ALL Denver Nuggets Postgame Media vs. NOP🎙️

ALL Denver Nuggets Postgame Media vs. NOP🎙️

Milwaukee on you, but before that, I thought you guys played pretty well, especially through the second, third quarter. Yeah, we did, but the last four minutes was kind of like, uh, we had 20 turnovers total. Uh, you know, and we just have to take care of the ball better than that. They had good activity. They’re flying around. Uh, but we just we can’t get up 24 points uh off mistakes. And then at the end, I thought when we did break the press correctly, uh, we have to understand that you don’t have to score once you break it. You know, you can get the ball back out uh, and bleed clock. So, it’ll be a good film to watch tomorrow with the guys. Um, but a lot of positives, a lot of people stepped up tonight, you know, with Pate having a career night offensively, uh, Zeke subbing in and doing a good job with Zion, which is a really tough matchup. Um, you know, and a guy that hasn’t played throughout the season, it was cool to see him be ready to go. Uh, so there’s there’s positives and like you said, there’s negatives and they’re the some of the glaring things that we saw in the Portland game. U, you know, we saw that late in this game. So, we have to keep watching tape when we get a chance to practice, you know, go through those things, uh, the situational basketball and, you know, obviously I challenge to try to keep the call in the game. Uh, so we, you know, just have to finish games better. That’s the bottom line. Coach, sometimes it’s a little things. You’re down 13 early. Spencer Jones enters the game. He doesn’t fill up a box score, but he does things that don’t show up in a box score. How much did he help change the tone of the game? Yeah, I thought Spencer and Bruce. I thought both guys uh really got into the ball. Uh they forked turnovers and got us run outs. Uh cut into that lead right away. I thought uh Valenunis’ energy was great as well and we needed it to your point. You know, it was a weird energy in the gym and we kind of I don’t know, we mimicked it. You know, we were not all there getting up and down. uh once we got back in the game, I liked our energy to Scott’s point uh up until the last few minutes, but nice to have energy changing players like Spencer and Bruce that can come in and really change the game and the way the game feels, especially on the road, uh where it doesn’t matter what the other team’s record is, it’s always hard to win the NBA on the road. Uh David, the going with Zeke there in the starting lineup, uh early on you guys gave up 18 pretty quick points in the paint. Some of that was off the turnovers and transition, but felt like you guys settled in defensively throughout the night. Um, especially against Zion. Just what did you kind of see as far as the way you guys got through that game without Aaron, who’s obviously such a perfect matchup for him. Yeah, I think a lot of it was uh turnovers to your point and then also some of the game plan stuff I didn’t think we were clean enough with early and as the game went on, we did a much better job of shrinking behind the initial defender. Uh, the guy is such a load inside when he gets in the paint. Uh but you know holding into 14 points on 13 shots is a good number. And then talked about before the game only four free throws means we were walling up uh physically without fouling. And you know look it’s the NBA is hard. I I winning is it’s a premium and to find a way to do it uh and you’re right with the team defense behind it and Zeke stepping in after not playing hardly at all this year uh was really cool to see just him the maturity of Zeke to know it’s my night to play and he’s ready to go. I’d like to follow up on that. How what went into the decision that decision to start Zeke tonight? I think some people were surprised. Yeah, I he’s had success in the past as far as at least physically, uh, you know, guarding Zion. He hasn’t stopped him. No one really does one-on-one. Uh, so he’s had, you know, experience doing it. Uh, and I trusted that. You know, I’ve been here. I’ve seen him do it. I remember the past. So, uh, we trust Zeke to do it. You know, on nights like this, it was the right matchup. I’ve made that point before. It’s not going to be uh most popular player. It’s going to start. It’s going to be who makes sense to win the game. Uh you know, we have Cam and Jamal and Nicole out there. Uh you get a great night from Payton offensively. Uh that particular player was very important because it had to be somebody that made sense with Zion and Zion’s a, you know, a tough matchup. So Zeke made sense to me. Ju just as a shooter, Payton’s been really good from the corners and pretty inefficient above the break on his threes. um they’re helping off of him early. They’re going under stuff like that. He misses a couple of those open ones. He gets into the corner a couple times. Is that part of the calculus as far as getting him into spots where that shot is just something that he trusts more in those areas throughout the game when when that’s their how they’re defending it. Yeah. And it’s all Yeah, exactly. How they’re defending it, too. It was, you know, having Zeke out there uh made Zeke the guy in the dunker. And a lot of times Payton is the guy in the dunker when Aaron’s out. So this is a different kind of lineup. It allowed Payton to kind of live out there in the corners and they doubled Nola early. They left the second man removed no matter who it was and pre-rotated. Uh so we found easy shots that way. And then I thought against their pressure we did handle it well. We found some really good looks in the corners in that situation too. Uh so yeah, tonight was Peyton’s night. You know, he did a great job. He scored behind the defense with dunks and in transition and he was very efficient from three. Uh finding the open spots by being, you know, spaced properly, which you always get rewarded if you do that. Uh as far as Aaron, uh when did you guys make that decision on on him being out? It was just kind of more of the same bothersome stuff from past games. Yeah, I mean, and all these guys are dayto-day that play all the minutes. Uh so he got over here, uh you know, everybody talked about it, didn’t feel great about it. Um, and and again, like I said, we just kind of we went into the day knowing we always go into our meetings knowing if so and so doesn’t play, what are we going to do? Like what’s the adjustment? So, that’s something that as a coaching staff we do every day anyway. And this one was Zeke. Regardless of what the situation was if Aaron was out, uh, it would have been different people if different guys are out like a Jamal, a Cam, or a Nola. Uh, you talk about all those things before you get to the arena because you you just never know. Would you like to give Nicole credit for getting another triple double? Yeah, he was awesome. Uh, you know, and he I just there’s times, you know, he he fouls out of this game. He shoots seven free throws. I just there’s times I think he could have shot 20 something free throws, but it doesn’t happen. Uh, but no, he was good. Uh, but again, him and the whole team as a collective, we have to take care of the ball better. You know, in a game on the road, having 20 mistakes is too many. Uh, tonight we find a way to win. uh we have to handle pressure better than we did at the end. Uh but again, we find a way to win and I being around this it’s winning. It’s so hard to win in this league and to be where we’re at right now going into Houston, going into the back to back. If you told me before the season, hey, you’re going to this really tough back to back late night in Houston next night at home against Sacramento. Hey, and you’re 11 and three. I take it. So, we’re in a good spot. Coach, um I’m sorry if you already answered this, but um you know, Derek the breaking 30 points tonight. what you’re really seeing in this game. Do you see me? Yeah, I think just quickly unfair to the kid to compare him to people right now like let him be who he is. Uh he’s young, he’s extremely skilled. Uh I see some of the things people say as far as his his vision of the game is really impressive. He plays with his eyes up. Um and I always say that most guys think they are, but they play with their eyes forward, not up. And his are up. and he sees the game, sees both corners, his peripheral, got a great handle. I see the change of speed stuff that a lot of our great players in our league have. Uh but, you know, take your time with him like he’s he’s just starting this and this whole thing, this whole journey. Uh tonight, he had a great game. Uh young players tend to then have maybe have a poor game. Uh but yeah, he was very good tonight. Very impressive and did all that in 30 minutes. Uh so the efficiency was very impressive. Uh yeah, bright future ahead for him. Thank you. 30. What What What was kind of the the mindset for you as the game developed? Uh just continuing to be aggressive. Uh I knew that since we had three of um three of our five or what what was it just CB and AG? Those were the only guys. Yeah. Two of our five guys not there. I knew that there was going to be um a need for me to kind of increase my offensive load a little bit. Um, I didn’t have, you know, any idea that I had third I was going to have 30, but a lot of nights you just, you go out there and you just try to contribute to a win. And that was my mindset tonight and, uh, it worked out for us. Um, Bruce said that he told you to keep shooting them, too. Is that, is that something that you hear from teammates a lot if especially in this type of spot when you’re starting, when usual starters are out, that type of thing? Absolutely. like I a few people came up to me, Bruce AG or one of our coaches, Mike Moser, and they just told me to go out there, play my game, play basketball. Um, and that’s what I did. I just took what was there. I didn’t force it. I just took everything within the flow of the game and, um, tried to help our team win. Uh, as far as like general mindset with with you being in that starting lineup for the next few weeks potentially here with CB out, um, obviously can be a different role in that sort of lineup around Nicole and everything from with the bench. How do you kind of approach that and sort of try to seize the opportunity there? I think just doing anything necessary to get a win. You know, some nights it’s scoring, some nights um it’s on the defensive end, but I feel like my defense should have been better tonight. Um I feel like there were some things that I definitely could have done better and brought more intensity. So, I’m looking to um get better at those things for the next game. But I feel like actually every night has to be a defensive night for me just because of what I bring to this team and the energy needed on that end. So, um yeah. eight more. Uh, I know Friday night’s going to be fun. Houston’s playing great basketball. How much you look forward to playing with your uncle? It’s It’s going to be great to see my dog, Easy Money Sniper. Uh, uh, they’re playing amazing. Number one offense in the league right now, if I’m not mistaken. Um, so they’ve got some really really good players and they’ve got a really, really good team collectively. Um, and we’re looking forward to the challenge. Um, everybody knows in this league that you got to be able to beat the best when they’re at their best and that’s how they’re playing right now and I feel like we can go in there and steal one. Um, I had a question I literally forgot what happens to the best of us, dog. I forgot one of my answers today already. You forgot my answer. Uh, who who’s your your first text, your first call after a after a career game like this? Oh, well, my family is actually out here um to support me, so I’m gonna go grab some dinner with them. But um probably just my girlfriend, uh close ones to me. Um just get back to the people that have been uplifting me when I have a bad game and there for me when I have a good game. Uh your parents are here. Yeah, they’re out here in New Orleans supporting. That’s cool. That’s cool. Means the world. You you said you don’t have the ball. Is there any momento you can take from from this? Like I said, just just the memories, the pictures my mom took tonight, my family being here in attendance, that that means the world to me and that’s all I need. Yeah. Nicole, how did you settle things off tonight? 13-point deficit earlier, then you guys sort of got back into the game. What was Yeah, they they had a really good energy uh we had again same slow start like against the Chicago home, but we found a way. We found a way. We had a good run uh to finish the the the half and the second half I think we controlled the game and I think we were better team the second half. Payton got his first uh 30 ball 32 points career high. How impressed were you with Yes. Yes. He he was he was really good tonight. He was attacking the the paint. He he shot he shot like four five threes whatever. So he shot the ball well and um he was playing downhill especially in those splits. He found he found himself open. So he he had a really good night. What’s your impression of Derek Queen who models his game after you? He’s good, you know. He’s good. He has some moves. He’s um definitely crafty. He’s so um he’s unorthodox. Uh great touch for touch around the infield for the game. Uh he he’s he’s a really really it’s good to see some somebody different. Did he say anything to you afterwards or No, I maybe he did. I didn’t hear it. Does he remind you of you? Uh, I think I’m a little bit taller, but I think that there is a like a that um style. I can see slow, crafty. Uh, I can see it. Yeah. Is it weird at all for you like to see kind of a a generation of players of a certain type of player who kind of look up to you from a play style standpoint? almost a lineage of guys who kind of like Shingun obviously is a big part of that too, but like he’s becoming a group of guys now. No, I think I think he’s talented. I think people connect him with him, but I think we we a different type of player. He’s he’s amazing player. Um I you can see some similarities, but I think I don’t want people to see him and tell me he’s like something like me. I I think he’s a good enough player. uh that uh he’s good enough player to to have have his own story. Is it cool to at least kind of see younger players influenced by you increasingly? Uh yeah, why not? I mean if if if it feels good, you know, to to leave a mark behind you and like leave players look up look up your playing style and want to copy. I think it’s cool. Were you ever uh like compared to a lot of players growing up or players or something like that? Um I don’t think so to be honest. I don’t think so. I watch Boris a little bit. I watch Lamarcus Deim Duncan. I watch a couple guys, you know. So with Payton, how uh comfortable does that fit in the starting lineup work for you guys? What are you I mean we we have so many like if the guys if one guy is down somebody’s going to step up and we how to say we are comfortable you know we don’t have other options and uh I think him playing hard he’s just going to create uh good things and uh we’re going to find different ways to affect the game with him on the floor. Thank you Nichol Bruce. Uh you guys were down double digits early and then the game took a turn. I noticed when the bench came in, you Spencer, uh, Yonas, what energy did you bring and how much did that account for the comeback? I think it was huge. We had to bring energy off the bench. I think, uh, the starters came out a little flat. Um, but there’s games where, uh, they come out with a bunch of energy and we come out flat. So, they just needed us to pick them up a little bit and we took care of business. How nice was it to see young fella get yourself a 30 ball there as you Great. I think he started off from three like one for four and I went to him and I was like, “Bro, if they going to give you 10, I know you can hit four or five in them, so keep shooting.” Uh, and that’s what he did. Five for nine. Um big 30 ball. So happy for him. When did you know he had it? Had what? 30 ball. Just had it going. I mean after the slow start on Yeah, 15 in the first quarter. So I knew he was feeling good. Um he was making the right play, cutting, getting dunks. Um getting easy ones. Um and then once he started threes, feel even better. 11 and three. Take that all day. How would you feel you guys are playing? Are you rounding into the shape that you think you can be? Yeah, I mean but this I mean this still a lot of time. It’s still early in the season. We still got a lot to learn, a lot to do, a lot to uh experience as a team. Um and then we have CB out right now. So, um still some time with Payton. Um just just from the first time you were here to now. Is there what’s very different, more aggressive, a lot smarter. Um you can tell he’s been the league for for multiple years. Um he’s been working on his game, every facet of his game. Um so I’m just happy to see that. Um especially it’s it should be a big year for him. Are you trying to just get a membership to Cherry Hills? Is that what we’re doing now? Listen, if they want me, I would not say no. Um it’s a great place. Love the country club. So if they want me, I won’t say no.

Hear what the Denver Nuggets had to say after the bounce back road win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

0:00 Coach Adelman
7:45 Peyton Watson
10:51 Nikola Jokić
14:08 Bruce Brown

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