Adam Mares here, the host of the daily Locked On Nuggets podcast, with your daily Locked On Nuggets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Nuggets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Nuggets Vs. Thunder: 24-Second Preview
Dec 29, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) guards in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports|Isaiah J. Downing/Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The 24-second preview aims to give you what to know before the matchup as quickly and cleanly as possible. Keep your eye on the clock!
The Thunder are without Isaiah Hartenstein who broke his hand. Joker is going to EAT in this game. Chet Holmgren will block some shots but Nikola will get what he wants on the interior.
One thing that makes the Thunder tough is that they will switc up defensive coverages unexpectedly. So there’s no telling if they’ll double Nikola Jokic or not.
Jalen Williams looks to have leveled up and him vs. Michael Porter Jr. as scoring weapons could be the deciding factor.
Jamal Murray was 10-of-25 (40%) vs. Lu Dort last season, and Denver only scored 109 points per 100 possessions while Murray was in the Dorture Chamber.
OKC is 6-6 vs. Denver since 2020-21 and won the season series last year vs. Denver.
Michael Malone is 6-3 in home openers in Denver, and has won six of his last seven first home games.
Watch out for the bench in this game, especially this game. The OKC defense is ravenous with Alex Caruso now coming off the pine and the Denver second unit may struggle to start the 2nd.
Aaron Gordon should have favorable matchups with Hartensein on the shelf.
The Oklahoma City Thunder logo is a bison named Rumble. His backstory involves him being struck by lightning which gave him super powers. Super-Mascot Rocky needed no such electrical interference to become “super.”
We’ll have a late night bonus recap episode and Matt and Swipa will break down the game in detail on Friday at 12p.m. MT on Swipe and Gripe!
Oct 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) reacts with guard Trae Young (11) after making a three point basket for his first points in the NBA against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at State Farm Arena.|Dale Zanine/Imagn Images
Hello! I’m Mike Shearer, and I’ll be filling in for Katie every Thursday. A brief introduction: I write Basketball Poetry, an NBA blog with very little actual poetry but plenty of long-form analysis and bad wordplay. I’m excited to have this space to share whatever I’ve seen happening around the league, and hopefully, you’ll be informed and entertained in equal measure. I’ll also include a Mildly Interesting Stat (or Play) of the Week at the end, something to make you purse your lips and tilt your head for a brief second as you consider whether it’s meaningful or not (that’s my enticement to get you to click through!).
Right now, we obviously don’t have a sample size to speak of; we’re not deep-diving so much as puddle-skipping. So instead of overreactions, here are a handful of measured reactions, things I’ll be tracking as the season progresses.
Rookies living up to their billing
Analysts were not high on the 2024 rookie class, and for one game, at least, the rookies did little to prove them wrong.
The number-one pick, Zaccharie Risacher, came off the bench. Popular Rookie of the Year choice Reed Sheppard scored four points. Fifth pick Ron Holland did some fun defensive stuff but was a clear offensive liability, and top-10 picks Tidjane Salaun and Rob Dillingham never left the cedar. Zach Edey made history.
Sure, plenty of guys showed a few flashes, but only two rookies really shined. In Toronto, Jamal Shead is a ballhandler’s boogeyman, duct tape stuck to their jersey. If his offense can be enough to keep him on the court, he’ll be a dark horse All-Rookie team candidate. Yves Missi had the other debut worth highlighting, and we’ll discuss him more below.
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Home and Away
Watch
Just in time for tipoff. Altitude has released Altitude+, a streaming service designed to show every Nuggets and Avalanche game that’s not an exclusive national game. (9News)
Ranked
No. 21. That’s where ESPN ranked Ball Arena in its list of top NBA arenas. It praised Rocky, but dinged the concession options, placing them in the lower end for Western Conference teams.
Watch
John Schuhmann of NBA.com discusses five under-discussed players with pleasing aesthetic games and loads of on-court potential, from the rookie Donovan Clingan to defensive menace Jalen Suggs, with his usual stats-heavy focus.
Analysis
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports writes 30 paragraphs on players poised for a leap. There are some fun deep cuts in here, too, like Tre Mann (perhaps not that deep a cut after his performance last night!) and personal favorite Amir Coffey.
Awards
Staff at the Ringer choose their awards winners. Most Improved Player and Rookie of the Year are particularly interesting, with many different candidates nominated.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Takeaways From Dejounte Murray’s Broken Hand
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) guards Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
|Photo by Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The NBA’s real opening night on Wednesday delivered a packed schedule with 10 games, offering a wealth of insights for fantasy basketball enthusiasts. Here’s a closer look at the standout performances and critical developments that could impact your fantasy strategy.
Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard: Injury Concerns
Joel Embiid’s knee issues have sidelined him for the rest of the week, raising significant concerns for fantasy managers. Despite his participation in the Olympics, Embiid’s health remains a major question mark. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard’s situation with the Clippers continues to be uncertain. Reports suggest he might be out for weeks, and the team’s history of vague injury updates doesn’t inspire confidence. Fantasy managers should brace for a potentially extended absence.
Dejounte Murray’s Injury: A Setback for the Pelicans
Dejounte Murray’s broken hand is a significant blow to the New Orleans Pelicans, sidelining him for four to six weeks. This injury complicates the Pelicans’ lineup, especially with Zion Williamson also missing the game. In Murray’s absence, Jordan Hawkins saw increased minutes, but this was more due to Zion’s absence than a direct replacement for Murray. Fantasy managers should monitor the Pelicans’ lineup adjustments and look for opportunities where other players might step up.
Click below to see key performances and insights on other notable games from last night.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Nuggets podcasts.
Nuggets UPSET Thunder As Russell Westbrook Dominates And The Kids Run Wild Matt Moore breaks down how the pace Denver played with changed the game, how Jokic’s aggression kept OKC off balance, and how Denver got a huge win over their division rival.
Locked On Nuggets POSTCAST: Jokic, Westbrook and the kids lead Nuggets to upset vs. Thunder Aniello Piro breaks down the incredible Nuggets-Thunder game on tonight’s Locked On Nuggets POSTCAST.
Can Nuggets stand together without AG? Matt and Ryan go over the big picture of Aaron Gordon’s injury, discuss the next few weeks of Nuggets basketball, and preview tonight’s game against OKC.
