You've got the Krekman and Lyndahl Podcast.

Listen live every weekday from ten am to noon on Altitude Sports Radio ninety two to five and on the Altitude Sports Radio app.

Nate and Andy are out.

It is me Mark Springer.

I am in for my dudes today.

Alberto, you're your Wedda producing today's show.

And Tuesdays at four o'clock, we we like to bring in Chad Brown to talk some Broncos, talk some NFL.

Former NFL linebacker Chad Brown joining us right now, Joining me right now, Chad, it is your Taco Bell fifty K completer here with you.

Thanks for the shout out earlier this year.

You're the man.

Man.

It's gonna be.

It's gonna feel like the Chargers have nine stops Taco Bell in them on Sunday when they're playing the Broncos at Mile High in that elite defense and the Broncos playing for a one seed without Justin Herbert and a handful of other starters.

Chad, Why why are the Chargers doing this?

I think coach Harball is recognizing that his team is just too beat up and without the reasonable opportunity to get the buy and all those things.

He just looks at this as, you know what, let's use this opportunity to get our guys fresh, get justin Herbert feeling better.

He's obviously been sacked so many times over the last five or six weeks.

But for the Broncos, this is now the fifth fifth backup quarterback they'll be facing this year.

And so for the folks who nationally who want to poke holes in the Broncos and what they've been able to achieve this year, this only adds more fuel to that fire.

But for the Broncos, you can only play who's on the schedule.

You don't get to control who's healthy and who's not.

You just go out there and try to find ways to win, which is what they've done all year long.

Chad, I think think the Trey Lance is like a better version of Chris Ola Dokin, who the Broncos only beat by seven points on Christmas Night.

I like that Chiefs team was in And now, granted I don't know how many starters the Chargers are gonna sit, I'd imagine it's quite a few, if not the vast majority of them.

Whereas Kansas City, you know, Kelsey's still out there Chris Jones is still out there.

But if Ola Dokin was able to, you know, manage a game, that's really what he did in the in the lightest sense, he managed that game.

Do you think the Trey Lance and this Chargers whatever is around him, can they pose a threat to Denver in a way that Oli Docan and the Chiefs were actually in that game?

Well, all season long, we've seen the Broncos play down to their opponents level.

So there's been two one score games with the Raiders, this last one score game against the Chargers when they were with their third quarter.

So there's the Broncos aspect of it.

But then to your point, the Chargers, Trey Lance wants to show well, he wants to show people he's got something.

He's He's got maybe a backpage on his contract, He's got a couple incentives that are possible for him to earn.

He's not the only one on that Chargers team who has motivations maybe aimed towards next year, maybe aimed towards making an impression, maybe increasing their bank account with some of those incentives on the back page of the contract.

There could be lots of forms of that.

I expect this hardball coached Chargers team to show up ready to go.

What actually happens in the game, who plays and who doesn't?

I don't think we know.

I had the call this last weekend for the Giants Raiders game.

Giants showed up, Jackson Dark showed up.

Raiders did not show up.

Raiders got their butts kicked in that game.

So that was the two worst teams in the NFL getting together.

One team was most debated, one team wasn't, and it showed up on the scoreboard.

And so if the Broncos choose to play down as they have all year long to a lower level opponent and perhaps not take this Chargers team lightly, they might find themselves getting punched in the mouth here.

That certainly could happen.

We know all the close games that they've played, but chat like they have to win this game.

If you lose this game, you will be deemed the most fraudulent division winner in recent history.

Because I don't know, they won't even get the one seed.

Then now all of a sudden, the Patriots and or the Jaguars are stealing that from you.

You have got to win this game, not just because it's for the one seed, but because of who's lining up on the other side, it's likely to be a bunch of dudes that you should be better than.

Well, gosh, we don't have to go back far in the history of the NFL.

We have got to go back to last night.

We just go back to the Chargers, I'm sorry, the Falcons Rams game and see a team team that had a ton to play for in the Rams versus a team that had nothing to play for in the Falcons, and the Falcons smoked him.

Now two interceptions to pick six.

It took a couple of those things.

Robinson.

There even Kirk Cousins better than Trey Lance.

Right, Kirk Cousins is better than Trey Lance, and Bijon Robinson is better than Amario and Hampton, no doubt about that on both regards.

But again, this Broncos team has shown a proclivity to play down to its opponent's level.

So if they were to approach it as they seemingly have approached, say the Raiders twice this year won score games, and the Chargers get hot and get a pick six and a scoop and score fumble on bow knicks, and suddenly the Broncos are find themselves in a fight again.

I think we believe in the Broncos in Denver, but you know, you got to recognize nationally the holes in this Broncos team and the holes in the Broncos schedule and this being the fifth backup quarterbackcos face, why this conversation that happened in Denver doesn't match to the perception around the country about who the Broncos really are.

Let me let me ask you.

Let me ask you this way.

You know, Okay, last year they blow out the Chiefs, who didn't play anybody.

But this was their first trip.

This group's you know, led by a rookie quarterback, their first trip to the playoffs.

They have to go to Buffalo.

Josh Allen's really good.

You get blown out?

Okay, if they if they do what they should do finally, and that's you know, let's call it a blowout.

Maybe it won't be overly blowout, ye, but no double digits plus finally a non one score win.

Let's say they do what they're supposed to do.

We're feeling good.

If it's close, Chad, if this team that really has no business even playing in a close game, even though to your points and as many have said, this is what the Broncos do.

They could easily play a close game playing down to their competition.

Does that give you on this team if they do not blow them out going into what would be a second round game where you're the home team.

I think they have defied conventional football wisdom.

But in the playoffs, that's typically where conventional football wisdom catches up with you because you're facing good teams that have good coaches that you know.

I know there's going to be some teams that this year in the playoff who haven't made it because that's how the NFL structured.

There's usually four teams per conference that make it in that weren't in there the year before.

So, but you'll be facing teams that have had levels of success, that have surged late in the season, and are playing their absolute best football all year that they've played all year.

So there's all those things that would give the closeness of the Broncos games a lot more doubt out from a playoff perspective.

Regardless of what happens in this game, I know what most of the country is thinking because I've traveled most of the country and had conversations in stadiums all around the country with people, and they have considerable doubts about this Broncos team.

And at every opportunity outside of the Green Bay game, this Broncos team has yet to decisively change the conversation nationally.

Again, I believe in them.

I believe what Sean Payton is doing is finding a way to win every single week.

And that's a different formula every week.

And there's a lot to be said for a team that knows different ways to win.

If the ball game doesn't unfold the way we expect it to fold, we'll still find a way to get it done.

That's what good teams do in the playoffs.

So I see the yang and the yang.

I see both sides this conversation, but I do expect it, I guess to go back to your broader point asking that question, to be a much better performance than what we saw last year versus Buffalo.

And you have home field advantage, like, no matter what you know, your first game, whether it's after a bye or should they, heaven forbid, lose this game, you're still hosting a home playoff game, but it would be week one in the bye would in all likelihood go away.

What do you make of the AFC field as a whole, Chad.

I can't remember seeing it so narrow from one through seven, the margins so thin where I could almost flip a coin.

I could even see our producer Alberto Urueta's Steelers like making a run.

That's how stupid I feel like it is right now that forty two year old Aaron Rodgers has a chance.

Should they beat the Ravens on Sunday night?

And what the hell's going on with them?

And Lamar maybe going to Snoop Huntley even if Lamar could play because he's playing video games or whatever it is.

Eh, Jacksonville looks good.

The Texans have that defense.

Buffalo has questions, but they have the best quarterback in the field.

I mean, have you ever seen a field like this where I can't predict this for the life of me?

And I think if you do predict it correctly, you just got lucky.

This goes to illustrate that there are no perfect teams in football, but this year, more so than any other year in recent memory, the imperfect teams are far more imperfect than we've seen.

And so for the Chargers to be the sixth seed and eleven and five, Well, they just had.

They finished the season kind of in such a disappointing fashion, and now they're gonna most likely lose this game this weekend to the Broncos.

The Texans had the lowest scoring offense in the NFL for like half of the season, yet they're the fifth seed.

Jacksonville's done a good job surging late and they're very opportunistic in the secondary.

But the number one seed, the Broncos, They've only got twelve turnovers on defense.

It's not playoff worthy defense, only twelve turnovers.

So the imperfections are really taking the forefront with all these football teams this year.

So I don't know what to make of it all.

I just know it's going to be interesting.

I know it's going to be compelling, and I know it's going to as this football season has done challenge conventional football wisdom in ways that it hasn't been challenged in the past.

Do you have a favorite, your personal favorite, a team that you think I obviously Jacksonville's hot, Houston's hot.

And I'm not going to hold you to this, just so you know, like I don't think that you know, I don't care how NFL experty you are.

I don't think anyone has the answer right now, and I think what any of us say out loud could easily be wrong.

But who's your personal favorite right now in the AFC?

Gosh?

I like Mike Vrabel, I like the Patriots Vrabels.

He's earned his playing skill set into a coaching skill set.

Mike vrabel was not a great player, but he was incredibly smart.

He was super versatile, he found ways to win.

He maximized his skill set, and that kind of speaks to what the Patriots do.

Now.

We'll see if Diggs is gonna be in legal trouble based on some of the headlines today and that that's gonna affect his availability in the playoffs.

But at the same time, it's like, well, Chack, can you really be all in on the Patriots team?

Because typically you got to knock on the door, as the Broncos did last year in the playoffs before you can walk in the door.

And the Patriots they were awful last year.

So do somehow think this team that's played well is going to have enough experience in football moxie to make a deep playoff run That doesn't line up with conventional football wisdom because you always got to knock on the door first.

So yeah, I've got doubts about everybody.

But I suppose right now, to answer your question clearly, I would say it would be the Broncos, but looking at the rest of the field, I would go with the Patriots.

After that, watch this Bronco team closely.

I can understand the national naysayers, but I can also understand the Sean Payton will just find a way to win.

It doesn't matter how it looks.

It's not a beauty contest.

We'll just get the w There's a certain we don't give an f about it kind of attitude the Broncos have.

We just keep getting ws and I like that.

No, I agree with you.

I used to be like a style points guy.

And the way that you know everything's so even and the Broncos are just getting the wins.

I think it means something.

I think it really does mean something.

And it's funny, you know.

That's what it is.

Right now.

It's like who's your favorite?

The Broncos question mark, the Patriots question mark.

That's where we're at.

No one is certain about anything right now.

Before we get you out of here, Chad College football playoffs resume tomorrow night.

We got one tomorrow night Ohio State and Miami in the Cotton Bowl, and then on Thursday we got three games Oregon, Texas Tech, Alabama, Indiana, Ole Miss, and Georgia.

Rounding it out, which of those four matchups intrigues you the most?

Chad?

I think both Texas Tech and Oregon.

I think Oregon will get the upset if that's possible.

A five beating a four call man an upset, and I think Old Miss with Pete Golding taken over as the head coach and him being a defensive minded guy, he makes a few more decisions in that game that give his defense a better chance versus this Georgia team to get the upset there, So that would be a bit of a more of an upset.

A six over a three.

Indiana should smoke Alabama.

Indiana is the best team I've seen all year.

Ohio State should beat Miami.

Miami doesn't have enough offense in my opinion.

A Miami can play some good defense, but Ohio State's got probably the best defense I've seen all year, and they're the second best team I've seen all year.

So Ohio State and then he and I got them rolling, but I got the upsets in the other two games, and I'm I'm thinking that Oregon Texas Tech game might not even be close.

Yeah.

No, Oregon is favored in that game as the five seed going up against the four seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders.

I guess last thing for you, Chad, because Vick Lombardy is coming on this show next.

He's just been going to war on social media on his radio show for his Notre Dame fighting Irish.

Should they have been in?

Would they be part of this final eight?

Or are you team Irish should have been in?

They got screwed?

How dare the committee?

Your words for Vick Lombardy before he comes on with me, He's.

Got a legitimate point, James Madison, And I've forgive me because I always saw two lane.

Yeah, Tulane, Tulsa, Texas.

I mean, whoever the teaching there, they didn't they didn't deserve to be there.

And there's just such a massive difference in college football versus in the you know, March madness, where Cinderella can make a deep run.

It's just not going to happen in college football.

Ohio State.

Ohio State spends more on beef for the training table than the entire budget for James Madison's entire football program.

How can James Madison ever can compete in that situation?

So, yeah, Vic's got a point.

Notre Dame should be in there.

Would Notre Dame be there over Miami or over in Alabama in this round?

Possibly?

Possibly?

So I think Vic's got a point.

But it's got to show up on the field.

And Notre Dame's not doing themselves any favors by not joining a conference.

They make this difficult for themselves by some of their own choices.

All right, very well said, right there, Chad Brown, thank you so much for hanging out with me on this Tuesday afternoon.

Un.

We'll have Nate Andy back next week.

Look forward to talking to you after the Broncos seating is official and we know at least have a better idea of who they're gonna play in the playoffs.

Chad, thanks so much.

We'll talk to you next week.

Always good talking to you, Mark, great job man, See you.

Buddy, Appreciate you.

All Right, there goes Chad Brown.

You can follow him on Twitter at Chad Brown ninety four.

Chad is the man and coming up next.

I mentioned it right there.

We're gonna talk to Vick Lombardy, Moser Lombardi, and Cain of Altitude Television.

We're going to talk a lot about the big news of the day.

Nicole Jokic avoided a significant knee injury.

He'll be re evaluated in four weeks with a left knee hyper extension.

Also try to talk some Broncos and other Denver sports happenings with mister Denver Sports himself, Vick Lombardi.

That's coming up next on the Correkman and Lindall Show.

I'm Mark Springer in for Nate Andandy.

Alberto u Yuruetta is producing today's show.

It's out to Thoth Sports Radio ninety two to five.

Also, k All, before you hit that, I gotta tell the people, Burdo, we got a keyword in five minutes or less than five minutes.

Somewhere around five minutes from now, we have a keyword for apps ticket Tuesday.

You can win tickets to see the Avs and the Blues tomorrow night on New Year's Eve.

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I am in for my dudes today and it is an AVS ticket Tuesday.

We got two keywords for you today because we were supposed to Originally was supposed to be d Mak and Tyler going from about three thirty to six, but then the Jokic news, I mean it looked like he got hurt last night and we're waiting an update this morning.

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Hey, let's bring in Vic Lombardi, who's in his little setup at home.

I see him on the zoom.

Hey, Vic, Mom man Mark Springer, Hey, thanks for coming in and doing this today.

Bro, Hey, I love doing this stuff, so it's a privilege, you see.

That's the attitude right there, Alberto, welcome to the club.

By the way, that attitude right there is what I cherish and love because you've been with us from the very get go, and we had to shame huns up today.

The fact that you can come in and do this, which is not an easy task, by the way, I don't think I could to do three hours on my lonesome.

I have to talk to other people.

But the fact that you can come in and do that's a credit to your work ethics.

So at chab Mark, thank you And I've had a lot of help, including you here today, Vick.

How you feeling here at four twenty five on Tuesday, and because I assume you were you couldn't sleep last night and you were up at four twenty five am getting ready for your show?

Distraught?

Yeah, where you're not distraught?

So how you feeling then?

To now?

Relieved is the best word?

Would leave like a mofo.

I don't know what else to say after watching the injury last night and seeing it take place in real time, and then you know, the second half is a blur to me because I don't even remember what happened in the second half of that game.

Man, the second half really doesn't matter.

But watching the second half unfold and just asking questions about the availability of nikolaokicch and making calls and doing all that this morning, I had some suspicions that he would be okay, but you really can't go all out those suspicions until you get the MRI.

Like I was told last night.

Suspicions.

Well, I was told I was told by some people last night close to the situation that it doesn't look as bad as it seemed, But you really don't want to put that out there until you get the imaging because in this business man, the imaging is everything.

Right.

You've seen injuries before, Mark, and I'm sure everybody walking around you suffer an injury and you're like, oh, I'm fine, and then you go get the imaging.

Oh I'm not fine.

So until you get that, you don't really want to jump to any conclusions, and especially someone like Nicola Jokic, you don't want to jump to a conclusion until the MRI results were in.

They got in, and let me tell you something.

The fact that it's four weeks, I don't care if it's six weeks.

I'm just thankful it's not the season.

Oh one hundred percent.

Now hold on it.

Are you a doctor or are you not a doctor?

I'm a doctor in certain specific situations.

Yes, okay, So can you tell me doc?

Yeah, is it true that like if you tear the ACL I feel like I've heard this, you can just kind of like put a thumb in the area and like these doctors know, they're like, oh, yep, that's torn.

And usually the MRI will confirm.

That there's a test that everyone with a knee injury has undergone.

And you've probably seen it where those doctors grab the kneecap behind the knee and they push it around, shove it around.

Yes, so he obviously underwent that test.

Huh.

And for example Patrick Mahomes when he had his incident Jamal Murray, they do that test and they know right away.

That's that's that's kind of what I was alluding to you is like, and that's where you see, like Sham's in the NBA or chefter in the NFL, they will like like within the hour of the injury, you will see a tweet like the fear is Yes, they know right away, so when but that doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't some ligament damage if you don't feel it.

So they did the test with Joker last night and they said, Okay, it seems like structurally fine.

It sound you still got to undergo the MRI because there have been various cases and I'm sure there are people driving around Denver right now who can raise their hands and say, yeah, that happened to me, where the doc will tell you, okay, feels fine, but let's undergo the MRI.

And the results of the MRI say far different.

Sure, so, yeah, great news.

I mean you hate to lose them.

This will be the longest stretch of his career, yep, that he's missed, Like what a testament to his durability.

And I think it really at a certain point, like you know, the door comes knocking, Like everyone if you're in the league, if you're in a professional league for a decade plus, you're gonna miss a several week stretch at some points.

And I guess Jokic's time finally came could have been way worse.

But it speaks of the durability that he has had in his career.

Well, not only that, the importance, right, I was thinking about this.

I was speaking to somebody in the Jokic circle and I said this to this person, I said.

It just goes to show you the weight that this guy carries on his shoulders.

I mean, I want you to think about something.

He goes down with that injury last night, and for many people in our business, in our line of work, the world sort of stops because the fate of the Nuggets season rests on that knee.

His teammates, the coaches, the fans, the trainers, everybody involved in this rests on the fate of this guy's knee.

And I want you to to think about it in those terms, like this guy's sitting there going yeah pretty much.

You know he doesn't.

He's the most modest human being, most modest superstar I've ever met, But that much is riding on that injury and now his rehab, his recovery.

I hope he takes his time.

I hope he doesn't rush it.

I hope he doesn't feel pressured that he's got to get back earlier than expected, because that would just hurt everybody involved.

But that just goes to show you how important he is to the organic nature of this team, this sport, this city.

I mean you, I think I heard you at the top of your show, the two most important sports people in Denver, and I think that that applies to a lot of different people, right John Elway is always going to be number one on that list.

Joe Sakkik and what he's done is going to be on that list.

But for the Nuggets, it stops and starts with Nikola Jokic.

Well, I mean, I mean the NBA.

I mean, you know, it's it's NFL, it's NBA.

It's the way it goes.

And you know, Jokich is it's top ten player of all time.

Yeah.

How many cities can say they have one of those?

Not many?

Right, Like, even even with Elway and Peyton Manning who have come through tam can you say that, I guess you can.

Psicsacic a top ten hockey player of all time?

Border I don't know.

I'd have to really parse it out, but you know what, my my my gut is saying no, as.

Elway and Manning, and that's much harder.

In the NFL has different positions.

Are they top ten players of all time?

I would argue yes, but that's my top ten quarterbacks?

Okay, and quarterback is the most important position.

But when it's said and done, when he's done with his career, Nicole Jokich will be a top ten player of all time.

Yes, he will be.

Not many cities.

That's incredible.

Yeah.

That that, and that he's embraced this city and that they drafted him and he's been here since day one, and there's a you know, I can't I can almost sense this, you know, these thoughts from other NBA markets, other cities today like why, why are you freaking out?

Like why did you change your programming schedule?

It turns out his knee was fine.

No, you don't understand what he means to this city and how special it is that he plays in this town, and and how special of a human being.

That's a great point.

This is a cup check.

When you played sports, you're probably too young.

Did you have to work?

Yeah?

I used to phrase cup check for Hey, you're watching the NBA cup cup check.

This is a cup check for all of us who have admired a joker's work.

And and I'm not trying to sit there and yeah, I'm not on my on my knees here, I'm just trying to say this.

We always talk about taking it for granted.

Sure, well it's a cup check.

Time for that.

Yeah, life flashes before your eyes a little bit, right, And he almost do start to take it for granted a little bit.

So, So what does it mean for the team now, VIC, at least in the next few weeks.

I'm very eager to see how they respond, and I'm more eager to see what David Adelman does with this lineup.

Now.

He's been an offensive genius of sorts, He's been a lot of the reason why the Nuggets run their particular offense behind and with Nikole Jokic at the center, right point center.

So now, how do you redefine that?

How do you repurpose it?

I heard Dempsey on with you and he says, well, you install Valanchunis and sort of run the same thing.

I don't know if you can do that with Valentis because I'm not sure he has the offensive skill set to do all of what Joker did.

Sure he can distribute, We've seen him do that, but can he consistently knock down jumpers to bring centers out of the lane.

Can he do a lot of what Joker did?

There?

Is he as nimble?

Is he as mobile as Nikola Jokich is?

We're gonna find out fast that.

You know, what Jonas can do and what Nicola can do are two different stories.

I really want to see what the rest of the team does.

Do they have to change their whole game plan?

I don't know, but they have to change something.

Certainly that second unit will right.

I want to talk more about Deron Holmes because I brought him up to Chris Dempsey and then a few texts came in about him after that, and I don't know, man, Like it feels like they're really slow playing him.

Yeah, he did play a little last night, and I get it.

He tears his achilles and those are big time, especially for a young player who has not even played in the NBA at all really and doesn't even have his NBA feet underneath him.

But he was drafted vict what he played three years at Dayton.

Yeah, he's He's one of those guys that you thought like, oh, he could play immediately and factor into the rotation off the bench immediately.

Does the slow playing stop now?

Like, is it time to take the kid gloves off?

Well?

It better, you know Dempson.

I had this conversation last night.

Yeah, you got to treat him like a rookie this year because his entire rookie season was gone.

So this is a rookie season.

He's a first round pick.

A first round pick is supposed to contribute.

And I know that the Nuggets are loaded.

I know that this is a chain beach ap roster, but so's OKAC and they've had first round picks contribute, They've had rookie players.

I'm not trying to be a jerk.

About this.

But if he doesn't produce and show you something now, when can he?

When will he exactly?

When will he get another opportunity?

This is his time.

He's going to be leaned upon now.

He and Zeke Nause they are your backup bigs.

And if he can't produce now, when will he be able to?

This is going to be pressure field moments for.

Him exactly if not?

If not now, when, Yeah, I mean.

I'll get another shot?

What are we waiting for at this point?

And I reference his numbers with the with the Grands Grand Rapids Gold and they're very good.

And I know that that's the Gilak.

I know it's not the NBA.

I'm very well aware of that.

But he's clearly healthy.

You put up those numbers even in that league if you're not healthy.

So what are we waiting for?

So much of it is confidence, and these guys are superstars, are superhumans, and a lot of them will never to as much.

But when when he gets a dose of that confidence, right when he has a game where he's like, oh I just did that, you'll see it.

You'll you'll see it develop.

You've seen other young players develop like that, where you just give him a taste and they take it to the next level.

And I think that's what he needs to do.

That's why I would play the hell out of them.

I would.

I wouldn't waste any time.

You put him out there and you make him swim.

About Christian Brown.

Christian that's a guy that when he was a rookie, they was similar, similar mindset, sink or swim.

He swam.

Yeah, and now he signs the big contract.

I mean he's been That must have been the worst ankle sprain we've ever seen.

He's been out for weeks with that thing.

I think it was more than just an ankle.

That's why I say that.

You remember how the injury occurred, You remember how the foot sort of you know it was bad, Yeah, it was.

I think it was the high ankle foot type of injury that was more than just an ankle spring That's how they turned it.

But they're hush hushed about a lot of these injuries.

To be honest, It's like when they when they called Joker and cam uh bone bruises, right, that sounds so minor.

Now, there's a lot more to it than just a bruised bone.

More to it than that.

But okay, you know, hey, Christian responded, maybe Deron could respond, but we're thinking Vic the Christian is back by the end of this road trip.

Yeah, yeah, I would expect him back, you know.

And it's it's an interesting situation.

Now, like tomorrow night's game, you have one starter, Jamal Murray.

Yeah, he's gonna want to play because that's his hometown.

He's from nearby, right near near Toronto, Kitchener, Toronto.

So he's gonna have his homies there, he's got his family there.

He's gonna want to play.

You don't want to run him into the ground.

How much of a competitive How competitive will you be in a game with one starter?

At what point do you punt?

Right?

That's a tough one.

That is, you're a coach, your you're a staff that is, you're wired to win.

But at what point do you say okay, onto the next They're gonna have to say that a lot in the next few weeks, onto the next and sort of look at the schedule and say, what games do we really have a chance to win versus games where we just don't have the staffing for this.

And Toronto's better than people realize.

Yeah, Toronto's a good team.

Boo, Yeah, Toronto's a team with a full Nuggets roster.

I would have been worried about that round game.

Sure, And this is I mean, I thought that this road trip VIC was going to be tough from the on set.

You know, all knowing you didn't have Gordon and Brown until maybe the end of that thing.

And I know that the West is better than the East, but you got to go on the road for seven games out East and it's still a bunch of solid opponents.

I went from thinking like, okay, I would have called four and three, let's just say four and three a win, even though that probably wouldn't have been enough for some other people.

I just understand how tough this trip was when you really look at it.

Now.

Now you're looking at this seven game trip as give a couple, Yeah, like two and five is a win, get.

A couple, stay afloat, come back home, reconvene once you get at Ag back in the mix where he can play consistently a few games.

And you know that's the other thing.

These back to backs.

You go ahead and cross Ag and Christian Brown off those back to backs.

They're not playing both games.

They've got a back to back coming up here, So which game do you play him on?

There's a lot of questions that remain answered.

I don't I don't aspire to know everything about AG's injury situation.

I just know that when he steps on the floor, I'm always going to you know what I'm saying, when he explodes, I'm gonna hold.

My breath, Vick.

Last thing for you, just injury luck in general, Like it is so important, man, Like, look at the Broncos.

JK.

Dobbins is really the only player they've lost, you know, Wattenberg just went on ir So, Okay, you've lost your starting center and you're starting running back.

But that they are like Forsyth, that thought played well.

I think he can fill in.

You got Harvey, you got other options.

It's not the end of the world.

And good injury luck.

Overall.

The Avs have largely had great injury luck this season.

Like, really, Logan O'Connor is the only dude who's out for them right now.

A couple guys have been in and out.

Most of their players have not.

Injury luck is going to hurt the Nuggets chances at a better seed, but at the same time, they're not out for the years, so seeding takes a hit, and that's where the injury luck comes into play.

But their championship hopes are still very much so alive.

That's a very cogent comment made by you.

And I know you're too young to remember this, but the term nug life, all right, that goes way back.

I mean, I know it goes way back.

Let me tell you how far back, speaking of injury luck or injury misfortune, the Denver Nuggets had a legit chance to run with the Showtime Lakers in eighty five eighty six.

That was a good team.

That was a good Nuggets team.

They beat him in the regular season, they beat him on their floor.

That was a good Nuggets team that had a chance.

And their best players got injured in that series.

Alex Kinglish spoke his thumb in that series.

Calvin Neck got injured in that series.

Fat Lever got injured in that series.

I mean, you got three starters who can't play.

Of course you're gonna lose to the Lakers.

It started then, and there were so many more examples of that.

If you don't think injuries and look in luck are part of championship seasons, you're not paying attention.

It's always a part of it.

Let me ask you this, if Jalen Williams gets hurt, do you think, Okay c wins an NBA time last year?

No, no chance, I don't think either.

No, they maybe lose to the Nuggets.

Yeah, if Jalen Williams, who's the second best player.

You have to be at full force, man, you have to and if you're not at full force, you have to hope the other team takes a knock somewhere.

Toronto won its long championship when Kawhi Leonard was there.

Take a look at what happened the year that Toronto won its championship.

Dude, I think that if Kevin Durant doesn't tear that achilles, you know what was the game six, maybe even whatever it was late in that series, and like Thompson got hurt too.

Even the Nuggets in twenty twenty three.

As much as I was high on the Nuggets and they were playing well, you think it's a little different if they have to play Boston and they have to go on the road to my Boston that year.

No, it's amaz.

Yeah, when the when you're at the highest level and the margins are this thin?

Injuries matter?

And one more thing.

I was gonna bring this up several minutes ago, and then the conversation took us in a different direction.

And it reminds me actually, and I was thinking about this earlier today, but not necessarily something that I interacted with you on which is now just popping into my head.

So that suns in four series a few years ago, what was it, Yokich's out there, Porter's out there, shout out, Bones Highland.

I thought that Bones Highland actually showed up and you know, was a contributor, but they were down, like I think they had just traded for Aaron Gordon and he got hurt.

Ye, Murray was.

Out, Michael Porter Junior was out.

Porter was out too, okay, And I remember, you know, tweeting out like yeah, yeah, like duh, maybe they could have beaten Phoenix.

But but you're still mad because you have no chance in the long run, because you're just without these guys.

Of course, of course, so what will happen now is gonna be a like a dash to the finish line.

You're gonna get everybody healthy right after the All Star break, you hope, and you're gonna have how many games are left after the All Star break, because there's twenty four games to the All Star break from now, how many games would that leave the Nuggets to get things cooking, because that's gonna be again a mad dash to get back up the standings.

And I think the target right now spring, if these guys are to miss a month or more, the target would be the six or seven seed.

And the reason I say six or seven is because that gets you opposite Okac for the second round.

Yeah, those are the two seeds I'm looking at.

Do you think Okac would would look at the standings that say, oh crap, any team would?

I tell you what, I'm concerned about the Spurs too.

Sure you know you're falling on this that side of the bracket.

Then I Am not riding off the Spurs one bit.

But would you rather let me ask you, would you visit the Spurs in the playoffs?

Or Okay?

See, I would rather because you know the Spurs have not been there.

Exactly that element.

It's that element.

Yes, you got a bunch of young players who have not been in that on that stage.

The Nuggets on the road, I'm not They're fine.

Did you see the way they started this season on the road.

They're twelve and three on the road before the injury started happening.

They're fine and all of the besides the last night, every road game has come down to the buzzer.

Every one of them.

It's a good road team and very good road team.

And then they're gonna need that as this road trip concludes.

And okay, one one more thing, Dick, Like, okay, going back to and I referenced that Sun series from a few years ago, and they're without these dudes, but you know who they have.

You know who they do have.

They have freaking Yokic.

So like the reality is like you can have Yokic, but let's if you're without Jamal or then if you add even an ag to that, you're you're screwed.

But why is it that even I just Jokic is out there, you feel like you have a chance on any given night.

Because the entire strategy of the team revolves around Nikola Jokic.

No team is built around one player, like this team is by hook or by crook, like it or not, everything revolves around him.

And you have to reinvent yourself now you do.

I don't care what anybody says, you lose a player of this magnitude on another team.

Let me ask you something.

If Okase lost SGA for a month, they they'd lose it.

They'd certainly hurt, they'd be hurt.

But would they be hurt?

Like the Nuggets are losing Nikola Jokic.

I think they.

I think he missed the game or two and they just blew whoever they played out that night because because their whole offense, they around how SGA plays, which is line.

Yes, they got numbers they can throw at you.

This Nuggets team was built around this player, this particular player, and you don't find them anywhere.

You can't replace them, so you lose them, and it's costly.

And he raises everything.

I mean, he had me thinking Bones Hyland could play.

You know what I'm saying.

Like he's making Bones look good.

I know.

I look what he did for Bruce's pocketbook.

Yes, Like I feel like if guys around Yokic were to go down, Okay, he's gonna coach the hell out of a Jalen Pickett and he's going to elevate a Jalen Pickett and a Julian Strawther.

You could have everybody except for Jokic, and you're damn good, But then you're truly toast.

You know, what would be the craziest story ever is if what if the Nuggets over the next month went off.

And actually played above expectation?

Sure, and I don't want to be disrespectful to the remaining players.

They're pro athletes, they're NBA players, and I think Jamal's gonna be an All Star.

I am not disrespecting these guys.

I'm just trying to tell you what I feel and how I think.

But what if these guys surprise the hell out of all of us?

It would almost be a disservice to Jokic and his MVP run, because then everybody would say, well, maybe they're better than we all thought.

But they're also deeper than they've been maybe ever.

And I think it would also be a testament to Jokich's You know, Jokic has developed those guys.

You know, Jokic's guided everybody.

He's the one who ultimately would have shown them the way.

Even when he's out and Jokic is still gonna be on the bench, Vic, like, are you taking that whiteboard?

Perhaps?

Hey?

When I learned this morning after the results came through when I learned that Nicola jokicch was on that team flight and he was limping.

But he's on that flight with the team.

That gave me all the assurance I need.

He's with the team, he's with the trainers, he's on the road trip.

He didn't go into some solitary confinement to work on this.

No, he's with He's a team guy.

That's all you need to know about him and what he's all about.

He's I'm gonna I'm going to predict right now, not because he forces himself to come back early because of the pressure, but I think he's just wired and built that way.

I think he'll beat that deadline.

Of four weeks.

Oh, wouldn't shock me in the slightest.

All Right, he is Vick Lombardi.

You listen to Emotion, Lombardy and Kane every weekday morning seven to ten am.

You catch him on Nuggets broadcast.

You know who he is.

I don't even way to fill the void, spring way to fit.

This is not work.

This is this is what we do.

And I'm glad that we're talking about this today and not showing you whatever the hell Bowl game that was.

Yeah, we're listening to.

There was pressing business to attend to when we are happy to help guide everybody through it, Vicer the Man, thanks so much, Thank you.

Mark.

All Right, when we come back, Coach Mike Sandford is gonna come on with me.

We'll get his thoughts on the Yokich injury.

We're else gonna talk a little Broncos that's next.

You've got the Krekman and Lyndahl podcast.

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One of my favorite dudes.

He's coach Mike Sanford and he joins me right now in the Ramos Law hotline.

How you doing, Coach, I'll tell you what man spring before dark, pretty sexy man.

It's pretty good to hear just the spring Man the radio machine solo in the flesh.

You sound great, brother.

Dude, Spring before dark, Spring after dark.

It's the same thing.

It really is, and it's really just me sitting on my couch.

Speaking of sitting on the couch, Coach, where were you when you saw jokic roll is knee?

Good question.

I was on my couch.

I was on my couch.

Yeah.

I had two games going, a little money night football, a little bit of that going on.

I was, you know, what's funny is I was so spooked out of my brain because when I saw the Cam Johnson the mechanism of how Cam Johnson got hurt, I thought that that was going to be a season ender.

Me too.

And then conversely, when I when I saw Nicole Jokicic's injury, I was like, that's nothing.

So I was like, I put it out into the universe that Cam Johnson was going to basically, you know, I kind of did the reverse cakes hopefully but it worked.

But I was like, Cam Johnson's done.

Yeah, that looks terrible.

I've been around these long enough to say that that is not going to end up well.

And then of course Nicole yokitch but I didn't want to think that.

But it just didn't look.

It didn't look concerning to me, you know, it looked obviously never want to see your super star have you know their their ankle flash knee buckle at all.

But in terms of buckling that was those it looks pretty minor to me.

Well, at first I thought maybe, like did Cam Johnson just like hit his knee with the back of his knee, But then oh no, it turns out that he stepped on his foot.

At least it wasn't non contact, like there is some contact that can.

Kind Offencer Jones.

Contact was real contact, Isn't that I actually like, I like when it's contact based me too.

When it's no contact, I'm like, oh no.

But if there's some contact, I'm like, okay, there's some contact.

Weird because the a c L so so, the funny thing is that the contact part of it, there are a lot of contact injuries out there.

There's a ton, there's you know, a lot of meniscus, a lot of mc look like.

Michael Parsons when he's rushing bo Nicks and you know that there's no Those are the ones where I'm like, oh, yep, ACL's toast.

Yeah, It's it's funny.

The a c L is arguably the most significant knee injury in terms of a single ligament, and typically there's an accompanying ligament against damage.

But every time it's an A C L for me, like it looks like it's nothing until you watch it in slow motion for me on the film of a like a college or high school film, and you're like, oh, that's the buckle, and but it's there's like almost no explaining why it happens.

It's it's the it's the it's the worst luck of the draw thing for athletes that have a tiny, little strange non contact buckling of their leg or the way that you know, maybe their their lower legs stays you know, planted, and their upper leg moves and buckles while the lower leg is planted, And you say, you know what, how in the world did that guy's season and potentially even next season get ruined just because of that this simple little like miss misstep, if you will, and there's nothing to do about it.

So, yeah, you were.

I heard you and Vic talking about it, so I think you were.

You were describing like how you can tell an acl is torn on first first diagnosis of it.

So I've I've unfortunately, I've been out there as a head coach too many times for this exact test, as my sports medicine or team doc administers the the ACL check.

Really and really, what it is is you just violently, It's the craziest thing, but you you you would like you violently grab the lower leg right around the CAF and you stabilize the upper leg around the quad and you just you just pull them apart, like like front and back, and if it moves significantly front and back, they'll look at me.

Every time I've been out there, they'll look at me and you'll give me the kind of like like not like.

That's the look that you know that look, and it's like you can see the sadness in their eyes.

Yep, And then I can and I can see it.

Unfortunately, I've never well fortunately I've never actually administered the test, but I can see how much movement there is typically just just eye tests wise on that little like exam, and I say, yeah, that's not good, and it always it always ends up proving true.

However, I have been around where like there was so much trauma in that knee at that point in time that the inflammation already locked up the leg so that that that same test didn't have the movement, but then the next day on the m R it ends up being an ACL.

So that's what I was hoping wouldn't be the case for Nicole Jokisch because based off the early reports that I was hearing about Nicola jokicch it did not sound like the initial test on the on the court was such that he had a he had he had a significant damage to a CL.

Yeah, I mean because of that initial test, and I know it's not full proof, but you kind of know, like within the hour if if they have an ACL or not, so you know, the longer time goes on last night, and same for Cam Johnson a week or two ago, you do start to think like, okay, like maybe we're in the clear here, and we are in the clear and they're not out for the year.

Nobody's out for the year.

Yet injuries suck.

They can happen at any time.

That's why I say yet, but coach, like, it's great news.

I know it's not ideal news, it's not perfect news, but given the changing of the context, it's great.

It is great news that did Jokic is not out for the year and this team's championship hopes are very much so still alive and they got a great roster and even if the seeding drops, they can still go get this thing done.

Yeah, and Rob Tragulia tweeted out, and then myself in in Raj had the conversation earlier about you just try to end up being the eighth seed so you can just go after Okay, see right off the bat, I don't know that that's the case.

I may think you want to you want to quit yourself as best can with who you have out there, and like, I'm a bit you know this about me Spring Like for the most part, I'm a pretty big optimist.

I'm excited to watch you Onis valenteer this.

I'm excited to see Jamal Murray in a world for at least a month or maybe six weeks where he is the guy you know, and he wants to get that first All Star Game appearance, Like I'm excited to watch that.

I'm excited to see Bruce Brown, I think is a guy that's starting to come into his own back where it all kind of started for him in terms of the trajectory of his career.

I'm excited to watch what Christian Brown and eventually Aaron Gordon bring back to this to this lineup, and and so I think there's some there's some positives about that that you're gonna get some forced development for the depth of this roster, which was going to be the strength of this team was going to be its depth.

And that's what you had to do to go and even have a chance to match wits with Oklahoma City because of how deep that basketball team is.

Well, now you're going to get real opportunities to see that that depth developed together on a basketball floor.

I'm excited to see your on Holmes eventually.

I know he played last night, but with some regularity, so good.

I actually it's good news.

Like nobody wants Nicole yokachurt at all, but man, there's been a lot of load on that on that player, especially Michael Malone was here who did not believe in load management.

In fact, Dangier cursed me off of the show when I brought up load management on the Michael Malone Show a couple of years ago.

So I'm I'm glad that Nicole Yoki is just going to get five six weeks of rest and recovery as he as he gets his kneebacker or whatever, his lower body back to where it needs to be.

All right, Well, since I since I have you here, Mike Sanford is steamed football coach the Broncos.

We talked a lot about him yesterday.

They're not playing anybody.

News of the day in the NFL is Stefan Diggs and what's going on there?

The accusations against him that would coach that.

That's what does a distraction do?

Like that, even if he's playing, even if he you know, doesn't get suspended and he's playing for the Patriots, what does that?

What does that do for the locker room?

Well, it's tough, I mean, unfortunately, Stefan Diggs has had, you know, various we'll call it just rumors and maybe some off field challenges I guess that have sped self inflicted that have followed him around his career.

But it's just another another in the long line of distractions that Stefan Diggs has brought to various franchises in the National Football League, right, you know, And so I'm curious to see how how New England navigates these waters.

One of I will say is that Mike Vrabel played obviously largely under the Bill Belichick era, where you would you would use almost other people's off off field character issue players and use the Patriots roster as a rehabilitation center for certain players that have had some off the field issues.

Right.

So I will say that I think Rabel will navigate this.

You know, at least he's prepared to navigate this.

But it's a distraction and he was playing really good for.

We both talked about how great Digs has played in the past few weeks.

Yeah, and for for him to be, you know, such a such a viable threat with you know, that's a proven NFL you know, deep into the and you know he's played playoff football, right, So you know, outside of that, outside of Stefon Diggs, do you really have experienced depth on that Patriots roster?

Right now?

You're gonna build it, right, but there's not a lot of just known commodities in terms of skill players that are flanking.

Really a first year starting quarterback in Drake May, first full year starting quarterback.

What about his brother tray Von?

He was released put on waivers by the Cowboys today.

Man, he's had it, hasn't He had an a cl Yeah, he towards left acl in twenty twenty three, speaking of acls Man before he got hurt, what a ballhawk he was.

He'd go up and get some dirty interceptions.

He goes on waivers.

He's not quite the same player, even though he's twenty seven years old.

I'm I'm sure that there's been at least one Broncos person or you know, whether it's in the media or a fan or an onlook or whoever, has been like ah, Riley Moss is no good.

Go get Trayvon Diggs that that's not gonna happen though, right, no, A.

It's not gonna happen.

And the Riley Moss has filled in opposite Pats or ten the second extremely well.

And you have your you have your cornerback too.

He's an ultimate competitor.

He you know, outside of the game against the Jaguars, he's been a really good tackler.

Unfortunately sometimes he tackles people with the ball still in the air and at least the yellow flags.

But I think he's gotten that under control too.

It's almost like, you know, it's almost like PS two when he came back from his his stint on the you know, just missing timing, not on the IR PS two himself.

It's like he he wanted to say, I want to get some some of the attention off my guy for pis, I'm gonna get a few on it myself, and he did after Dance had more in the last like three weeks than Riley Moss has.

So I like Riley Moss the player.

I think he's going to be just fine down the stretch in the playoffs.

And I think overall, you just the pass rush, the coverage from the backers on both both running backs and tight ends just needs to be better.

And I think if it just keeps getting better, I think you have a shot to really be the dominant defense that we all saw early on in the season.

All right, last thing here for you, coach.

I'm just running through some stories we're going to do in the high five.

But now we're not going to do the high five because we got like a million people coming home.

We're going to get Scott Hastings here in just a sec.

But one thing I was going to talk about in the high five that never was I'll talk about it with you is Philip Rivers is not going to start for the Colts against the Texans.

Are going to go with Riley Leonard.

Why dude, why why do you have to see what you have in Riley Leonard.

I wanted one more last hurrah from Philip Rivers to try to get that win.

He's going three.

He's actually played pretty well.

Are you surprised by how well he played at forty four years old?

I am, and it.

Boy, did it look bad?

But it always kind of did with Philip Rivers, did it?

I mean, he's just got such an unconventional throwing process, you know, you guys gotta he got a tire around his good session and made me feel he's.

Even fatter now.

He thought he was fat before, he's like really fat now.

Yeah, he's he's fat.

He's face fat, which I respect.

Man.

Yeah, that was the guy who's been into drinking more than one beers, which.

You know respects started though, Dad Gummett.

He can still sling it.

He still can't, man, And he's an awesome dude to a really good uh ambassador for the game of football, coaching high school football and you know, having his team show up to watch him play it was really fun and he did some good stuff.

But I decided to see what Roy Leonard had to do.

And you know, I wouldn't mind seeing Riley Leonard in the Indianapolis Colts play for pride and you know, at least makes the Jaguars get battered around.

Now, because I don't know if you know that you knew this, but.

In the AFC, of the known teams to make the playoffs, teams that have are have played against teams that are five hundred or better, the Jaguars are.

The best team in the AFC.

They have a six and three record against teams they're five hundred.

Yeah, the Broncos three and three, Patriots three and two, Texans six and four, Chargers four and three, Ravens three and six, Steelers five to five, and the Bills are four and three.

So you'd love to see the Jaguars at least have steel a football game.

Yeah, and they come into Denver and win.

They might be the hottest team in the AFC right now.

They took that mantle away from the Broncos.

Very complete team, really, and with Trevor Lawrence is gonna play this way like we all thought he could.

Yeah, they're a dangerous team.

Hey, coach, I'd keep you longer, but I got to get to Mike Sander or you're Mike Sanford.

I gotta get it, Scott Hastings, So coach, thanks so much.

We appreciate you.

All right, there, he goes Mike Sanford.

We now go out to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, live from a hotel room in that lovely city.

It is Scott hasting Scotty, thanks for coming up to today.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm looking out my windows spring and I could see the Rogers Center.

Oh yeah, fun.

Don't they have like, oh gosh, you know what, that's a good point.

I think they have one where like the Jay's play, and they have one where the maple leafs play.

I think that's the maple leaf one, but I don't know.

It looks like it might be retractable, so that could be the that could be the baseball.

Everything's the Rogers Center up there, man.

And of course they spell center wrong, which really bothers me.

Scotty, how bothered were you last night you saw what happened in to Nicole yolkicch.

Oh you know, I don't know if bothered the word or not.

You're you're concerned obviously, because you don't want to, you know, torn a CEO, because didn't you start going your head.

Okay, when it's when I lost you?

Are you still there?

I got you?

Okay, you don't know when twelve months?

You know, when's twelve months?

You know, then you start doing the Matthew mean, oh gosh, you mean he's not gonna play until the start of next year.

You know, stuff like that.

And it's about listen.

It's a great opportunity for a lot of guys.

It's a great opportunity for the team to to kind of build themselves.

I was talking to d mac earlier.

I think they're gonna have to play a little bit of a different style.

Uh, it's good you got Valanchoona's the guy's been used to starting.

But let's be honest.

And uh, Murray said it last night in the post game, and he said, listen, we gotta figure it out.

He said, Joker does everything for it.

And you know, you can sugarcoat and sendy emails out and say don't say this, don't say that, but that's what it is he did.

But it is an opportunity.

I think they're gonna have to adjust how they play.

And it is kind of funny.

I will say this.

I talked with somebody they already started rehabbing.

I mean, he's not.

It is in twenty four hours and they're already, you know, not only just the ice and the stem and the you know, movement, trying to get it go.

They're already trying to work on this thing.

So if anybody can come back sooner, maybe it's him.

And if not, you know, we'll see where they stand in seventeen games or so.

Scotty, do you think that this is going I mean, obviously it's going to have to be more of the Jabal Murray show.

But how much, so like, how how much do you want the ball in his hands?

How much do you want him to be a shot creator off the dribble owning that basketball?

Because there's a very very fluid offense when Nicola Jokic is out there, and then a lot of times it does break down to the two man game between Yokich and Murray.

But do you want more more of just Murray taking over now or do you still want them to try to play, uh well through the five players out there?

Here?

Here's here's the problem.

I think.

I think it's harder to take what Murray does.

I mean, I think it's easier to take away what Murray brings to the table as far as you know, top end all star type game and talent, than it is Joker.

Because if you're gonna double Joker on the post and he goes, okay, well, I'm gonna go stand out here, and now if you're gonna bring help, I'm gonna cut you to death and pass and have twenty two assists.

Right, you're gonna you're gonna press me?

Whatever?

Okay, good, Then I'm gonna go get a couple offensive rebounds.

Let's see when you switch off.

This little guy that was fronting me, can now block me off the ball?

Oh you can?

Okay, I'll take five or six offensive rebounds, but back to end ones whatever whatever Murray.

Murray has to have the ball in his hand.

And you know, Denver did it a little bit through most of the game on Christ and Knight against and man, you know, the first two or three quarters, fourth quarter and overtime they didn't.

But first two or.

Three quarters, you double, you spread out, you get him to get the ball out of his hands.

And I think it's easier to do that to a guard than it is even even Nikola Jokics, because you know, listen.

First of all, you can't hardly keep the ball away from Nicola because he's, you know, two hundred and eighty five pounds and he's gonna pounds you if you if you try to get physical with him, you're you're playing in the news wheelhouse.

Now you can double him, But guess what, he can overlook a double team.

He can.

We've seen it, right, I mean, you're gonna come spring or how tall are you?

Six foot?

Six foot?

Six foot?

You come over?

You think you think you running over to double Nikola Jokic is gonna bother him.

He just gonna look, dude, he's gonna look right over.

He got triple teamed on that final play in the in Dallas, and he could have shot that thing.

You know, it's a debate.

Should he have gone for the little floater even being triple teamed, or kicked it to Peyton Watson in the corner.

He opted the key to wide open Peyton Watson, who did miss the shot.

But as a good play, it's a good basketball player from NICOLEA jokicch.

Yep and beye want's got to make those shots up?

Well, guess what's that's what you're gonna see here probably for the rest of his Roacher for sure.

Right is is guys are gonna have to make shots.

Guys are gonna have to when they make the right play.

In order for Murray to elevate game A he's gonna have to shoot the ball just unbelievable every single night.

But he also has got to not force it.

And he's a guy who just like that play you just talked about.

Mark is Now, when I'm doubled, I can't just step back throw it up with four arms up in front of me.

If I got four arms up in front of me when I'm shooting, that means somebody has no arms in front of them, right, And I know here's and I feel like I'm bashing Murray, but it's really not.

Murray is as competitive as as you need me to do is, I'm going to do it.

But I think the best thing for is gonna be Listen, He's got to get other guys going.

He's got to get Peyton Watson instead of averaging twelve, needs to average sixteen, right, instead of whoever might play and Aaron Gordon.

You know, if when he comes back, he's got to elevate his game three or four points.

Christian Brown average fifteen, last year's average eleven.

He comes back, they got to get him to sixteen seventeen.

And if they can do that, they can win some games.

And you know, luckily they had a great start to begin the season.

So you got a little cushion.

What if there's any way at all in the five ten, fifteen, seventeen, twenty, whatever the number might be, the joker's gone.

If they can float right around that five hundred, I think they'll To me, they should be real happy with that.

No, I think that for me with Murray, you know, I'm projecting a little bit on you know, how he's played in years past.

You know, certainly in the bubble where you saw he could take a game over and he could just you know, have that ball in his hand and he could create off the dribble and hit these shots that were just ridiculous.

But I agree with you, Scotty.

I think he is going to have to be more of a facilitator, which he has been this season.

He's got a career he's averaging a career highs and assists this season six point eight per game.

So I think he I think he will be more of that player more, you know, taking Jokic's lead, you know, taking those reins of being the guy who gets you know, Tim Hardaway can hit those open threes.

You brought him in for a reason.

You know, he'll be open if you're collapsing on Murray.

Yeah, a couple of thanks cost effect.

You always gonna remember cons of effect.

And you're right the ball, you know, And he got sick of that here in bubble Murray bubble and all that stuff like that.

He did go off and he was doing some crazy thanks.

But guess he was on the floor with him.

Jokicic was still out there and eyes taking space.

Yeah, eyes, and listen, le Bron James ain't the same player, you know, like right now that he was six years ago.

But he's on the floor.

What happens.

You still kind of gotta go.

You gotta respect, pay attention to it.

Yeah, And and that's that's where I say, And he's gotta get other people involved, because if if all the eyes just stay on Murray and no one else, and Murray is the first candidate, right, he's the first candidate, say you gotta get better.

You got to even do this.

You gotta do more to yes, But but everybody else has to come along because I'm telling you it's easy to take in my opinion, easy to take a guard away, uh with the ball on a game plan.

Then that it is someone like Joker that is multifaceted and it's seven foot.

You know.

It's not that Murray can't make the past.

He Can's not like Murray can't handle the ball.

He can.

But you're still talking six' three versus seven.

Foot you.

Know also when you Get jaden McDaniels and and Ant man coming over and w you you've got six eight and sixty five on.

Him you saw how that bothered him in That wool.

Series, yeah, yeah a year.

Ago so but But jaydeen daniels and And ant Coming joker or coming double Team.

Joker guess?

What so, yeah, yeah because he's going and think as.

Hell so it's not just yeah In, grave it's not Just.

Murray and, yes to answer your question long, Winded, yes he's got to step it up and they know.

That he he knows, that trust, me he knows.

That but but it ain't just.

Him they're they're gonna have to get.

Better you.

Know Peyton watson has got to be.

Better he.

Can't he can't give you thirty one night and then give you six, eight, six, eight, twelve, nine nine, eight you, know.

Fifteen he's got to find consistency himself where he's given you fifteen a.

Night you, Know Bruce brown's probably gonna up his game him coming off the.

Bench, jonis who's been a starting center in this league, BEFORE i can do.

That but he's gonna have to probably average round twelve fourteen to fifteen.

Points, also every everybody's gonna have to go up and then and then while everybody goes, Up murray is a Special.

Murray you, know you want to you want a, good good, news good look out of this spring is is this a great opportunity For Jamal murray to show the rest of THE nba he's An All.

Star AND i AND i think that you know One scotty's jokichiven playing in The All Star game probably not.

Anymore so THAT'S i, mean that's an open spot On Team.

World If murray wasn't already gonna make, it it just helps his odds even.

More but it's also Another, yeah it's chance for him to show, that you, know he can be that guy and that he doesn't Need, jokic even though they do need each other to win a.

Championship, right you know.

It's gonna be an, itchy it's gonna be an Interesting and here's everybody this.

Too they say we'll reevaluate in four, weeks so that don't always mean, hey four weeks, up, okay come.

Back that that could be, okay he's ready to.

Go now let's step up the.

Conditioning and this Was Darren.

Austin this goes for you, Know christian And cam And aaron.

Too they've been out however long they've been out five or six.

Weeks but guess, what now it's about.

Conditioning, hey, hey your ankle is, healthy go play forty minutes in AN nba game at their, pace because think about, it your ankle or In aaron's, position his.

Hamstring how much running you doing with them two?

Injuries sure you're not.

Running, Yeah so it's not just the time off for the rehab and to get the injury.

Healed it's now probably another week or two weeks to now get your body right.

Too so And i'll say, this and you know it, started really it started probably the twenty second game at, home but or maybe even the game before, that.

But it was big time In Orlando.

Miami.

PUBLIC i call it public because you, Know aaron AND cb have been working out somewhere on their, own or up and upstairs at the ball arena and so on and so.

Forth but now it's out in.

Public, now now they're out there before the.

Game you, Know Aaron gordon's dripping.

Sweat so you know when they come, back what did that?

MEAN i have no, idea BUT i do know.

This they both ramped up public appearances working, out AND i think that's that's one of those nixt, steps one of those processed steps That aloman talked about the other.

DAY i think that's one of, them because, now, hey we got a gym right.

THERE i know the game starts at thirty.

Minutes here you, go you got twenty get out.

There so we're starting to see that ramped up a little.

Bit SO i still THINK cb may come back before this trip.

Over i'm not sold on On gordon, yet just because you, know a difference between an ankle and a soft tissue.

Injury so but it'll be.

Interesting and here's another thing to think about.

Spring you think this injury To joker ramps those guys up Saying, okay we gotta we gotta move our.

Timetable.

UP i was thinking the same thing is there's a sense of.

Urgency but, YEAH i do think long, term there's still in A in the long term meaning this season and into the, playoffs they're still in a good.

SPOT i, mean as you're, seating gonna dip a little, bit, yeah, yeah, probably but if you're, in if everyone's a hundred, percent you scott.

IT i don't.

Care if this is the best playing team in the history of THE, nba which it would, be they'd be the best playing team in the history of THE.

Nba they'd be the best six seed in the in the history of THE.

Nba as long as they're, healthy, man that's ALL i care.

About.

Yep, WELL i know, this and, listen we don't know They they may go on a hot streak and win ten in a row and everybody takes them for granted because everybody's Beatn, oh they don't have a, joker so it's don't play hard.

Whatever.

Whatever the schedule does lighting up about Mid january after they get on this road, trip so maybe they make it squeeze some in that people don't expect them.

To but you, know how would you like to be that?

Team that's the.

Say you're six or seventh and you're the second or third place, team and all you, said wait a, minute our first round matchup is Against.

Denver, exactly really.

Exactly yeah You're houston.

Man what a great season we.

Had we're the three.

Seed we did.

It you know they got fully.

Healthy, yeah not only you Got, denver who's beat you two out three so far or three out of four so.

Far but they weren't healthy when they beat.

You they got, Everybody they got everybody.

Back the Lost Peyton watson like six minutes into the most recent.

One they got him.

In, yeah they lost him.

In now When Aaron gordon played like three minutes in that game In, houston they, won, sure AND CB i don't think was playing in that.

Game so they haven't they haven't faced a full Squad, denver AND i THINK i don't.

Know is It denver up?

Two is a two to?

ONE i guess all?

Right, Hey Scott hayes, things thanks for giving me a few minutes today getting off the plane getting to the hotel In.

Toronto you listen To scotty tomorrow Night ALTITUDE Tv Nuggets raptors first game Without Yo kich with the left knee hyper.

Extension, Uh, scotty thanks, again and have a good cul tomor on.

Night we appreciate.

You all, right we'll have fun and we'll you, know everybody keep your towels and, no we'll be all.

Right everybody will be.

GOOD i, DID i.

DID i.

Did see one of the coaches yesterday after the game SAID i can give you about five.

Minutes, okay, hey, hey it's better than the three minutes THAT i was.

Offered, well, no But i'm thinking like thirty seconds a game for the next you, know two or two.

MONTHS i can give him thirty seconds.

Maybe, okay all, Right, scotty appreciate, you, Man take, care see you.

Boys all.

RIGHT i gotta take a break here because coming up next we're gonna Get connor McGahee on to talk.

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