Zach Lowe and Adam Mares of talk about the recent Nuggets struggles and the impact on the MVP race. Then, Nekias Duncan dives into the Most Improved Player race.
0:00 Welcome to the Lowe Post Podcast
0:30 Jokic & the Nuggets under pressure
6:23 The biggest questions about Denver’s defense
15:23 Who is the second-best bench player for the Nuggets?
19:40 Defining Jamal Murray’s role in Denver
23:52 Zach highlights Jokic’s defensive shortcomings
26:52 Joel Embiid on Jokic’s heels for MVP
31:18 Can one game swing the MVP vote?
34:25 Michael Porter Jr.’s progress is being eclipsed by the Jokic-MVP chatter
36:38 Discussing Jokic’s efficiency on offense and defense
43:36 Diving into the Most Improved Player Race w/ Nekias Duncan
48:29 Is Immanuel Quickly the MIP?
50:08 Mikal Bridges puts the Nets on his back
53:00 Anthony Edwards & Jaden McDaniels
57:24 Zach praises Myles Turner
1:05:11 Talking Dame Time
1:07:49 Quick shoutout to Pat Williams
1:09:31 Michael Porter Jr.’s standout defense
1:11:31 Interesting season for Herb Jones
1:15:16 Bol Bol’s decline this season
1:16:31 How Kenyon Martin Jr. has improved
1:19:33 Josh Okogie finds a role with the Suns
1:22:22 Markkanen or SGA for MIP?
1:27:15 A quick chat about Jalen Williams
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27 Comments
The chicken nuggets are only good when I dip them in honey BBQ sauce
“Before we get into the morass.”
Favorite new expression😂
Great discussion. The issue for the Nuggets is little depth despite having the best starting 5 in the league. The bench continues to be abysmal. Jackson and Bryant have been subtraction by addition and Bruce Brown has been lousy for a month. Murray and AG aren't healthy, so there's that. Re the MVP thing, Jokic is a transition open court dunk. Giannis is having a down year for him and Embiid is playing with Harden who is showing up as a lower tier MVP candidate himself and putting up crazy conventional and advanced numbers. Nuggets will win as many games as Philly and Bucks. Jokic will put up historic conventional and advanced numbers with same team success and far less help. Did I mention transition dunk?
Actualy ring or finals Is bust for nuggets
Jokic can’t slide his slow feet. He gets cooked every time down court.
Maxey??
Mr. Nugget, great as ever.
Is it just me or doesn't this Adam Mares guy look like a fat Zach Lowe? 🤔😂
Jokic kicks the ball "Not my MVP!" Lmaooo
If the sixers catch the nuggets in the win lose column embid would have a better case. But mvp should be best player on best team.
Here's what happens in the Nuggets…when the coach determines the starting five before the start of the season, it doesn't matter what form the player is in, he's the starter – he's the starter even when he's not playing defense, he's the starter when he shoots for 3 points 9-2 he's always a starter, a player designated for the bench, no matter how he plays, no matter how he trains, he is always on the bench. These are the qualities of small coaches that ruin the Nuggets team, that's why they are always small teams, even if they had MVP – such coaches and overpaid fake players always create a problem
Where does this idea come from that Embiid has playoff accomplishments? He's done little. Jokic has led the Nuggets to more playoff success even with the team being destroyed by injuries the last 2 years which Lowe dismisses as if it's nothing. Jokic is the 13th leading playoff points per game scorer of all time. I repeat, of all time in league history. His already crazy regular season numbers have gone up in the playoffs. Embiid's have dropped significantly. Embiid is a regular season wonder. Sometimes it feels like this is largely an exercise in bias and ignorance where people are responding to whatever happened in the last 24 hours. And responding to racist trash cynically spewed by corrupt ESPN.
Murray out for Holiday or Harden or Brown or Booker and nuggets win the chip easily!!!
Kicking the ball isn’t a basketball play but scratching the F— out of Jokers arms is ok?
I’m a Suns fan, but every time I hear the media say “The west is wide open!” I wonder if Nuggets fans get infuriated. Because based on this season, the west is not wide open lol. There’s Denver, then there’s everyone else. Nuggets should be the clear favorites.
Suns have a top heavy core of superstars but our bench is a joke. We don’t even have an established 6th man. We have an elite starting 5 and a bunch of wild cards off the bench who cannot be trusted consistently in the playoffs. I hate that trade. It’ll haunt us for decades. Denver checks all the boxes. Nuggets Bucks finals is my prediction
Actually nuanced and informed MVP conversation I'm shocked.
I’m a Nuggets fan from CO. There is no excuses this year for not getting to the NBA Finals. Murray has to step up.
I’m a Nuggets fan from CO. There is no excuses this year for not getting to the NBA Finals. Murray has to step up.
Denver Nuggets are NOT a great team, they just got one great player! Every singe line up with Jokic is great and every single line up without Jokic is historically bad! Harden and Maxey would be second and third best player on the Nuggets+ way better bench with Niang and Milton…
So are we gonna punish Jokic for having WORSE temmates?
This is Minesota with KG and Clevlend with Lebron all over aagain!
Your eyes are telling you that Jokic is below average defender? Leads all bigs in deflections great rebounder, smart…Nuggets are top 4 with him on the floor in defensive raiting.
Whats Embiid than? Can't slide his slow feet.He gets cooked every time down court Luka Kyre, Huliburton, Lilard, Simons, Dinwidie…should I continiue?
Thats why when Sixers give up 75 points in the first halfs, in the second half PJ Tucker guard the ball screens, and EMSHIT is being HIDE!
Also he can't rebound..And allows 63% at the rim and Sixers are the WORST rim protecting team in NBA..EMSHIT IS SO OVERRATED ON DEFENSE!
Fraud JOKIC gets mvp again …. Please no
Embiid can't slide his slow feet.He gets cooked every time down court Luka Kyre, Huliburton, Lilard, Simons, Dinwidie…should I continiue?
Thats why when Sixers give up 75 points in the first halfs, in the second half PJ Tucker guard the ball screens, and EMSHIT is being HIDE!
Also he can't rebounf…EMSHIT IS SO OVERRATED ON DEFENSE!
32:07 Funny that question wasn't asked last season when Embiid dominated Jokic but lost the game in Philly. It was asserted that Jokic took the MVP over Embiid because his team won, although Jokic had to be benched and Bones Hyland's three point making is what won the Nuggets the game.
No Sam Hauser love? He was a g-leaguer turned 42% 3PT shooter and is getting time on a contender in big games.
Denver traded alotta talent too
If Denver doesn't make it to the Finals, I can see them making a run at Damian Lillard. If there is one contending team Dame would be open to leaving Portland for it's Denver.
The nuggets should get Ben Simmons as a back up pg