciate Tommy Think about think about this real quick Just interrupt you Go for it Who is here from 2013 ben Tenzer Ben Tenzer Tommy Nichol Oh yeah Jokic Actually if you actually go to Joic 2015 I guess you could say 2015 because it’s the Jokic era is really it And you said the Jokic era Joic Ben Tenzer And I want to say JB was and Oie Oie for sure He came in 14 He was a year before Yoke Yoke Yeah Um it’s not that many guys Tommy was one of the last guys that had been at the start of the Yoker all the way to here And so we’re officially in like all the boards have changed in the ship or almost all um the ship of thesia Yeah that bring every now and then Oh Rafal somebody mentioned Rafa He’s been here as well Good call International scout Jim Kenov too So I don’t think it was that surprising to hear about this news because for me it feels like the writing was kind of on the wall when Ben Tenzer became the interimm GM Yeah I mean Tommy was the assistant GM Ben was you know heading up basketball operations GM of the Grand Rapids Gold but it always seemed like Tommy was going to be the next up So when he was passed over that was the warning to me like “Oh maybe he’s not going to be a part of this next regime.” And it might have been different if like it this was um you know let’s say just for a name Mike Miller or Derell Arthur who’s been around and all of a sudden like oh it’s like oh the player has surpassed maybe it’s cuz connections Ben Tenzer and Tommy to me were kind of similar you know but one was in my opinion a little bit above in the pecking order So when he passed up I agree it it felt like a signal of some sort And as we mentioned yesterday and in shows past Tommy one of uh I think at least several at least as I give you a non-determined figure uh several of front office members had conettes set to expire So yes this is the big thing Tommy very well may not be the only one here A majority of the Nuggets front office currently has expiring contracts and his was just not renewed it informed you know the team informed him we are not bringing you back next year And and I think it’s also important to say that this was a ownership decision Correct And it and it may not be the only one with those expiring contracts So that’s something to watch as well And then from there does this present a little insight guys or provide a little insight into okay well to some extent new eyes on an organization to some extent a little bit of a different different look going forward This is what it signals and this is what it means to me The the Kronis are being very slow I should the Kroni Stan Kunky the owner and governor ultimately as well as President John Kunky are being very slow Very slow right now Vice Chairman know who you’re talking about Yeah vice chairman though They’re being very slow in this process and it’s a little maddening I This is why yesterday I originally predicted earlier I now predict it’s going to go into next week Oh boy I know So I I predicted that this might take a while and I think it’s deliberate and this move signals there have been the revolving shark teeth for the last 10 years This to me kind of signals uh with the front office I don’t know if they’re going to go get a big name I know a lot of people say oh this means Bob Myers They’re waiting till the end of the finals Maybe it’s entirely possible they’re waiting for that or for some other big name But I think more than anything they are looking at it and saying we’re going to do a pretty big reset Yes And whoever’s at the top it’s going to be a new staff We have to reorganize how we do a front office That’s exactly what it signaled to me And a lot of the reaction I saw from Nuggets fans and and people that cover the team and media was like “How are they letting Tommy Balchettis go smart guy has been with this team forever involved in all aspects of this organization He’s going to get picked up on another team He’s going to have a job soon How are they letting him go this is a mistake.” Look all those ways to describe Tommy are accurate Like he has been an integral part of this front office He has been involved in the salary cap building the team the roster trades draft everything And he has been a really important piece of building this championship team and everything that’s gone with it He has done all that But to me it signals that they are going for a fresh perspective and getting fresh eyes and hiring new people Th this is a precursor in my opinion to them bringing in somebody from outside the organization to replace him So everybody that’s been asking for new people in charge new perspective a new take on this roster we need that That’s what this move is signaling to me So I I view it as it sucks to lose Tommy He was a value member of the front office but I think it’s a positive if you’re of the mindset and I certainly am that we need a new perspective on this organization One thing I thought when it was Tommy and Ben that were kind of and and Josh has mostly signaled as Ben being the guy kind of at the wheel right now But when it’s the two of them and you kind of think going forward they’re both I think similar You know they didn’t not players you know they kind of know how the company works They’re I think they’re very good in in in those types of roles But you look at it and say “Okay was Tensor going to be GM and then Tommy assistant if not are you going to knock Tommy off of assistant and down?” Now you’re demoting a guy to bring in the quoteunquote ex player or ex agent or somebody that brings in a different skill set So to me I I do think that that one it just I don’t know that it made sense So they’re probably looking at this to me signals I would be shocked I think Ben Tenzer is going to be the GM I would be surprised I think it’s either Ben Tenzer GM everyone below him or Ben Tenzer GM somebody in as an advisor maybe it’s president of basketball operations And by the way some people ask what does that mean i think a GM is going to handle your day-to-day stuff contract negotiations and you know how the team runs and all of those kinds of things And then your president of basketball operations is probably more involved in the big picture big trades how what does the roster need uh draft this or that So the GM almost handles the execution of everything that’s going on and the president of B basketball operations has the vision I think they might either hire someone there and then fill out Ben’s staff with basketball people right to me that’s where this seems to signal that this team is headed That that’s where I think it’s going too Completely agree And then the question from there is uh is it the presidents I think or Tenzer’s sort of or or working together hopefully call to flesh out the rest of the staff And well that’s the other question here right is who made this call it does seem like it was the Cronies who made it There’s no GM now So is that in anticipation cuz they know who somebody is and they want them out is that just their own making great question Sort of what I’m getting at And then yeah So then do they know who it is and that person has already sort of been promised some say in and let’s let’s give me some freedom to build my own staff Is that the conversation with Ben already uh whatever it is someone is going to rebuild the front office a little bit in their image and and that’s a bit new as you pointed out even going from Tim to Booth it wasn’t a complete overhaul of the front office revolving shark teeth everybody just moves forward but maybe now we are looking at a new front office but here’s what’s interesting about it no general manager so Josh and Stan decide it’s going to be Adam so they made the coaching change a lot of people say you hire a GM first cuz they’re going to want their own coach and that does make me wonder who is picking the staff Is it that you bring in somebody and then they pick their staff you know did they not want that person to come in and have to make his first move firing or laying off a guy is it just the expiring to me this signals that the cranky team whatever that means the two crankies the one cranky I don’t know whoever is involved To me this signals that they have a vision for how they want to structure this and they are going to go a little slower than we’d all like but they’re going to try to place this is what we think the front office needs to be Not just for the immediate future but for the the distant future The longer this goes on the less I think it’s going to be Ben Tenzer at the top Yeah Unless they just absolutely strike out on all the guys they’re circling And I do think there’s somewhat of a search going on I don’t know what classifies as a search what doesn’t but I do think they’re looking for potential targets Now I think you can definitely criticize them on the timing of it The draft is in 8 days To me this is here’s the thing I don’t think this this is why I don’t think the Nuggets are making big moves And if they felt they needed to they probably would have been quicker on this But you do balance I think Well I know they don’t have a draft pick I know they’re sitting out the draft pretty much but there’s a lot of stuff happening on draft night that you would like your front office in seat for That’s what I mean is even those things I think they look at they’re going to sit out Um right And that’s that’s probably a red flag but I may maybe not Here’s what when Josh Kroni spoke to the media the the first time and really he reiterated this the second time he he gave a presser that the problem was he needs to be more involved in periods of transition Well periods of transition I think the cronies hope are like every six years seven years This last one came in two years basically two and a half years from the Cal era was short And part of me thinks they’re taking their time because their supreme good for running an organization as an owner is to create five-year cycles like fiveyear minimum meaning we want to set something up that lasts at least five years not something that gets wobbly And so they’re going to take a little bit more time and try to be deliberate about that The cost is this is a big year This is a big offseason and things have happened already Trades have happened already As folks in our chat have pointed out front office hires have happened already as well So even what we were talking about well that’s another thing for Tommy here is it’s a little late in the game to for him to bounce back this year might have some openings in their front office and for whoever decides to fill the staff out from there whether that’s ownership of president or Ben those hirings are happening now as as well So at a certain point the question is okay if you’re taking your time to get it right we that’s appreciated but is there a level is there an extent of taking too much time where it’s detrimental to the best outcome the Nuggets hired David Adelman who I think did a good job The front office I don’t love that it’s taking so slow I am worried that this Nuggets off season is going to be a run it back type of offseason in a year when it didn’t I’m worried about that part but I will say I do think that the Nuggets needed to think long and hard about how they structure their front office Now they could still blow this right you could take a lot of time and then do something terrible or maybe create a skeleton crew But this does signal to me that they are taking a holistic approach They’re stepping back and trying to say what is a good front office Where have we gone wrong clearly it wasn’t just a one guy everybody out Let’s rethink how we structure our front office and build a new one If they’re whether or not they’re going to be right we’ll I mean right now I don’t know what they’re doing Seems like they’re definitely placing a much higher priority on making the right hire and hires that is way more important than doing something as soon as possible before the draft Yeah Like they’re bypassing that quote unquote deadline of the draft to have a front office in place Yeah in lie of we need to be absolutely positively sure we’re hiring the right people and that to your point earlier that makes me think they’re sitting out the draft they’re sitting out the summer Let’s take a break on the other side We’re going to bring in we told you what we think Maybe our mystery guest will have something to say about all of this on the other side Guys Mando is a uh men’s deodorant brand Thank you very much for that We’ll charge up here There you go buddy Got you Men’s deodorant brand that’s hyperfocused on keeping every aspect of a man’s body smelling fresh and clean Uh Mando it keeps all of your parts of your body clean And I mean all of them And they have a lot of great scents that are geared towards men specifically Bourbon leather clover woods Mount Fuji pro sport I’m a fan of the bourbon leather myself Are you um got that on right now Actually if you if you’ve noticed Oh maybe you haven’t That’s uh my favorite flavor of beef jerky Bourbon lemon jerky Yes Um first of all Mando is the whole body deodorant that was actually created by a doctor who saw firsthand how 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that have a lot to offer and maybe folks with less expertise looking to help you out You have to shop with Empire today because these are experts and these are experts determined to minimize mitigate eliminate those surprises when you’re shopping for the right flooring for your home or business How does it look in your house how does it look in your space the colors with your furniture These are all things that should be considered Uh precise measurements need to be taken All your questions need to be answered They are with Empire today So schedule a free inhome estimate today because some things are just better at home DNVR listeners can receive a $350 discount when using promo code DNVR You heard that right $350 discount with code DNVR Restrictions apply Visit Empire Today/DNVR for full details All right Kale we put you in charge to find us a mystery guest for today God I Who is this yes Oh the Enri maggots Gentlemen what what what the hell was Also why do we have the scoreboard from the last game up there get that thing off of here What are you trying to remind us of mystery guest Mark Dal let’s get the reveal Oh my god Is it is the cancel crew in the in the in the studio today what is going on right now do we do we not get to talk to him do we just Oh we can’t see him Can the mystery guest hear us right now true mystery The mystery guest can hear us Okay Oh so we’re interviewing them the whole time without knowing who they are Okay Um roll with it Mystery guest Yes Mystery guest Um what are your thoughts on uh the Oklahoma City Thunder easy easy fellas I I asked the questions today So uh this is Mirror Yeah Can you can you can you please bring me to the Yeah So guys I’m going to ask you a series of trivia questions about the nuggets and for every question you answer right I’m going to take off a piece of clothing from my hand [Music] Did he say he’s going to take off a piece of clothing yeah I don’t want to do this for every correct answer Yes So first question who is the Denver Nuggets franchise leader in total rebounds uh Jokic Yeah I think it’s Jokic It was Dan Isle if you go with ABA and NBA but now but Jokic I mean come on Nico is correct Question number two who is the Denver Nuggets franchise record holder for the total assists for assists I think it’s also for sure it was fat passed him a long time ago or it was Alex English That is correct Still don’t know who it is It could be anybody Hopefully hopefully last question for the day Who is the Denver Nuggets a franchise record holder for triple doubles i think it was Yeah Hey guys It’s him It’s him Hey guys What’s up wow Dude I did not expect it to be you I am so happy you answered these questions correctly this fast because it was so hot under this and this mask And not only because I’m hot as you well know Yes of course I was I was kind of hoping there were going to be more than just three questions Yeah that was a fun trivia Uh Miruslav I think this showed me that I could there’s no filter you could put I would ex know exactly who said anything I’m like only Miruslav talks that way Who talks like that one guy One guy Yeah On brand On brand What’s up guys hey what’s up so Miruslav you just saw I assume you saw I don’t actually I don’t want to presume you saw segment one because this is a big deal like we’re we’re we’re analyzing it here but Nugget’s letting you know not renewing the contract of Tommy Bracelets to me signals okay they are really going to clean house so to speak in their front office So what is that what does that make you think when you hear that news well I I think they they just have to hire somebody from outside of the organization now uh they they’ve already uh they already have fewer guys on their staff by by the virtue of not having Calvin Boot and Tommy Bchettis anymore So I’m guessing they’re not going to um not going to uh upgrade some video guys you know into assistant GMs They’re just going to try to uh to add some some new voices to the mix And uh I think that’s a that’s a very uh welcome thing because I think we always say that the Nuggets players are more valuable to the Nuggets than to the other teams because of the specifics of how the team was built Well maybe it’s time for the Nuggets uh to have a similar uh view of their own guys as the other franchises do Maybe it is time to to um think about the core four guys they have and and think hard about is this the best path going forward And I’m I’m pretty sure the old um front office wasn’t able to to look at it um with as much objectivity as somebody from the outside might Well that part of it I think the the Nuggets I don’t think the ownership group has not arrived at that conclusion I think a lot of Nuggets fans have I think the ownership group still believes in the core four And to be honest with you I think it that’s not a crazy thing to believe The Nuggets starters were not a problem Michael Porter had a rough series that last one Guess what they still were good as a starting group It was their lack of depth So whether you agree or disagree with that part of it I think that one it’s crazy they let Tommy go one week before the draft It shows that even this next step because they keep saying like if they don’t have somebody hired right now they still have their scouts they still know what they want to do draftwise and everything else They’re moving forward but now Tommy’s out So one of the guys that helped make that plan is out And then two uh I think the Cronis don’t want to make drastic year-by-year swings Is it laziness or an overbelief in continuity i don’t know But the core four thing fits into that I think they believe in that and they just think that little moves along the way is all that a team should do I actually agree with that and sometimes uh mid that OKC series I even said that the Nugget starting five was a better group than the Thunder starting five That that was my belief But the thing is with the new CBA and the way the the contracts are being made there’s no room for the Nuggets to have a 8 n solid uh rotation with all the topheavy contracts they already have on their books This is this is the only point I’m trying to make Next season we are going to get Joker at like 55 million which is a lot and we’re going to get Jamal on his first like 48 million and Michael Portrait almost 40 Uh Aaron Gordon is still at the bargain like 22 million but in 2026 that’s going to get even worse you know everybody’s going to get a raise including Aaron Gordon who’s going to be at the 30 at that moment And we are already talking about Christian Brown getting a uh a raise in 2026 So but MBJ may have moved at that point though I mean the point is right now where the Nuggets are this year I think they they’re I think the Kronies are signaling that they just believe that the problem was their sixth seventh eighth guy not their first through fifth guy and their head coach GM and their head coach for sure Yeah Yeah Good luck Good luck using minimum contracts to get a nineman rotation they’re going to rely on heavily Yeah I mean look I also understand the skepticism I too am skeptical I’m just trying to tell you what it appears to be that the Nug Nuggets are signaling as well as one cranky trait And I think one of the like we just listen to what Josh said I think Josh and Stan because they have so many different things they kind of like a set it and forget it Here’s our core beliefs We hire people to do a thing and then we don’t make big moves We just kind of let things play out for really long periods of time And to me it’s taking a long time to get this new front office because they’re trying to get a set it and forget it front office in place they don’t have right now But also why they probably view this summer as a little bit more less needs to happen is because they think there’s a set it and forget it roster more or less happening right now And that that part is the biggest concern to And that’s been the biggest concern ever since vice chairman Josh Kroni spoke after firing Calvin and and bringing in David Adelman And his message has been like we’re going to go with internal development Yeah Like that’s honestly a little cringe to me Um I think that can work for certain guys I I hate that that’s what it seems like is their overall philosophy because I because I don’t think that’s what it should be I am sort of I kind of understand Mirisol’s perspective here I I agree with the major premise that the Nuggets actually are pretty close that it’s just their six seven eight guys I just think part of the conversation now is is what are their paths to getting the right six seven eight guys and and are they paying now for original sins of years past in terms of their lack of maneuverability the contracts they’ve handed out to me’s point the draft capital they’ve burned to get guys who are remain question marks and not sure things etc So I understand it but I also understand the fear from the fan base of could it be another game seven where you go well they were close but not close Could have gone their way The biggest fear is we’re in this exact same spot next season Sure And by the way I’m not trying to defend that strategy I’m trying to explain it To me this is what everything is signaling kind of fits a pattern of how the Kronies have run their organizations of we and even Josh it just echoes in my mind the thing about Josh I need to be more involved in transitionary moments but not overall because I just want to set things and then step back for a couple years and let them play out and they’re in a set things mode right now Yeah Yep Well well said Well let me ask you actually Hang around Mirislav Let’s take a quick break On the other side I want to ask you you joined the Nuggets family 10 years ago It’s been mostly positive but I wonder if you’re starting to feel a little bit of why there’s always been Nuggets angst you know a bunch of the lifelong Nuggets fans If you’re starting to see oh I get it now Side Breaking news from Bet 365 new promo dropping exclusively for finals for the NBA finals that offers customers a chance to win a jackpot of up to $100,000 in bonus bets with the first play fortune Here’s how it works Enter for a chance to win a share of the $100,000 jackpot in bonus bets What you got to do is place a three-legg same game parlay where the three legs are player to score the first basket player to get the first assist and the player to get the first rebound Got to make those three bets and exactly those three bets Log in place your bet sign up use the code DMVr365 deposit $10 place your three leg same game parlay bet $1 minimum You can just do it for a dollar whatever the moment It’s never ordinary at bet365 Must be 21 plus and physically located in Colorado Please gamble responsibly If you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help call or text 1800 gambler Terms and conditions apply inapp only optin required and uh what’s cool is if no one wins the jackpot the jackpot keeps going up by 50,000 each game Uh so take advantage of that at Bet365 Use the code DMBR365 to sign up It’s raining it’s pouring the roof above your head needs some restoring You got to hit up our friends at Redhawk Roofing Denver’s best roofers have joined the DMV team You guys know them They’re on the Nuggets broadcast now Try not to forget us when you get famous fellas Go with the pros Whether the issue is real big or real small develop a longlasting relationship with a local business that’s determined to make life better for locals It’s quality materials that are doing my roof right now by the way That’s right And how would you probably not right now well probably not exactly right I hope they are This would be a rough moment to work They are doing it right now I might I don’t know Maybe they power through hell Show some dedication Maybe they just power through this To be honest it might be that this is uh the job got bigger today We’re going to have to expand Found a couple more leaks Yeah but you know what that’s all right They won’t complain Decades of experience Quick response time Colorado’s best estimators and contractors Free no obligation roof from property inspections Free in-depth photo reports for all inspections They are not here to take money out of your pocket They are here to put a sufficient efficient up to standard roof over your home or business Supporting your local teams means also supporting local businesses like redhawk roofing If you’re looking for a new roof of your home or business be sure to check out Redhawk Roofing at Hawkroofing.com or call 7207718921 Tell them DNVR sent you All right let’s bring on mystery guest again uh there Mirislav So you feeling now about you know do the Nuggets feel like a secondass organization to you now more so than ever are you worried about that are you still saying “Hey TBD we just won a title two years ago Let’s see how this plays out before we say anything.” Well I No Uh I don’t think the Nuggets are a secondass organization They have been paying uh tax for several years now and they’re going to continue playing uh paying tax which which is of course something uh fans want to see It’s just a human nature that the Nuggets were on the up and up for seven years then they won a championship and then every following season uh felt uh less less uh or or more underwhelming So that that is that is the the the only thing here Yeah I can be skep I think it’s fair for me to be skeptical about them not having a GM 8 days before the draft and uh uh also hiring a head coach before the GM That is also something that not a lot of teams uh are doing in the in the NBA And it is a sign that for you that maybe Josh Grunk is just going to be the de facto GM going forward and uh this is this is just his way Okay this is my coach you’re going to have to to to learn to to work it with him Uh unless of course it’s Ben Ben Tenzer because Ben Tenzer already knows how to how to work with David Alman and that that’s going to be smooth sailing It’s just the the matter of do we think that’s an upgrade over what we saw last season with Calvin Boot and and Michael Malone Let me say this I think that anything is going to be an upgrade over Michael Malone and Calvin Booth That is very fair I I honestly think so because I think it was an actual negative not a neutral but like an active active negative on the team So I am optimistic that that part won’t be the case But here’s the thing I think that I would imagine that the Cronis are wrestling with right now Would you rather nail this off season whatever that means and we all kind of feel like there’s not that many moves the Nuggets can make this off season that even the most optimistic sort of maneuvering doesn’t land them like something crazy So would you rather nail that but get an unstable like you didn’t really get a good you know fix the problem and and create a long-term plan with a long-term structure or would you rather kind of sit out this year but create something that you feel is going to give you the next 5 years you’re going to have really wellestablished front office now there’s no way to guarantee either of these two things but I think the Nuggets are likely looking at this scenario that way and saying this summer there’s not a lot of flexibility I don’t know that we’re going to make and I don’t know that we need it They’re going to argue “Ah we don’t need it We’re right there.” But we’re setting ourselves up for the rest of Jokic’s career We’re going to have a five sixyear structure in place that’s going to be one of the best over that era even if this summer is underwhelming Yeah Didn’t we do that in the last two seasons that was exactly the plan And it failed miserably So for sure For sure That was more Calvin Booth’s plan than the Kroni plan but you are correct that that was the same messaging For sure So we have we had two gap seasons and now somebody wants to to uh make me buy a third gap season in order to get the seasons four five six seven eight or whatever uh to be the better one I think as long as the Nuggets hold on to their core four they’re going to be six guys heavy going forward But Mirisovv would you also agree with the premises that Porter at this stage and Murray right now with the new contract aren’t likely to fetch upgrades so if you So just humor me because I’m I’m I’m picking up what you’re putting down for sure But if they move those two guys now just to do it are they not creating another gap year yeah And that is the kind of gap year I would actually buy Okay because another gap year with everybody on board is just doing nothing It’s just for you hoping that that um you know Payton Watson all of a sudden develops incredible basketball IQ or like Julian Stroter becomes an amazing defensive player or or whatever you want from your other guys Another couple inches Yeah So that’s that’s that’s my fear like I wouldn’t mind a gap year if that means okay we are fixing our books in accordance to the new CBA because we cannot function like this and expect to be a real championship contender Now the the real question for me guys is whether the Kronis are really interested in going for another championship or do they want to stay in that top six tier of teams that guarantees them high ticket prices and playoff appearances compared to going really deep into the tax or going really deep into the you know uh front office and coaching staff payments I think I I you’re framing that as if it’s like pure greed and I don’t know if it’s necessarily that although I’m sure there’s some of that too I’m not trying to let them on the hook I think the Kronies look at it the way I would frame it is do you want one year with a 30% chance of winning or four years of an 18% chance of winning And I think that’s what they would look at is say we want the four years of 18 So we’re going to try to keep this open because like this year things could have bounced right for us And you go all in you find yourself in a Milwaukee situation you know that might be a disaster So to me I think that they’re more looking at this as let’s keep this window open for the next four or five years and hope that the books get cleaner even with us keeping our team together Yeah they’re not they’re not just going to miraculously become cleaner They need to trade some guys to to get them clean I think Michael tradable next year possibly Possibly I just think on an expiring he’ll be tradable Reggie Jackson was an expiring you know so you know you never know how those things go Det is an expiring Yeah he is I think the Kronis are likely operating under a handful of assumptions One is that the team is very close Now Josh Kroni did go to the podium and say “We’re close but we also weren’t don’t want to pretend we’re I think they kind of know the the stakes but also probably feel more optimistic about where the Nuggets are and how close they are.” I think they believe that Michael Malone and Calvin Booth probably took off five or six wins from the regular season this year and so changing those even if you just get neutrals adds like three or four wins Uh I think that they think they’re going to have flexibility down the line and I think that they’re probably hoping that internal development or or believing internal development is going to be greater than what the average Nuggets fan is And possibly also when you talk about rehabbing value I think they think that players like Zeke Naji Jaylen Picket Michael Porter Jr are going to be more tradable a year from now than they are right now That’s that’s definitely true So there that’s a lot of assumptions All of which I think are more likely than not but all of them collectively going exactly to plan is less likely than not Yeah we are all going to be behind this team no matter what Don’t get me wrong like I’m just you know giving my honest perspective on what I think the Nuggets should do But you know whichever path they’re going to choose we are going to you know stay behind it 100% and hope for the best And you know possibly win a game uh five that they should have won this year or game seven they should have won last year What what’s interesting is that the ABS are kind of the opposite of the Nuggets The ABS did what all Nuggets fans are saying you have to do if you really believe They traded everything to go all in this year and it didn’t and it they lost it in a game seven They traded their kind of Michael Porter Aaron Gordon for more depth and it went terrible and it went terrible and they made aggressive moves and it went so it’s weird because they both have to share an owner and share a building and they did both opposite things and neither one worked out They went out the exact same way and both organizations are like and both fan bases are like you should have done the other one as fans are like why didn’t you just keep Mo and do it you know it’s so it’s kind of funny to me like you just got to win and then it’s like that was the right way to do it MV can I is it correct in summarizing your position as they are close but given the cap sheet they’re sort of maxed out or their paths to improvement from here are severely minimized Is that is that an accurate way of looking at it i think their margins are extremely thin They cannot have one guy you know with a hammy going into the playoffs They just cannot survive anything You know teams like OKC can survive not having Isaiah Hartenstein for half a season and Chad Homer for half a season and still be in the in the in the finals Now granted the Nuggets will never be able to get that kind of cap [ __ ] like the Thunder has And neither the Thunder are going to honestly like in two years Thunder is not going to have this exact same team So something’s going to change there too But it’s just the Nuggets just need to find a way I’m You’re going to be shocked when I say this but I’m not a hockey expert I’m not an NHL expert No So do do the ABS have a guy on their team like Nicole Yokic that makes everybody around him a lot better two of them They have two Jokic They have the MVP and the defensive player of the year So they actually they actually have two incredible studs on their team that are among the best players in franchise history So really yeah So it is a little bit wild Um the parallels are honestly kind of fair in my opinion of the two teams Um last one I have for you Amirus before we let you go What’s the latest on Euro Basket is when are we going to find out if Yookic is playing for team Serbia that is a really good question Let me just Google it real quick Am I thinking more about team Serbia i want to give you I want to give you an exact date So here’s the thing Peter glow on his face He’s really looking it up Yeah for sure So here’s the thing Okay my my hands are here Okay so here’s the thing Um the Euro basket starts in like uh August 25th 27th something like that Nico Nikico can join the team for only four weeks as as you know according to the NDA agreement Yeah Uh but the but the team team’s um training camp is going to start a couple of weeks before that So if my calculations are correct that should happen uh at the beginning of July which is not far away I expect coach Page to bring his uh you know 16man or 18 man uh list um in the next two weeks Is he the coach probably less than that I thought he Yeah Yeah he returned He returned the the the basketball So here’s the thing the basketball federation basketball federation uh have have a new have a new president and the first thing he did was asking coach Pes to return for at least one year and hopefully more than one year So coach Pes is back which is I think amazing news and yeah I’m I’m I’m going to say I’m 70% sure Nicolola is going to play this Euro basket and I wouldn’t be as optimistic if they didn’t have that incredible Cind Cinderella run last year at the Olympics I I think I’m about there too like 70%ish Are they in for sure into Euro Basket or do they have to qualify in like what No they’re in They’re in they’re in play already It’s an insulting question They know who’s in pool play They do They do There there are uh there are eight groups of four teams Total of 32 teams And it’s going to be it’s going to be tough tough because as soon as they finish the group play which is only three games they’re going to play the top 16 elimination games So they’re going to be a lot of you know uh win or go home games Yeah But who’s in Europe basket it is uh it is Latia and and and two other teams It’s it’s it’s not a really it’s not a great group I I don’t I don’t have it in my in my head right now Literally I am I thought you were into this stuff man I don’t I am into the nuggets The nuggets are my complete focus for the next 20 It’s Latvia Czech Republic Turkey Estonia Portugal and Serbia Oh you got to go right through So 5-0 Oh man that’s easy That’s easy stuff right there You got to go right through that Joker can join in the knockout round Mirus we just shamed him He There’s nothing we could have done worse for Mirus than asked him a Serbian national team question he didn’t know Unbeliev Unbelievable buddy Uh great stuff today man Thank you man Thank you for being our guest Hey man Maybe maybe I don’t know how to drive or walk awkwardly but at least I can you know dodge dodge a Euro basket question You’re the best M You’re the best brother Take care Thanks for cutting the string it back with passage is so the Nuggets installing a president and then he just decides to bring back Michael Malone as his first move If they and please stay on for a couple more years too If they fall short though are we allowed to start ribbing our Serbian friends is like you’re just going to keep running it back I know Yeah I know Going to finish in the second round Yokin passage this summer That that’s a movie right there It is a movie man But it also because it’s so late in the year it he is going to go right from that to camp And it’s it’s always like this is more than ever before Jamal Murray has to be ready to start Does he all right All right Calm down everyone No listen You’re right Let’s talk real quick about the NBA Finals Uh they happened last night and watched Yeah I watched it as well unfortunately And sure enough the Oklahoma City Thunder moved within a game of their first ever NBA championship Kind of dominant fashion The Pacers do what they always do which is like go on these runs to make it close But they never got they got close for like seconds at a time Every time they got close the Thunder went on a big roll run in large part because Tyrese Hallebertton pulled an Aaron Gordon got injured and had zero field goals only four total points This just looks like the Thunder are going to end up winning it What are your thoughts here based on what’s happened over the weekend yes but I think Indy’s earned the I’ll wait till they’re six feet under before I before I hold the funeral Yeah but the Hallebertton piece of this feels kind of substantial This feels very substantial First of all shout out TJ McConnell I had a feeling it was going to be a short King Summer Uh I’m doing great personally I did say there’s a new Mission Impossible film Do you Do you unironically love TJ McConnell i heard it was bad though I heard that as well but we’ll put that aside for now I do Yeah I love TJ McConnell so much man You should see me pumping my little arms as he scores in the NBA He yells at his teammates a lot man He has he has some like a lot of like He said at one point he said they can’t guard me I was up on two feet I know But he hit one It wasn’t even a three It was a two It was a Michael Porter three game He had a great He really did So yeah but I do it does look like the Thunder as they did against the Nuggets a couple of games here where they went “Look we’re the better team and and we’re prepared to be the better team Valiant effort We’re not wilting but I think the Pacers have earned the respect of just they have kind of run this whole playoff gauntlet on their own terms So I’ll wait and see how it finishes Not about whether they win or lose I just more I mean JDub is the story here Jub had 40 points right and he was kind of the guy I mean Shay was great too but he was kind of the guy Mike is he going to steal finals MVP that that might be the only thing that’s up for grabs in this series Um you never know You never know I don’t I don’t think it is I don’t I honestly cannot see it We and Lakes talked about this on AllNBA today and it was only if it went seven and Shay was bad in both of the final two and JDub was great in the final two cuz Shay had 31 and 10 four and three uh four seven stocks Um nine of 21 from the field I will say man here’s the other thing about this finals that I find interesting The NBA is the most online league in the world Oh I’m glad you brought this up man because because they got bullied into the decal well all the the transpose decal of onto the court and then they got bullied into doing the uh player intros But what they didn’t realize is the player intros don’t have anywhere close to the same aura that they had years and years ago So it does not even come close to hitting the same Is this nostalgia well if you remember how the intros used to look do you remember there was like a big Larry O’Brien trophy on the court oh yes of course I do And each player came out one by one and it was an event It’s just starting lineups aren’t like that They haven’t been like that for the finals in years probably a decade almost So just putting a camera on the starting lineup it’s not going to do it justice It’s not going to seem big So they got bullied into it and I don’t think it really did anything where I love making fun of the NBA Here’s one thing I’ll say Vote to play devil’s advocate Yes the NBA got bullied into it and the NBA is probably too Adam Silver is too susceptible to ideas But I will say this is what I’m glad of and it has as much to do with ESPN or ABC as anyone I even though they didn’t nail it I am glad that they seem to be receiving this idea of the game should feel more important than how you show them But why did they need uh Twitter user uh Thunderup 525 to tell them that they shouldn’t have needed it but I’m still glad the message was received even if it’s kind of like didn’t land Yeah I I agree with that man I I think first of all less time watching commercials or a certain broadcast crew that I won’t name especially if one of them ends up working for the Nuggets Uh let the less time we hear from them the better probably So it does add to the presentation I know people need feel like they need a little more glamour in these finals I’ll just say I think the NBA is so damn damned if they do damned if they don’t with these little tweaks I mean again like 10 years ago the problem was that it was the same team in the finals every year Now the problem is the is that there’s too much parody Like I I know there there’s truth to that I wouldn’t want to be a commissioner I’ll tell you that Um I don’t mind them making an effort But to W’s point it does sort of seem like but it’s kind of a halfass effort It’s oh we’re going to do the logo on the court but it’s going to be superimposed and not look good I think the problem is that there’s twofold Nate Jones has actually talked about this a lot Nike and Gatorade really sold the NBA in its heyday And it was them more than anyone Is those have pulled out a little bit They’re less important less influential and less invested It really is ESPN that holds the league up And I just think ESPN has lost their fastball with this kind of stuff And so they are NBA problems but only in so much as it is an ESPN problem Bob Kostas was the voice of the ‘9s He made things feel big and important Stephen Hay doesn’t have that same pull In fact he kind of makes things feel less important and more obnoxious And I just think that’s what the real problem is But I am glad that the league and really this one’s more about ABC got bullied into hey I wonder if we should be thinking about these things differently I Yes please And especially because I’ll even go crossport for this Maybe a bit unfair but I don’t know if you guys have watched any of the Stanley Cup final It’s unbelievable right now It’s like actually one of the best series I’ve ever watched in any sport And I don’t even really know hockey that well But TNT is also really there’s just something really there’s um it’s certainly not organic It’s quite literally produced But their presentation of this is sports but this is highbrow sports This is sports but this is the ultimate destination There’s an air of urgency a great passion from the pres uh presenters and from the commentators before and after the games during the games The fan bases have been awesome I think TNT has gen generally done a good job over the years and they did with the NBA as well of just sort of giving you the moment and it only it matters really in direct a direct justosition with ESPN who I think is kind of largely failing the NBA as a media partner in terms of the conversations they air and the way they don’t get these aspects quite right and I do wonder if that contributes to the ratings conversation which is particularly sensitive and delicate in the modern media ecosystem uh more than we realize of just people don’t want to watch ESPN Yeah it’ll be interesting to see how they present the league going forward and how some of these changes Of course TNT now moves to ESPN which is weird I will say this because but Legs is now my guy I’m watching every time he’s on I want to hear what his takes are because they inform how I do the show the following day Screen time lately too Yes and no What I find interesting about it is they go to Van Pelt on the post game and Leggler gets like three minutes and then he’s out then Burk’s in Yeah Then they bring Winhor in It’s almost like they’re trying to do too much in a piece too many and bring with a lot of commercial breaks and a lot of commercial breaks are always like “Oh here’s legs He’s going to break.” Oh he broke down one play and now he’s gone Like ah yeah totally Come on I wanted to sit there for a minute You know what if you’re at home and you’re feeling the same way you should check out the AllNBA podcast Yeah Yeah Let’s go He talks for an hour He does talk for an hour It does feel a little weird that like even SVP they just really break down the game for like 20 minutes It’s not like the TNT show where you have like a full 45 minute postgame show asking Shaq what player team is on but they don’t break down the game is the thing It’s like you bring in Winhorse then you bring in Legs then you bring in Perk and it’s just like all these micro conversations Yeah I would agree with that There’s not a lot of followup or in-depth I mean I’m throwing it to you here Kale Yeah I mean I just think like what worked so well about TNT is they gave them you know basically the full hour without ad breaks to have room and breathe and create segments and have bits and stuff ESPN feels so like you said segmented It’s like you’re going from interview to interview to interview to interview and there’s no chance for chemistry or for you to feel like you’re hanging out with those guys at all It just feels so segmented I don’t really get as much money out of the operation as possible I mean that’s obviously what it is that that’s why there’s so many commercial breaks I’m just so into I know not everybody is but I’m just so into this Like next year it’ll be ESPN Amazon NBC There’s hope for NBC I think And I and Amazon to be honest with you anytime somebody new enters the frey you’re like “Okay are you going to come up with something creative what’s your version of what this should be?” And I’m just kind of excited because I hope there’s a fresh idea that’s like “Hey that’s you know you can’t copy inside the NBA It’s its own thing But you can make something completely different.” And I hope that that’s what we get next year Something that feels like hey this is a new way to present a postgame show And it’s kind of interesting I’m into it I mean I just maybe this is just a modern thing and a habit and the way we consume stuff now And honestly I really don’t even mean disrespect to any individual involved at all I just I mute this stuff man ESPN pregame postgame halftime I’m muted as quick as I can And yeah but that’s a bummer It’s cool when it’s good I was just going to say something’s lost in that Yeah something’s lost Something is lost in that When I was little I wanted to hear every word And I’ve grown up That’s part of it too But I think there’s a way to get this right Storytelling is so important I think this finals has actually been really good And I don’t know that the storytelling around it has been that great Like the games itself has been great We’ll see what other people think All right Do we have any super chats today oh I forgot to mention at the top of the show because we had it was donation day not super chat day Donation day all week Yeah If you guys usually super chat do it in the form of a donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters right where you write in the chat box there’s a button to donate Do that uh this week instead of super chatting Big Brothers Big Sisters is pretty is a really cool thing Yeah And we’ll have a whole big fundraising day Thursday which I’m really excited for But yeah super or don’t super chat Donate throughout the week if you want We got two minutes to kill here Any any anything to report vote just in general Yeah just like Yeah you don’t I finished Mob Land So that’s again as I told you guys that’s what I’m going to fake bond with David Adelin with across the year when I’m not asking him questions about his failures I’ll go “Hey David are you caught up on Mobland?” And uh so I’m really excited about that I think that’s going to go well Tom Hardy is the man You should also watch Taboo on FX I also think they’re making a season two of Taboo with Tom Hardy I don’t know if this is what you are Are you in a Tom when So when you’re when you went in your Tom Cruz phase whole wardrobe facial Yeah hair everything Yeah What’s this Tom Hardy one going to do i don’t think I can do it I don’t think I was going to say I’d be tougher I’m not as badass or dark or His whole thing is like coming up with funny voices and that’d be weird since we podcast Yeah I can’t do funny voices but I am really into the content he’s making as an actor Is that what you wanted when you said stretch for 2 minutes yeah that’s exactly what I was going for When’s your turn uh I started by the way the West Ken the West from 1994 Ken Burns Yeah it’s got right to I’m watching that show Tires Oh yeah with Shane It’s such a funny show I mean I’m I like lowbrow comedy that I can just watch in the background and don’t have to pay that much attention to Is there a chance this is even better than what was your show that you love with Vince entourage Entourage Oh I mean nothing will ever approach Entourage But um it’s a funny show Shane Shane Gill is hilarious Did you guys see the the DMVR Sports account those guys over at DVR Sports put a mascot list Oh yeah Can we bring this up yeah Who the hell made this so I This was you It was not me Are you sure i’m I am I swear on my life this was not me who made this ranking This had to have been RC then We had We made a ranking Well we somebody that I’m calling him the mascot Zar Also they put we in there as if it was a thing that was voted on Yeah No one person had the nerf of whoever made I wanted to bring it up National mascot day Somebody at this company came up with a top five and blasted it out It’s a ridiculous ranking I mean Rocky’s clearly number one Dinger at two is wild Dinger at two is crazy I actually think there’s only three spots There’s one Rocky five Dinger and then all the ones in the middle you could put wherever you want And um the mascot Zar who I was talking to after these rankings went out he said that quote “Some people love Dinger some people hate him.” I’ve never met anybody that loves him Yeah All right we’re out of here guys Thanks for hanging out with us all day Don’t forget to donate Hit the like button on the way out We’ll see you tomorrow [Music] [Applause] We all silly like the man

The Denver Nuggets have had a major front office shakeup, and we still don’t know who the official head decision maker in that area will be. What can we make of it, and what does it mean for this upcoming season for the Denver Nuggets? Plus we’re joined by a MYSTERY guest. The fellas have no idea who this is going to be. Adam Mares, Brendan Vogt, and Harrison Wind come to you LIVE from the DNVR Bar to break down everything you need to know in this edition of the DNVR Nuggets Podcast!

Start – 0:00
Front office shakeup – 3:25
Mystery guest joins the show – 19:30
More with our mystery guest – 32:45
Eurobasket update – 42:40
NBA Finals talk – 47:20
General conversation – 57:10

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