Matt Moore 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.
All The Nuggets Need Is Jokic
Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) following a score in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images|Ron Chenoy/Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
On the latest edition of Locked on Nuggets, Ryan Blackburn and Matt Moore broke down the NBA Cup, whether Jokic God-Mode could win the Nuggets a second title, and if AG should play full-time backup five.
Jokic’s Solo Impact: Can He Carry the Nuggets?
Matt Moore: “What if Jokic is just so good that that’s the story of the season? That just like the Nuggets… beat all the expectations and went over their win total and they won the title just because Jokic is this insane.”
Ryan Blackburn: “If he was able to take Denver to the finals and win the finals when nobody else is really playing that great anyway, that would be... the most tremendous singular effort that I think I’ve ever seen in the NBA.”
The Backup Five Dilemma
Ryan Blackburn: “The solution is a trade… whatever pieces you need… to get the right player in the building that can spell Jokic, that can spell Aaron Gordon.”
Matt Moore: “If AG gets hurt and he plays through it, then I’m going to have to deal with certain people… complaining about his lack of production and impact when it’s like, yeah, because he’s… had the snot beaten out of him.”
NBA Cup’s New Energy
Matt Moore: “It’s a backstop on the effort. That’s my thing… I just think it’s such a fun thing for the fans. I like the courts. The courts are so much better this year.”
Ryan Blackburn: “My personal opinion has always been that they should have shortened the regular season and made this a separate event… something that they care about.”
Can Denver Win the NBA Cup?
Ryan Blackburn: “I think Denver can get out of that group. The question is, what will they have when they do?… I don’t think that Denver wins it, but twenty-nine teams don’t win it.”
“If I knew that Aaron Gordon was going to be back and if I knew that Nikola Jokic was going to be like, ‘we’re not losing one of these games,’ then I’d feel a certain kind of way about it.”
“I think that Joker knows that the playoffs are more important. I think that Aaron Gordon is not going to rush back for the NBA Cup games… so I don’t think that Denver wins it.”
What the Future Holds
Ryan Blackburn: “When Aaron Gordon comes back, I do think that there is going to be a very interesting conversation to be had about what Denver’s best looks are and how they can get more of their best players on the floor.”
“Let me give you a name really quickly that I’ve been bandying about… Bobby Portis. Could he be a guy that Denver goes and gets?”
Klay Thompson’s homecoming to The Bay started well before he hit the floor last night at Oracle with the Mavs and roughly 19,000 fans started waving nautical Captain hats.
It started mid-way through last season, when Golden State didn’t signal they’d immediately be resigning Thompson as the franchise had, up to then, always been in a hurry to. There were shades of it along with Thompson’s frustrations in his game changing, the splashy shots not falling as fluidly as they used to. Clues came in the way the Warriors felt their frustrations as a team: once together, a cohesive unit, and then splintering and individually.
“Even from July, when Klay decided to go to Dallas to us showing up for training camp and him not being here, it was kind of like a slow build to this night for everybody,” Warriors point guard, Steph Curry, said after last night’s game.
Basketball isn’t played in a vacuum, and Curry sharing the psychic and emotional timeline of the team underscores that in a rare glimpse behind the curtain. Sometimes its brightest full-circle moments have to struggle through discomfort, angst and loss in order to come back around. Often, the storylines with the most ups and downs are the ones that end the most cathartically.
Since this season began, Thompson’s been candid about how necessary the move to Dallas was for him. “Every pro athlete’s human, and uncertainty can bear on you,” he told ESPN prior to Tuesday night’s homecoming game.
“Honestly, it’s rejuvenated me and done something I needed bad just for my mental [state] and my career,” Thompson said.
It’s a knife’s edge between animosity for an athlete’s who’s left a franchise they share a storied history with and sympathy for their decision. What tips fans to one side or the other can skew personal, so isn’t always easy to predict, but Thompson’s tendency toward honesty helps. He’s always been someone who wears what he’s feeling on the floor openly, and for that fans — for the most part — respond with empathy. There’s a sense that through all the years he played for the Warriors there was an open conduit of conversation between him and the fanbase.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Legacy Klay Thompson feels “free” after his late-career move to Dallas. (ESPN)
Apology Veteran NBA player apologizes for his controversial statement about Nikola Jokic, seeking to clarify his comments after backlash. (Sports Illustrated)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Takeaways From Tuesday - Robert Williams Day
Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (35) shoots the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) during the first half at Moda Center. |Photo by Soobum Im/Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Tuesday’s NBA games offered a wealth of insights for fantasy basketball managers. Here’s a closer look at the key takeaways and strategic moves you should consider:
Charlotte Hornets vs. Orlando Magic
- Grant Williams: With his move to the starting lineup, Williams is a viable short-term pickup, especially while the Hornets deal with injuries. His ability to contribute in multiple categories makes him a solid addition in deeper leagues.
- Moussa Diabate: Diabate’s rebounding prowess is noteworthy, especially with the Hornets’ frontcourt injuries. He’s a strong option for those in need of rebounds in deeper formats.
- Franz Wagner: Wagner’s performance underscores his value, particularly with Paolo Banchero out. Consider selling high if you can get a top-tier player in return, as his current production may dip once Banchero returns.
Miami Heat vs. Detroit Pistons
- Tyler Herro: After a 40-point explosion, Herro is a prime sell-high candidate. His shooting percentages are unlikely to sustain, so capitalise on his current form to bolster your roster.
- Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey: Both players showed their potential to fill the stat sheet. Cunningham remains a must-start, while Ivey’s bounce-back game suggests he’s worth holding onto for his upside.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Nuggets podcasts.
Nikola Jokic: All-Time Great Nikola Jokic is having maybe the best start to an NBA season...ever? He’s become a sheer giant in his age 29 season and this is (as predicted) could be a career year for the Joker. The growth of Christian Braun and Peyton Watson were the Nuggets only chance at competing for a title this season and so far...they are both outperforming expectation. How and why is this possible? Calvin Booth and Michael Malone have had a challenges in the past but both of them are off to great campaigns this season.
Nikola Jokic INSANE NIGHT | Nuggets Beat Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving No Jinx returns on Sunday night! Matt and Ryan break down the Denver Nuggets clutch win over the Dallas Mavericks. Michael Porter Jr. hit a clutch floater, Nikola Jokic continues to dominate, and the Nuggets went 5-0 at home. Matt and Ryan discuss it all on the latest episode.
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.
