Author: Vinny Benedetto
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Versatile bigs take center stage in Oklahoma City’s win over Denver Nuggets
A once-endangered species looked especially healthy Saturday at Ball Arena. Back in 2012, the NBA made the decision to remove centers from the All-Star ballot due to the shortage of star players at the position. Now, the voting consists of two backcourt players and three frontcourt players, which accommodated the wealth of deserving forwards. Now,…
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Nuggets notebook: Denver misses Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s defense in loss to Thunder; Turnover troubles show up late
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was unavailable for a second straight game, and his presence was missed in the fourth of Saturday’s 118-117 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday at Ball Arena. Justin Holiday again started in place of Caldwell-Pope, who missed a second game while in the league’s concussion protocol, against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the…
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Nuggets notebook: Denver misses Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s defense in loss to Thunder; Turnover troubles show up late
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was unavailable for a second straight game, and his presence was missed in the fourth of Saturday’s 118-117 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday at Ball Arena. Justin Holiday again started in place of Caldwell-Pope, who missed a second game while in the league’s concussion protocol, against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the…
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Christian Braun downplays best dunk of NBA career, more concerned with defense
Christian Braun’s role is more complex in his second NBA season, but he’s focused on keeping his game simple. “Coming in as a rookie, my only job was to defend. My only job was to guard. Whether it was the best player or second-best player, my only job was to chase them around and make…
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Nuggets notebook: Peyton Watson produces in Denver’s win over Brooklyn; Nikola Jokic’s whistle; Jamal Murray returns
The box score did a better job reflecting Peyton Watson’s impact on Thursday. Denver’s second-year wing put up 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in Denver’s 124-101 win over Brooklyn at Ball Arena. Watson combined for seven points and three rebounds in Denver’s two previous games, which wasn’t a great encapsulation of what he’s…
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Nuggets vs. Bulls: 3 takeaways from Denver’s 114-106 win in Chicago
The Nuggets’ starters were bruised, beaten, and booted from the game but still managed to leave Chicago with a 114-106 win over the Bulls. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s wild win at United Center: 1. There’s a big difference between Nikola Jokic not getting to the free-throw line and the two-time most valuable player…
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Nuggets vs. Hawks | Nuggets get back on track in Atlanta
The longest losing streak of the Nuggets’ young season came to an end Monday in Atlanta. After losing three in a row for the first time this season, the Nuggets got back in the win column with a 129-122 win against the Hawks. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s come-from-behind victory. 1.Reports of Nikola Jokic’s…
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Peyton Watson channels Coach Prime in attempt to become Denver Nuggets’ shut-down defender
There’s a picture hanging in Peyton Watson’s locker showing the type of defender the second-year Denver Nuggets wing wants to become. It’s not of Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or any of the NBA’s other best wing defenders in recent history. It’s not even a basketball player. It’s Deion Sanders whose framed…
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Nuggets vs. Clippers: 3 takeaways from Denver’s 111-102 loss in Los Angeles
Denver’s road struggles reared their unsightly head Wednesday against the Clippers. Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 111-102 loss Wednesday in Los Angeles: 1. Nikola Jokic is truly one of one. Who else could have a 22-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist triple-double considered a bad game? The shot wasn’t falling for the two-time Most Valuable Player,…
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Julian Strawther putting DeAndre Jordan’s lessons to use during rookie season with Denver Nuggets
Julian Strawther’s no longer in school, but he still has an assigned seat. These days, the former Gonzaga Bulldog starts each game seated next to trusted veteran DeAndre Jordan on the Nuggets bench. “There’s a lot of good nuggets just from DJ on the bench,” Strawther said after Tuesday’s practice at Ball Arena. “I sit…