The Denver Nuggets are hooping for Christmas – Weekends with Swipa

The Denver Nuggets are hooping for Christmas – Weekends with Swipa

All right folks welcome in to pickaxe and roll brought to you by our good friends over at Superbook Sports I’m your host Ryan Blackburn at NBA Blackburn on Twitter part of the Mile High Sports podcast Network and I am here on this weekend’s with swiper episode with my guy swiper excited for a

Interesting Christmas day late coming up here going to be a lot of fun uh but we got a lot of nugget stuff to talk about swiper how you doing my guy I’m living Merry Christmas those who celebrate happy holidays everybody else happy New Year’s right around the corner great

Time of the year uh we got some different Nuggets basketball on Christmas and the nuggets are on a four game winning streak so I’m excited how do you feel about Denver playing on Christmas because I got to tell you as as somebody who goes to the games and

Also tries to celebrate Christmas with the family it is a little bit difficult and especially like Denver’s got a they’ve got a 12:30 game that we that we talked about and we’re we’re just we were talking about man when do when do we get there when do we uh when do we

Prepare and things like that so it it kind of interrupts the uh the daily schedule with the family a little bit but that that’s a little selfish I think yeah I mean you know it’s it’s obviously an honor and uh I think some of the players are excited uh it’s a big

Day it’s a nationally televised day it’s at 12:30 so like that’s like you know you’re in rapping presence on the East Coast at 2:30 and uh you know you’re with your family like so everybody’s going to be watching so it’s going to be really great game joic Steph Curry

Really Jamal Murray versus Steph Curry uh then joic versus everybody else in the front line so it’s gonna be a lot of fun it should be a really good game it should be a good game and we’ll have plenty of time to talk about that we’ll

Talk about that more in the the second SE segment to maybe the third segment but I I do want to kick off this show uh Denver just had a perfect road trip and I know that and I I said this online I can be a little bit critical of the team

Because I I hold them to a high expectation that’s the way that I kind of frame it is like hey this is a championship caliber team this is a championship caliber operation that they’re trying to run here prepping for uh the rest of the season so there are

These moments throughout the year where I’m like hey okay guys you gotta you got to turn it around you got to get this done and I think this the end of this road trip despite it being on the second night of a back-to-back when Denver’s facing Lamela ball out Terry Rosier out

Brandon Miller goes down during the middle of the game uh I certainly was was thinking man Denver’s got to get this one they got to kick it into gear and they ultimately got it done although it wasn’t the prettiest operation that they’ve ever had but Denver is a perfect

Road trip and they deserve credit for that they deserve a ton of credit for that as you mentioned they’ve won seven of their last or six of their last seven now uh or is it seven of their last eight I i’ I’ve mixed those two up because I’m still trying to figure out

What happened with that sgaa buzzer beater but um Denver’s been great they’ve been great for the most part what’s been the most uh impressive aspect of this this recent stretch uh probably just the you know I think the consistency uh they had played a third game in the last four nights

Versus Charlotte and the first quarter it made it look like yeah this is just they’re just dog tired and in the first half man they just really uh they gave up 60 points I think charlot had like a 124 offensive rating or something like that in the first half

Or something it was just really like a really ugly game uh and then literally bro like a championship team like a team that knows itself 30 to n in the third quarter r a 30 to n third quarter Charlotte went 0 of 20 in his first 20

Shots inside that third quarter and the Denver Nuggets starter I think joic I think you tweeted yic was a minus four Murray was minus8 was that at the halftime was that yeah some something like that it wasn’t perfect it wasn’t it wasn’t good like they were underperforming against this team and

Then they ended like a plus 15 or something like that by the time the quarter ended so yeah it was really just really a testament to how they’re built man that they responded so well Michael Porter Jr uh past few games has looked freaking great and uh you know obviously

You know just his shot making has been there hasn’t gotten a ball consistently but man the Denver Nuggets net rating for the starters Ry it’s just continuing to get better better and better bro so I was actually really encouraged by this road trip and by the fact that they’re

Healthy now and they just seem to be coming together and playing better than ever definitely definitely a weird one for sure um and like uh Alexander mentioned in that previous comment they had all the markings of a trap game just based off of hey this is kind of the time time

You won your first two Road games it’s definitely time to relax and they did but they also showed what it looks like when they really lock in and what their what their top levels look like when they lock in on the defensive end and I don’t even think that Denver’s offense

Was anything particularly special in this game they only scored 102 and they they were getting blocked uh like crazy throughout this game when when trying to go at Nick Richards of all people but it was still interesting to see and I’m glad that Denver kind of went through

That these are kind of the moments that you you don’t necessarily remember throughout the year but they could be shaping up for uh what Denver needs to do in those situations because how many times has Denver had to oh man we got to hold this team to 10 points in the

Quarter we got to hold this team to 15 points in the quarter it’s very rare uh but to show the capacity to do that is very important even if some of that was kind of uh it was it was certainly a mark of the Charlotte Hornets uh

Supporting Cast if you will right yeah man look bro it’s I think the team you have to get through these points and you know a lot of people that like they criticize the Nuggets or criticize Joker they just don’t watch them enough to know kind of the the the the the rhythms

To the season yo like they’re playing verus Charlotte they’re just not going to give you 100% effort to try to blow you out that’s just not the way they were designed like they’re not even built that from an infrastructural standpoint from a culture and so they’re going to struggle sometimes at periods

In those game but they’re going to have the quarters like the third quarter the same thing they did in the playoffs where they’re just going to go on these like marches and they’re just absolutely going to try to shut the door on you but shout out to Nick Smith yesterday bro 17

Five six from three in the fourth quarter that dude was unbelievable and then he was giving it out to everybody who was defending him mostly Jamal Murray uh it’s one of the reasons why Jamaal Murray had 10 defensive rebounds and 12 overall was because he was he was

Sagging off of the point guards for the most part and until Nick Smith de decided he wanted to uh have the best quarter of his life at the NBA level was very very impressive um but Denver got it they got it done they figured it out

And and they figured out a whole bunch of different things along the way uh the Murray performance in Brooklyn was something I wanted to mention I actually so I haven’t podcasted on here uh since before the Brooklyn game and I just wanted to make mention of that that’s

The level that the Nuggets need to not necessarily expect all the time but they need to see him get to that level more consistently throughout the regular season if they want to make things easy on themselves because he is so good and so talented and so Dynamic that having

The capacity to be able to do that is really really important in freeing yage up to do the things that he wants to do making things easier for everybody else and so I I wanted to make special mention of that like they had some good performances in Toronto nothing too

Crazy joic was very good in that one joic was very good in Brooklyn as well so like but I think the most important performance across this road trip was that Jamal one because it it looked like he was back to that level again yeah and again the starters uh as

We were talking about early in the season they were doing really well and then they went on that like really big slump uh but then you know at the last several games or so the starters have been excellent and they’ve been giving their net rating back up the defense has

Been better and they were able to lock in and so I think one of the things too that the nuggets are getting back on board is that even if their offensive control wasn’t there a lot yesterday the fact that were lock in defensively and they were able to kind of shut the

Waterall on the Hornets in the second half because Ryan the Hornets only scored 35 points in the second half now they’re not a good offensive team but they’re still an NBA team and so for theas to be able to do that I think was really important for them uh and then

Right now by the way so the Denver Nuggets starting five 14 games together 126 offensive rating a 110.3 defensive rating a plus 15.8 net rating so far in the year in 287 minutes but you know two weeks ago their net rating was like a plus five a plus six and they’ve been

Playing against some good teams so they have just consistently gotten better and now they’re kind of back at their old playoff dominant level be here’s another number I want to throw your way PBP stats does a a good breakdown for their different combinations of players um when joic and

Murray are on the floor in the 419 minutes that they’ve played together according to here plus 16.5 128 offensive rating 111 defensive rating uh just a very very impressive number and so when those guys play a part like joic is still very good Murray’s sample sized without yic has

Not been good enough but they like Denver sucked in those minutes for whatever reason um and when both of them are off the floor they’re a pretty decided negative it’s a minus seven but I still think in general Denver’s like the most important minutes are going to come when joic and

Murray are both out there and Denver is just a dynamic team still when when those those guys are on the floor and I think it’s been forgotten a little bit because Murray missed half the year yeah and they’re they’re the best duo in the NBA and like I think a lot of

This is you know people get lost in some regular season stuff and I think maybe that the championship has changed anything I think what has changed is everybody can do what they want and have these Peaks during the season have these Peaks during December or January or

February but I think the nuggets have proven that when it comes to the highest level execution Ryan there’s just nobody that’s better oh by the way um this was prior to last night’s game but they the Denver Nuggets had uh proud of last night in 14 games they had 400 and I think

32 assist I want to say right I think they had the number was 432 assists and 138 turnovers a three to1 turnover to assist ratio and and on top of that some of that was without Jamal Murray being in the lineup but they’re also before yesterday’s game they were fourth and

Half court offense and eighth and half court defense the Nuggets don’t turn the ball over they did yesterday 12 in the first half that’s the most they had in the first half this year versus Charlotte of all people didn’t they have like two the second half then because I

Think they finished with 14 right they just locked like that is that is what I’m talking about is like they locked in and and you know when the team is locked in versus when they are not they weren’t locked in in the first half but they

Found a way to win and they found a way to do it by just just playing a more focused brand of basketball and I think it it is funny like you you look over at the sideline L and Michael Malone is just like he’s got his hands like above

His hands like oh my God I can’t believe that they’re doing this again but he he knows that they have the capacity to turn it all the way around so it is very funny to to just understand the flows of this team and understand what they’re

Going to do and how they’re going to look uh they’re not always going to look perfect but they do have this level that they can reach that just very few teams in the NBA can so right really impressive stuff and like they they do deserve a lot of credit for that so I

Want to I want to make sure that they get it uh one last thing here before we hit a break Christian Brown uh I wanted to just mention him really briefly at the top here of this segment um I’m a little bit concerned in some ways about

His game there were like like he had some nice pull-up threes in this last game and like he had one just coming off of a dho and looked really good really comfortable but the crashing into guys driving into the lane I’m a little bit worried about it I think that he’s going

To get hurt I just I think that that is a a very strong possibility over the course of this next uh this next couple months here if he doesn’t come up with a way to save his body a little bit especially like he’s a seconde player I

Understand that he is going to be a little bit more Reckless than one of the veterans because he he feels like he’s Invincible I have no doubt he’s probably barely gotten hurt in his career before but it’s going to happen at some point and I’m just I’m a little bit worried

Because he’s he’s putting himself into a position with some of these crashes into the paint where I I’m I’m just worried that he’s going to hurt himself yeah I mean he hasn’t had the the the best year so far I think but he’s shooting better I mean he’s shooting 38% from three

Obviously that’s what people were asking for but I think some of it is just the development in some ways you just haven’t seen defensively he’s still been good but I saw I don’t know if you saw on the on the on the the feed yesterday uh he was getting bodied by PJ

Washington in the first half and Michael Malone when they called a timeout he I think he told one of the assistant coaches that CB can’t guard him you know and so but again PJ’s also extremely tall he’s a big player so like that’s you know that’s not like a huge deal um

But yeah he just is having uh some struggles figuring out some of those nuances and I’m not going to hold you bro Peyton Wat has been out playing him for a little bit of time now but I think that speaks more to pton Watson’s development as opposed to CB not playing

Well I think CB is still good and he’s still a valuable player of this team obviously and can continue to get better U but like some of that stuff his finishing and everything else that stuff just needs to be fixed up a little bit but I think he will get through over

Time yeah so some of the numbers here he is averaging 75% field goal percentage from zero to three feet that’s been good mhm the problem is if he can’t get all the way to the rim and a player steps in front of him right he’s now shooting

31.9% on those shots like from three to 10 feet basically and that makes up 34% of his shot diet that’s a third of the time a third of the time basically he’s getting all the way to the rim and a third of the time he’s not getting all

The way to the rim and then he’s mixing in some threes and maybe one or two mid-range jumpers here or there but for the vast majority of it like I think he needs to come up with a floater I think he needs to come up with

A um he needs to come up with like a a stop and pop jumper basically like that would really help him out and it may not happen this year I I willing to concede that but I’m just a little bit concerned that teams are they’re now starting to

Understand the game plan on him a little bit on the offensive end and that could come with some uh some negative ramifications for his minutes in the playoffs yeah I’m be honest with you I’m not super worried but again you you kind of you kind of know how I am though it’s

Not that I’m not worried it’s just that I think some of this will get ironed out because the season is long and I think he will get it because he’s an incredibly intelligent player it’s just there are just things to his game that are just not very smooth and that that

Thing you’re talking about right there is the most unsmooth part of his game and I think similar to pton Watson he’ll get caught in in the lane dribbling too much a little bit trying to create lose to ball whatever else it is so again you know they’re young like Christian Brown

And Payton are so young that they’re gonna continue to have little issues like that but I do think that over the course of the Season they’ll iron some of those things out in the game obviously hoping Christian stays healthy and everything yeah again this isn’t really me saying like oh I’m really

Concerned about Christian’s long-term development here I just think that these are things he’s got to learn especially if he’s going to be the Bruce Brown replacement to in a lot of ways I know that Reggie Jackson’s taking up some of that mantle obviously I I don’t I don’t

Think either one of them are the Bruce Brown replacement I think Malone has been making it clear with the Houston game the OKC game and the Nets game the Bruce Brown replacement is pton Watson it’s fun to see it’s interesting to see all right let’s take a break when we

Come back we are going to chat about Denver’s Christmas wish list for taking some things into the new year I asked swipa like what what some of the things that that he has on his Christmas wish list for the Nugget and uh maybe for this nuggets Warriors game specifically we’ll be right back

But first everybody this podcast as you know it’s broughts you by our good friends over at Superbook sports did you know that you can refer a friend and earn $50 this season with Superbook Sports they are the most trusted name in sports wagering and you do not want to

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Wagering and win money referring with Superbook Sports visit superbook.com for terms and conditions gambling problem call 1800 Gambler we’ll be right back on weekends with swiper and we’re back pickax and roll Ryan Blackburn here thank you so much everybody for tuning into the show make sure everybody hit that like button hit

That subscribe button down below would greatly appreciate it as we continue to uh to expand the Mile High Sports YouTube channel uh Anil airo has been killing it on his end he’s been doing a great job putting together a bunch of shorts putting together a bunch of

Interesting content for you folks so it is not just live content that you get from this YouTube channel you’ll get some other podcasts too and then some of them recorded and you’ll also get some interesting shorts so make sure to go check them out all right swio let’s chat about

Denver’s Christmas Day game and their Christmas wish list for the upcoming season uh Nicole yic I would love to see dominate Kevon Looney and Trace D Jackson Davis that’s probably the first thing on top of my Christmas wish list but I’m curious to hear what you’ve got

Uh what would you let’s say for this Christmas Day game where the Denver Nuggets play the Golden State Warriors at 12:30 p.m. on Christmas Day what is the one thing that want to see most in that game yeah take care of business uh I think win stay healthy and I think a lot

Of this is Jamal Murray this is more of a Jamal Murray uh opportunity I think he’s gonna be playing versus Steph Curry on Christmas on ABC Andy just came off a 32 and9 game versus the Ness and another 20 piece versus the Hornets this is the Jamaal Murray game playing really well right

Now he likes playing versus Steph Curry he boded step last year when they played in Denver this is a great opportunity for like let everybody know like cool y’all don’t think I’m an Allstar y’all think I’m a weak second option all of a sudden all this other stuff go ahead see

If you can drop 40 on them again 35 why not just go ahead and do it and I I think joic is yic is gonna do what yic do he they don’t have the personnel with Draymond to contain him and so if they’re going to sit I mean this this

Probably could end up being a 25 based on this shot profile Joker like he might shoot 14 times tomorrow but this could be a 25 12 or 13 and 11 game for Joker tomorrow on really good efficiency Porter I would love to see J I’ll say

Number one on the wish list I want to see Jamal Murray dominate this game see if he can get 30 35 points it would be dope it would be extremely dope if he was able to do that um just going back to the uh game that Denver had against Golden State

Previously Murray didn’t play in that one Reggie Jackson started that one but Joker had 3513 and five uh it was funny uh Bill Simmons was commenting on that game like yeah it’s been clear for a while that Golden State just does not have any answer for joic when he wants

To really go to that level uh but Denver in that game did a fantastic job against Steph he did shoot six of 13 from three but he shot six of 17 overall and was just he was very limited he was minus 10 Denver did a good job of limiting the

Amount of opportunities that he had but joic 14 of 25 from the field one of eight from three so that means he was 13 of 21 or no 13 of 17 excuse me from the from two-point range just dominance inside when he wanted to be and like I I

Just don’t think that they can hold him like you said but I think you might be right about Jamal man like this if if we’re we’re kind of losing some steam on the Jamal Murray Allstar conversation for this year given that he he missed as much time as he did initially and if

There was a time for him to put his name back into the ether for like hey I am an Allstar I am capable like you should vote for me uh it would probably be this one yeah uh Jamal last four games uh 23.5 6.5 5.5 shooting really well from

The field uh by the way I don’t know if you know that do you know let me let me let me make sure could it might it might have changed a little bit yesterday uh do you know what Jamal Murray shooting from three this

Year um well I think if I if I had to guess it’s probably around 43% he’s shooting 44% from three and 89.6% at the line that’s stupid that’s really yeah and so he’s shooting 46% from the field but that’s going to continue to go up so yeah Jamal just not

Gonna have the volume you know and I don’t think I don’t think he’s gonna make an All-Star team this year just because unless he just basically until if he goes what he did last year if he goes 23 points and six assists all the way through voting period maybe and the

Nuggets take over the first seed then maybe but yeah I mean he’s missed 14 games already so that might have died out a little bit oh it’s and like look that’s that is the circumstances that’s what happens I’m not going to not going to cry here about this I I I think that

He should be credited for being an awesome player that he should be credited at some point for doing what he’s been able to do as the uh the one of the central pieces around what Nicole yic does um he basically has a 4.2 box plus minus right now which doesn’t necessarily qualify

But it’s right in between Jaylen Brunson Trey young CJ McCollum and Jason Tatum uh for like box plus minus in the NBA if he were to qualify for the minutes so he has been good and he has been like at least borderline All-Star caliber at this stage of the season

Um I don’t think he’s going to get it unless he starts showing out here and going on a major run and then if he does then and if Denver’s in the in a top two seed then teams are going to be like coaches are going to be like hey they

Have to have two Allstars and we know who to give it to like we know based off of the playoffs like what was happening for Denver so would be I don’t know when they’re gonna get two allars though so oh yeah I mean even in the west I mean dearen Fox is

Averaging 30 right now uh John might it again because J well he missed 20 well he can still make the allstar game um if he dude if if J makes the allstar game over Jamal Murray I’ll throw a fit like that that’s one I’ll throw a fit for’s

But he’s been pretty freaking good you know so that’s what I’m saying that’s awesome he’s Mr highlight machine too so but then even outside of that step Luca SGA uh shoot who else is there in the uh oh uh Anthony Edwards is gonna make it they’re gonna have multi B will probably

Make it over Jamal dein Booker but that’s the other thing about this too it’s like if the timber Wills are to one seat they’re going to have maybe three Allstars at least two if if they get three I’ll lose my um but they’re gonna get two they

Might they might honestly get one like if for for being honest Rudy are gonna make it yeah actually yeah Rudy will definitely make it I don’t think the cat will make it um and that’s fine like Rudy has been the second most important player on their team um mhm but like

Actually he honestly might be their first uh but no it’s it’s interesting to think about I I think that for this game are there going to be some narratives that kind of come out of it that uh we’re gonna we’re gonna have a good time covering or there going to be

Some bad narratives that we’re going to have a bad time covering uh what do you what do you think kind of how the game goes on uh Christmas yeah yeah Christmas uh versus Stefan and because if Joker has a 13 13 and 13 game like he does

Versus Memphis in Denver you’ll be fully okay with that everybody else is like why is he just well look at look at what yison him beat but that’s just not that that’s not how he plays the game he said repeatedly whatever comes to me I will

Take advantage of it if it’s if it’s a big game maybe I’ll force the issue if it’s a playoff game I’ll force the issue but again I want to remind everybody he started the playoff last year with 14 points in game one versus The Wolves

Ryan now was a blowout it was a blowout but this is what I mean it’s just whatever the moment requires is what he does and so everybody gets lost in that and be having this crazy start and all sort of stuff like yeah well he’s forcing the issue every game because he

Has to fundamentally has to whereas Joker has a nine eight and seven game and it’s like a plus whatever and everybody’s like you know he’s not scoring a lot well yeah just doesn’t need to so why would I if the MS are double teaming me and we got a 142

Offensive rating well great they’re stupid here [Laughter] no I I had zero problem with the way that he played the Dallas game like that was that was very clearly just a hey they are going to double team the hell out of me I am going to make the right

Play for the team and the team care like they helped him out they they that’s what a championship team does by the way is that when you have somebody who is capable of being double teamed like that then you have to have the other four guys that are capable of breaking down

The three players on the defense that are still defending them so that is very reasonable and I’m I’m believe me that is that is the least of my concerns um right I think if Denver if they switch out on Steph if they make his life as difficult as possible again then that

Will like they’ll obviously help them out tremendously the Warriors have been better uh with Trace Jackson Davis getting some minutes Jonathan kaminga finally getting some minutes and uh Chris Paul is directing that bench pretty well Brandon Pinsky very good like he’s a good rookie um I just I

Still think that I agree with you that Denver should win this game by double digits and if they don’t then I’ll be surprised yeah we’ll see bro do you have a a score prediction um let’s go relatively high scoring I think that they’ll probably struggle to

Stop Steph a little bit but uh let’s go with 120 to 108 I’m going to go with I’m going say 111 to 100 and uh I’ll do one H how the Warriors been SC lately like clay clay has been playing i g say 115 to 108 Denver okay yeah I mean

So I’ve got I’ve got Denver getting five extra points that’s basically it um okay yeah hey let’s let’s go with that so we’re both we’re both very high on Denver for this game game um let’s take another break when we talk when we chat again we will talk about the Christmas

Day slate for the rest of the NBA some interesting matchups here that’s how we’ll wrap up and then we’ll talk about uh the rest of Denver’s week upcoming but first let us send this over to good morning Broncos hey everyone this is Cody orc Denver Broncos beat reporter

From Mile High Sports I want to tell you make sure every single weekday at 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday on my High Sports YouTube page you catch good morning Broncos your daily bite-size Broncos conversation that you can have with a cup of coffee as we prepare you

For all things that are going on with the Denver Broncos in season out of season all the story lines all the drama subscribe on the Mile High Sports YouTube Page I am seeing on my on my feed somebody uh somebody shared a picture of ravioli with me uh from one ravioli dealer to another Merry Christmas um awesome it’s so funny I’m gonna retweet this oh by the way uh who’s the better offensive player Shay gilgas Alexander or Janis

Sopo oh you’re following the NBA University poll uh it’s definitely sh yeah I mean I yeah I mean that’s that that’s that’s the homie but yanis beat Trey young and I just said this is just it’s it’s very odd like I I don’t understand how people can continue like

He is benefiting so massively from Dame right now and from the way that officials are calling the regular season right now like when it tightens up in the playoffs it will affect him as it does he’s aing 310 and five on 66 CR shooting so I think a lot of Bucks fans

Are like well look how efficient he is and a volume but it’s like dude okay there’s a difference in being a primary Creator and one of the best ever in Trey young as opposed to Giannis who’s a primary finisher and also a really good playmaker but he’s limited he can’t

Score outside of a certain area in the basket even though he’s dominant at that that’s why when we talk about basketball sometimes I’m like I know people don’t like try young Trey what is it seven straight 30 10 assist games with the Hawks with Clint capella and Deonte

Murray come on bro we got a we got ball don’t stop swio over here it’s wild basic box creation I love it um all right let’s uh let’s chat about that game then let’s chat about this Christmas Day slate there are four other games outside of nuggets

Warriors uh we can give some predictions for for each of those games I think uh Milwaukee at New York is the first one of the day uh those teams actually just played each other I think on a like earlier like yesterday if I’m being honest it’s kind of kind of wild how

Often those two teams have played so far I think they might be playing each other five times this year because I think they played in the inseason tournament as well um do you think that Giannis dominates that game again of course he does um yeah the Knicks are still good though

The Knicks can win the game uh but it’s it’s in it’s in New York as well so I still think the Bucks win that game like regular season I think the Bucks are going to be a nightmare yeah and they’re coming together really well so I think

The Bucs win the game yeah they’ve they’ve been fortunate enough to not have to deal with a ton of injury issues outside of limitations from from Chris Middleton earlier but right Middleton has been kind of like Superfluous with what they’ve done like it really is just hey here’s Dame here’s Giannis and we’re

Gonna kind of draw fouls and and generate some some easy baskets for everybody else it was uh was interesting to to monitor that team but they’ve they’ve kind of rounded into form here and I still think that they’re a they’re a title Contender yeah of course yeah I think

They’re one of the top three teams in the East um and I mean that by saying the Celtics the Bucks and the heat I think the heat are going to be incredible like people are keep doing this thing with them every year we having this discussion about the Miami

Heat and they’re going to come right back bro it’s not with them I’m not worried about them like that’s that’s that’s it’s just just a team that you’re missing that has a really good record and a really good net rating what’s that got to do with with playoffs again think Phil better suited

For the playoffs this year Ryan Ryan this is what I keep asking people that’s the same thing I did last year when the Suns got all the Kevin dur said where is the defense coming who were like well they’re just going to do whatever whatever right he’s shooting 53% from

Mid-range on high volume what center in NBA history has been a high volume mid-range shooter that shot 50 plus percent and then carried it over to a playoff versus playoff set defenses it’s never happened the only person is Joker and Joker doesn’t take a primary shot di

At mid-range but he still shoots 50% from mid-range in the playoff because it’s an additive to what he’s doing so MB dropped from 51 to 34 last year he’s never shot above 38 in the last in basically MVP level seasons in the playoffs in the mid-range so this year

When he faces after he gets done with the Nets or whoever in the first round and he plays versus the Heat the bucks or the Celtics gonna be tough for him I I dis 38% look I here’s here’s the thing I think that you hold them to the highest

Possible standard that they that they have established in the regular season so that the fall is higher that’s my thing no I’m I’m real being shooting mid dominant mid-range Shooters I I don’t believe in that I never believe in that so fair enough uh well well we’ll get a preview

Of that here Philly is playing at Miami uh second to last game of the night I’m skipping Boston Lakers uh why you think uh you think Miami takes that no I think Philly wins that game I think Philly wins they’re playing really well right now um I think Jimmy tries to go crazy

On Christmas no no no Jimmy knows when the important time of the year is nice it’ be a nice reminder I think to uh to his his former team that uh that he’s still here especially he might um yeah Jimmy Jimmy no uh bam defense bam been incredible

This year uh Tyler when he’s been right has been great this year um and then you don’t well you didn’t want to do the uh you don’t have prediction for the Lakers and uh Celtics oh I I I will I’m gonna predict Miami I just I figured we were

Talking about embid might as well okay yeah yeah yeah yeah so I think uh Lakers Celtics and then we got uh the Suns Mavs I’m probably taking a Maverick bro suns are they look just I don’t know what’s happening with them right now bro they’re not even in the plan they’re not

Even in the plan right now yeah it’s wild uh here’s okay Boston Lakers let’s do that one first um Lakers finally got a bounce back after they changed their starting lineup they’ve now they’re now going LeBron tan Prince uh Jared Vanderbilt and yeah and uh Anthony who

Was the who’s the fifth again oh it was cam reddish that’s right yeah like what the hell is that lineup man like that is that is a like that might be a matchup one for OKC specifically because they’re just they’re too big for OKC at that point they had take D out

They had DLo I don’t know if you been keeping up with it all he’s not been shooting well he also said that uh he knows if he’s not making shots he’s not contributing uh and Darin apparently with the lead all defense so you know I I mean I don’t blame Darin for taking

Dow out of the lineup I think that Reeves should probably go back in there but um they just don’t have a ton of options now I just don’t think the Lakers are all that good you know but they’re you they’re still a contender but like no they’re not this if you have

This many issues to where you’re like you win the off season and then you know two months into the years like no people aren’t performing up the expectation LeBron in 80s net rating is not blowing people out of the water yeah you know it’s just we’ll see I think Boston’s

Gonna win that game um but I know you know you know that LeBron and AD are going to try to get that one as as best as they can like that’s that’s something that’s important to to those two specifically I think just and especially on your home floor like You’re Gonna

Want to defend the the Creed of of the Lakers versus the Celtics like that’s that’s gonna be something um but I do think that Boston’s goingon to take it anyway they’re they’re good man like Boston is like like they have all the numbers for being the best team they

Aren’t actually like I still think it’s Denver but like it is funny the just the way that this is gone well they just they’re they’re they’re the same as they were last year they’re just better at it and you know Shane Young Who I love I love his

Content you know he’s covering the Suns now you know he made like a little bit of a tweet about oh people were saying like Boston shouldn’t be taking this many threes H well how’s that working out versus the Clippers when they were bombing threes from everywhere like bro

Okay but that’s the point like L game execution shot chucking not driving Jason Tatum pull up shooting is into garbage he’s shooting 33% from twos from pull-ups and 28% as a pull-up shooter from threes and he’s taking some of the most volume in the league yeah it

Doesn’t and then I’m I’m just not I’m telling you bro like I just they should be so so so good but I just know I just know they just this is going to be who you are in the playoffs and whatever I think it’s fair and there’s there’s one

Thing I want to mention like I think NBA Twitter Twi culture and and whatever it is like there there is this undercurrent that where everybody has to be positive about everything and like if you’re negative about anything then you are an OP like you are you’re somebody who

Hates the game or you’re somebody who hates fun and like no I I don’t think that that’s true I think that there it’s okay to dislike things it’s okay to be like not a fan of things like there was this New York and Sacramento like it’s it’s okay to celebrate those teams for

Not being Championship contenders like but it’s also like okay call them not Championship contenders and that they should try to become that but I don’t know it’s weird um last thing here let’s wrap with this Dallas at Phoenix um I think that Phoenix wins but I don’t feel good about it because I

Think that Luca and Deon Booker are gonna go back and forth I I just don’t know how they guard Kevin Durant personally like that’s like good good luck with with that particular assignment they just don’t really have anybody to do that I mean is Derrick ly

Playing yeah but like he’s a he’s a seven foot center like yeah but they s what are they 10 and they’re 10 and I gotta look it up again I think they’re like 12 and four or something maybe a little even better than that with Derrick Liv and line so they’re

Really good Kyrie Kyrie Luca and Derrick are playing I’m taking I’m taking Maps Okay like okay they they’ve been they’ve been a little hurt they’ve been a little banged up but maybe they’re saving it for Christmas that wouldn’t surprise me at all um but yeah I mean I’m I’m not a

Fan of what Phoenix is done that’s that’s very clear to see uh but we will see we will see what they do any parting thoughts here before we get out of here for Christmas everybody stay healthy let’s go three and0 at home this week

Three and 0 at home should be a lot of fun Denver’s on this four game Homestead now should be very good everybody that is going to do it for this episode of pickax and roll weekends with swiper Edition thank you so much for tuning into the show we really appreciate all

Y’all Merry Christmas and happy holidays uh if you don’t celebrate holidays that’s perfectly fine enjoy the week enjoy this nuggets spectacular run that we are on thank you so much everybody for tuning into the show hit that like button hit that subscribe button we’ll talk to you guys very soon

Ryan Blackburn and Swipa discuss the Denver Nuggets perfect 3-0 road trip, what the Nuggets are hoping for this Christmas, and previewing the NBA Slate of Christmas Day games.

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