WESTBROOK TO DENVER? | HOOPS YOUR DADDY | July 2, 2024

WESTBROOK TO DENVER? | HOOPS YOUR DADDY | July 2, 2024

[Music] welcome to another Hoops your daddy I’m your host live moods and there is so much to discuss when it comes to the Denver Nuggets I was just talking to one of my producers about the possibilities of what the nuggets have to offer what they’ve done in free agency and there’s a lot of mixed emotions a lot of mixed feelings right now I took to Twitter after hearing about the Russell Westbrook rumors I took to Twitter and I said unpopular opinion I love the idea of Westbrook in Denver and boy did you guys have a lot to say about that I had a lot of people who agreed with me I had a lot of people that thought this is why you shouldn’t have a mic in front of your mouth well too bad so sad here we are happy Tuesday I’m here with a mic in front of my mouth and we have a lot to talk about I am hoping that by the end of this show you will see what I see in bringing Westbrook to Denver is this a confirmed situation no it is not it is still rumored we don’t know if Russell Westbrook is headed to Denver just yet we honestly don’t know what the hell the nuggets are planning on doing period because they have been radio silent in this free agency frenzy and it’s making me want to hurl okay everybody’s making these big moves the West is starting to look a little extra scary the East is looking even scarier what is going on I don’t know um I’m still waiting on the Nuggets to do something I am begging you nuggets do something okay because what you have done so far makes me ill okay let’s talk about what’s been done so far no Gillespie no Jackson no case TP what does that mean well we have no backup point guard and our defense is gone okay yes makes me sick to my stomach so I’m waiting I’m waiting for that aha moment of Calvin we should have trusted you from the jump you knew what you were doing you had this whole thing set in motion your plan was perfect I we’re not there yet I’m still trying to figure out what the plan is what are we doing should I panic should I chill the F out I don’t know but I’m freaked out right now um cuz everyone seems to be making moves and the nuggets are just not okay and I’ve seen a lot of people take to Twitter to say the Nuggets regression is finally here yes they’re washed they’re crumbling the Dynasty’s over stop it quit it mostly because it hurts my feelings and it stresses me out because maybe you’re right I don’t know but I don’t want to think that way okay so what’s up chat welcome to Hoops your Daddy happy to have you guys here make sure you’re in the chat letting me know you’re here drop any comments any questions whatever we’ll talk through them but let’s start with where are the Nuggets right now okay if we were to talk about this Nuggets roster right now in this very moment here’s what you’ve got you’ve got Jamal Murray as a starting point guard and at this point you probably have CB Christian Bron coming off what was the bench but now starting potentially as a shooting guard because who’s your small forward well mpj okay then you’ve got the power forward in Aaron Gordon and the center in Nicole yic Now where’s the depth well I’m afraid there is none right now your backup point guard options are Trey Alexander a rookie or Jaylen picket okay what do we do what do we do I’m terrified what do we do so the backup point guard problem right now big problem okay what do we do about Christian braa is he worthy of a starting position I think CB has a lot of flipping potential I think he could get there do I think he’s there right now I don’t I don’t I fear but I actually don’t think there’s another option I think CB is the option I think CB will be a starter next season mpj obviously a starter however at one point it was rumored through the the grape vine that when the Nuggets were considering maybe considering Paul George as a part of this Denver Nuggets team the trade included mpj and Zeke Nagi and some draft picks ultimately decided that they like their draft picks a little too much and weren’t going to do that I do think the Denver Nuggets know how to draft I will tell you I I will say that much so Paul George wasn’t the answer that’s fine he’s also an injury liability we have enough of those as is we don’t need more if you guys missed my show earlier I talked a little bit about the Paul George trade and essentially I like Paul George I think he made the 76ers a whole lot better but is he going to play I don’t know his last five seasons the only five seasons he played with the Clippers he averaged 52.6 games per season hello where’d you go missing an action he’s an injury liability that’s a fact that’s not an opinion that’s a fact so Paul George is great he’s going to be making a little over 50 million a year with the 76ers but is he going to play that I don’t know he’s 34 and he just got a Max contract and his body is often broken what do we do don’t know so if the Nuggets pass on Paul George not overly mad about that he’s older he’s not getting any younger he’s injury prone and he costs a lot okay fair moving on mpj is still part of our starting lineup and I’m thankful for that he’s unique in the sense that he can shoot and he has size okay he can do a little bit of both he is the last in my opinion one of the last strands of Defense left in our starting five now that we don’t have kcp I don’t want to talk about that for too much longer because it will make me want to hurl as you guys know I sat on the last Hoops your daddy episode losing kcp to me would be detrimental I still believe that I still believe this is not a good situation and if you haven’t been on social media and you didn’t see this little piece of information casy P’s wife is airing the Denver Nuggets Dirty Laundry like it’s her job there was an Instagram post by a nuggets fan account or a news account that basically implied the Denver Nuggets offered kcp just about the same thing as the magic as sports fans what do we take that as I’ll tell you what I took it as he doesn’t want to be here and as a sports fan as a nuggets fan that hurt my feelings why do you want to leave why you’ve made comments that you want to be here forever so it immediately changes the focus from what is our front office doing to Casp doesn’t want to be here so bye see you front offices often do this let’s take the attention and the blame off of ourselves and let’s place it on the player well well we offered him the same thing as the magic well here’s one thing I know for a fact it is really hard to shut a woman up guilty okay super hard so this post implied that the Nuggets matched the Magic’s offer and Casey P didn’t want it she commented on this post and said false oh excuse me I need a little bit more tea Miss girl because what does that mean well what I take that to mean is that the Nuggets did not offer kcp the same thing and probably weren’t willing to pay kcp what he wanted to stay fair just say that grow a pair of you know what’s and say that say hey we had money we didn’t want to spend it there because guess what we’ve got to pay Aaron Gordon next season we can’t afford to lose him so we didn’t want to spend our money on kcp who’s getting old and we want to invest in our younger guys okay say that but let’s not frame it like kcp got the same offer and then chose to go somewhere else cuz I’m not sure that’s what happened per the comment on the Instagram post it sounds like there’s maybe some stuff that we don’t know about that happened between kcp and the Nuggets front office which we know this business it’s a business for the nuggets and it’s a business for kcp he’s got to chase his bag and the nuggets have to chase a championship you got to make Big Time Business decisions and that is the world we live in in sports and in a star driven League like the NBA these players are allowed to be selfish and if kcp wasn’t getting what he wanted getting older you know could get injured you got to look at the bank and say Where am I the most comfortable where’s my family the most comfortable he’d made a decision for himself and that’s fine I just don’t like when front offices frame it like the player got everything they wanted and turned down 90% of the time I’m pretty sure that’s not how it happens so very interesting te there to see his wife get on social media and say um that’s cap quit with the lies quit with the cage liar liar pants on fire so I’m not sure what kind of conversations kcp had behind closed doors but what I do know is we lost our defense when we lost kcp big concern super big yeah super big wasn’t excited about that defense wins championships we know this check out the Boston Celtics how you doing um it matters and kcp was that guy that defensive player of the game chain yeah he had a lot of those so we’re going to have to figure something out from a defensive perspective when it comes to our starting five besides that kyp did what was best for him I wish him nothing but the best I loved having him as a Denver Nugget and I will be sad that he’s no longer here but wipe your tears baby girl time to move on what are we doing what’s the starting five and what are we doing in free agency nuggets I’m talking to you what’s going on I would love to know I’m at this point I’m getting stressed out so Rumor Has It Westbrook to Denver now I know the trauma the PTSD of hearing Russ to Denver if you are a Denver fan I understand it hurts it actually sounds like nails on a chalkboard feels like a knife in the heart okay Russ to Denver I’m queasy just saying it out loud maybe this one’s different okay and by the end of this show I’m hoping you can open your mind a little bit to the idea of Russell Westbrook because there is a caveat here all right so I tweeted I said unpopular opinion I love the idea of Westbrook in Denver that’s all I said and the people were loud okay let me explain what do the Denver Nuggets need depth our bench is abysmal right now in my humble opinion depth is mandatory right now for the Denver Nuggets okay we need points Off the Bench we need energy Off the Bench we need effort Off the Bench we know Bruce Brown brought something very special to the Nuggets Off the Bench we lost him we felt it so we need somebody off the bench that can do something I don’t need you scoring 25 I need you to bring effort energy and points yes thank you last season Russell Westbrook averaged just under 12 points per game coming off the bench for the Clippers okay that’s a whole lot more than what the Nuggets saw this year from their bench okay bear with me listen up Russ is capable of doing what the Nuggets need him to do now here is the caveat I’ve seen a lot of people saying oh best of luck with Russell Westbrook first of all salty Lakers and Clippers fans shut your mouth just because it didn’t work for you doesn’t mean it won’t work for us quit being a sore loser zip it Clippers you don’t know how to trade your front office sucks so you sit out Lakers I don’t need to say anything else be quiet Russell Westbrook to me has always been a very disrespected and underappreciated player in this league now has he had some bad seasons and some bad games and some bad moments yes he certainly has but so has Jamal Murray oh I went there okay so I am not one to completely forget about the impact Russell Westbrook has had on on this game this is the triple this is the son the cousin of nicoa yic when it comes to triple doubles come on something special could be Brewing here but you have to have an open mind okay here’s the cat Russell Westbrook is not a starter okay and if he can understand that if he can come to Denver and understand his role which is bench guy if he knows that he is a perfect fit for Denver I feel that way strongly now if Russell Westbrook is having a hard time being second third best coming up behind Jamaal Murray starting the game on the bench we’re going to have a problem that’s a chemistry issue that’s a culture issue now that you’ve got with the Denver Nuggets but if he can understand his role he is a perfect fit for Denver Russ does not need to be a sharp shooter for Denver he doesn’t all the stat nerds out there they’re like oh well look at how many points he’s averaging he doesn’t need to be that guy okay he needs energy effort and yeah score but we don’t need you putting up 25 let mpj get hot when AG does his job there’s no need for Russell to come off the bench and score 20 plus there’s no need for it but we need the energy we need someone that can attack the glass we need playmaking ability ball handling skills he has that okay okay he’s always had that but I also think he’s been put on teams where that team is desperately needed a shooter Off the Bench so Russell didn’t work for them we don’t need that from Russ you don’t need to be a sharpshooter be a playmaker ball handle like you know how to do that I’ve been watching you do for years and years and years attack the glass bring energy bring effort and score some baskets period it’s not that hard he can do that but he’s got to acknowledge that he’s a bench guy if he can acknowledge he’s a bench guy I Love It I Love Westbrook and Denver I love it the Nuggets don’t need him to be a sharp shooter that’s what people are failing to understand joic need I say more AG when he shows up great I think CB has a lot of potential and I do think CB brings an energy and a defense that is workable again I don’t think he’s at that starter place that I would like him to be to be a starter for this nuggets team but he can get there I think he’s a moldable guy I think he’s a quick learner he’s a coachable player so I don’t worry about that as long as Russell understands his role he will be a perfect fit here and I strongly believe that and if you don’t believe that I think you’re just a salty Clippers or Lakers fans and you’re upset that it never worked out for you sorry most people don’t work out in La hate to break it to you they don’t kawhai and Paul George was the largest failed experiment I’ve ever seen in my flipping lifetime ever the Five Seasons they were together were embarrassing failed experiment by the Clippers was kawhai and Paul George you get two superstars together and you can’t do diddly squat with them so no I don’t expect you to be able to do anything with Russell Westbrook as he continues to age are you kidding me please and Lakers like I said I don’t even need to get into that okay I don’t even need to get into that your longevity as of late is not superb I mean you’ve got LeBron but that’s because LeBron’s the coach he’s not going anywhere he runs that place okay so Russell’s got to understand his role if he can do that I don’t fear him being in Denver at all I really don’t I think he’s got what we need Off the Bench Russell Westbrook has what Denver needs Off the Bench he’s not a starter he’s not and as long as he can understand that he’s a perfect fit if he thinks he still got it as a Once Upon a Time Superstar no no I’m sorry time to come back down to earth Russ you are a phenomenal player with a great legacy and you have the potential to still do great things but you’re not you’re not a starter anymore we know that right I mean as long as he knows that we’re okay all right as long as he knows that we’re okay so I feel very strongly that Russell Westbrook is a good idea I do and if it’s worth anything Nicole yic went Rumor Has It went to the front office to fight for Russell Westbrook what does that say what does that say because I’m sure he called that front office and they said is this a butt dial what’s this man calling our phone for what’s this man calling our phone for we got a comment from Sedrick in the house West brick to Westbrook if he joins us sis I you know listen again we don’t need him to be SPL Brothers 2.0 we just don’t he’s not going to hang with Jamal and mpj that shouldn’t be the expectation if that’s your expectation then you’re drunk I mean seriously that is that should not be your expectation of Russell Westbrook but again I don’t think that’s what we need we don’t need that attack the glass be a playmaker Off the Bench effort energy booah done veteran status booah done come on I mean bring it and by the way we don’t have a backup point guard I mean we do but are you thrilled about it because I’m not no offense Trey Alexander no offense jayen picket but that’s what we’ve got right now um no thanks no thanks at the moment so could be special I don’t know and what does it mean that what does it mean that Nicole yic is going to the front office about Westbrook and per me do doing some research and reading up on it it’s not the first time either he has expressed interest before all eyeses on you Calvin what are you going to do what are you going to do cuz now we’re paying attention every move matters Calvin and I’ve about had it with the silence what are we doing nuggets everyone around you is making moves I don’t know what I don’t know what we’re doing here but it’s starting to freak me out so my hope and prayer is that the nuggets have something up their sleeve and they’re feeling prepared for what’s been happening around them OKC got really flipping good they were already good they they were number one in the west they just elevated themselves a little bit in this free agency frenzy they did um not so sure the Mavs got any better no offense Klay Thompson to the Mavs feels a little bit like Bradley Beals to the Suns putting a bandaid over a broken bone didn’t really address any of the issues you have over there where’s the defense who’s playing defense on the Mavs is the defense in the room with us because I don’t think so they don’t need Klay Thompson not saying Klay Thompson is a bad idea just doesn’t fix anything so there’s that um Timberwolves will still be great Clippers are embarrassing moving on Grizzlies may be something when John Mor’s healthy I mean the West is no joke do I still believe that the nuggets have a starting five that is capable of hanging with any team in the west I do losing kcp hurts bad it hurts bad from a defensive perspective it hurts bad I’m not going to freak out yet you know I see those Graphics all the time on social media it’s like who’s stopping these three like the 76ers when they got uh Paul George who’s stopping these three I’m like the doctor’s office the doctor’s note that says you can’t play I mean seriously the crutches like come on what do you mean who’s stopping these three hello so there’s a lot of overreactions this time of year they get a good player they get a a good guy they get a Once Upon a Time Superstar that’s my new thing right now because what have you done for me lately oh I don’t care about your stat sheet from 2021 don’t care wish I did but I don’t what have you done for me lately it’s hard to say anything about what Paul George has done lately because over the last five seasons with the Clippers he hasn’t really played a whole lot what what have you done for me lately Klay Thompson to the Mavs what have you done for me lately 0 and 10 in an elimination game yuck yucky doesn’t mean I forgotten about your absolute Dynasty your Splash Brothers era didn’t forget about it because it’s iconic but you’re not getting any younger same with Westbrook I get it there’s concern there but again Westbrook’s not a starter okay we’re not putting pressure on that guy like that we can’t bring bring Westbrook over here knowing full well he has to understand that he is a bench guy that’s his role and if he can understand that then I like it come on over let’s get two triple double Kings in Denver I’m cool with that but Russ has to know his role it is not to be a starting point point guard for the denber Nuggets it’s just not and you you won’t be um but you will be very differently you could be similar to what Bruce Brown was for the Nuggets I’m not saying their play style I’m not saying from a talent perspective I’m saying the energy the effort and the impact that can come off the bench benches matter we know this we know this so and we saw the Denver Nuggets bench be a problem for them throughout the postseason very inconsistent holiday there when he wanted to be that corner three was sweet until it wasn’t and then it’s like what are we doing Reggie Jackson’s minutes about gave me a heart attack 75 times throughout the playoffs okay pton Watson we barely saw CB was kind of the only one that we felt like we could really put in the rotation on a consistent basis and was doing all right not consistently though so our bench has been a problem and will continue to be a problem uh if we don’t address it and who’s the backup point guard my friends what do we do Gillespie’s gone Jackson’s gone what do we do to me Russell Westbrook plays harder and tougher than Reggie Jackson so I don’t think it’s a bad idea I really don’t I really don’t he plays bigger he plays harder than than Reggie and I also think he would play smarter Reggie Jackson as much as I loved him Colorado Native you know just had a lot of love for him I mean like I was like this every time he got the ball because I wasn’t sure I was going to make it so there’s that all right let’s get some comments comments chats chat how you feeling how you feeling about what I said you think I’m a looney bird you you like what you see here you can see the Westbrook thing working where are we at how do we feel what’s going on um yeah what’s Tyler got to say Tyler says Westbrook is different because he’s a bench player and a and on 4 million a year LMO exactly he has the experience but he’s bringing it Off the Bench and honestly I think there’s more there’s a lot of players in this league that should be in Westbrook’s position but they get overpaid because they were a Once Upon a Time Superstar instead of these franchises thinking what have you done for me lately that’s all I’m saying so Westbrook actually is in the position he should be in he’s also in the position that Klay Thompson should probably be in and probably Bradley Beal as well I’m just saying so I’m not mad at it as long as he knows that’s what his role is I think it could be really special uh let’s get another comment up there what are we talking about we don’t have any other options so Westbrook is it I I mean that’s what it is guys what do we do that’s it and I don’t think he’s a bad one I think it could be a lot worse I really do I think it could be a whole lot worse honestly so we got to remain optimistic Westbrook has proven to be a team player Denver strength is their team making ability I agree Joe 100 per. I have said this and you guys might call me crazy you might be like you’re giving this dude way too much credit you sound ridiculous and maybe so but it wouldn’t be the first time and it’s not going to be the last to me Westbrook is often a product of his environment oh Lakers fans hate to hear it oh no they hate it boohoo I don’t care it’s the truth I really think he’s a product of his environment I think if Westbrook is on a team that really embodies that team mentality not just talking about it yeah we’re about that team except LeBron’s calling every play what what do you mean this isn’t a team it’s your team it’s not our team okay it’s a little different over here in Denver we’re humble Kings mostly because we got humbled but we’re humble Kings over here which could be really good for him Westbrook rebounding and make the pace for faster for fast breaks as a weapon amen all these people tripping about Westbrook and Denver listen it is very rare you get a trade that is just chef’s kiss perfect you won’t see it with Paul George there’s a caveat injuries with Klay Thompson there’s a caveat old 0 and 10 elimination game I mean there’s always something right but to me Westbrook for the most part did what he needed to do in his role as a bench player for the Clippers can you be mad at the guy he show up and did his job and honestly the Clippers are a hot damn mess I don’t expect anyone to go over there and play well you’ve got two superstars that you’ve built your entire program around that aren’t even playing so it’s just a hodg podge of a bunch of random guys that have no no chemistry whatsoever we’ve seen it time and time again with the clippers because if it’s not both of them being injured it’s one or it’s the other and it’s just a mess if you guys didn’t know I’m about to tell you I’m about to Enlighten you on something okay in the Five Seasons that kaai and Paul George played together here’s what it looked like failed experiment here’s what it looked like lost in the second round lost in Conference Finals with no Kawhi Leonard missed playoffs with no kawhai or Paul George lost in the first round with no kawhai or Paul George lost in the first round with no kawhai what and you expect Westbrook to just pop over there and ball out I mean Hello what kind we have no consistency over there what are we doing it’s what happens when you build your entire program around two guys that can’t stay healthy not smart okay not smart so and Westbrook with the Lakers come on it’s the Lakers I wouldn’t want to play over there either I’m just kidding at one point I feel like playing for the Lakers was a badge of H it was the highest badge of honor and now I just don’t know I don’t know if they have what they need to to build a dynasty over there again they have talent yes they have skill yes but it’s not clicking it’s not clicking so and bronny James certainly isn’t going to make it click news flash I don’t know if you know that but I don’t think he’s the answer I don’t think he’s the glue to this broken artifact I don’t think so unfortunately so yeah I think Westbrook might be a product of his environment I would be very interested to see him as a part of a team that is all about team you see that when you watch the Denver Nuggets Jamal Murray had some really crappy games in the postseason really crappy scary bad he had some scary bad games in the postseason they’re about that team that could be really good for Westbrook when he was with the Wizards and it wasn’t about being hot it w he was balling out could be something and to feel wanted by Nicole yic might be all it takes sure I’ll ride the bench Nicole yic me to play with him yeah you got it and there’s potentially a ring in your sights because they’ve done it before and they have the the the skeletons and the bones could be something the bench does scare me but Westbrook would help fix that problem so I don’t know you guys I I really fully feel like Westbrook to the Nuggets is not a bad idea it’s just not and I I’m going to stand on that um it’s probably an unpopular opinion I don’t care I don’t because there are a lot of Once Upon a Time superstars in this league that we pay way more money to that are in starting lineups that are old and broken that we keep giving chances to I’m not going to name names you’re smart figure it out Westbrook knowing he’s a bench guy upon arrival having that already in his brain and being okay with it and coming off the bench with energy effort and points attacking the glass having ball handling skill playmaking ability what are we what are we talking about he plays harder and bigger than Reggie Jackson so that’s an upgrade right there what are we upset about I’m not upset about it actually I like it I do I really do I’ve also always been a fan of Westbrook and I’ve always felt like West Brook is just a disrespected player in this league and I think that we’ve seen before players that just need to be on the right team to make things happen it’s not an excuse you know but I I do think that Russell westbr did what he needed to do for the Clippers last year the Clippers are just a hot damn mess so we could sit there and Badger what Westbrook did or didn’t do with the clippers but at the end of the day they’re just a mess over there so that I’m just choosing to ignore and the Lakers that’s a tough team to play for because it’s LeBron’s team you’re playing for right now which is not a knock on LeBron but he call he runs he runs that place so you don’t see eye to eye with LeBron you’re not clicking with LeBron yeah good luck sayara it’s that easy he has to snap his fingers and you’re gone okay or snap his fingers and you’re there hello bronnie James welcome aboard just saying so there you go I am excited about it if it happens that being said Calvin we are all watching your every single move and I would love for you to do something cuz you’re feeling awfully quiet over there and I don’t love that for us there’s a lot of things happening in free free agency right now in the NBA and we’re awfully quiet over here as nuggets fans and I don’t love it so let’s maybe um do something question mark would love that anyway you guys this has been another Hoops your daddy talking all things free agency as it pertains to the Denver Nuggets thank you kcp for everything that you did as a Denver Nugget thank you Reggie Jackson uh glesby we didn’t get to see much of but wishing him all the best with the Suns I believe uh two-way contract with the Suns so all eyes on the front office what are they going to do what is the move what is the plan if it’s Westbrook let’s make it happen Okay so that I can start getting excited about it not to mention we got homes um that’s a really exciting rookie addition uh I think that’s going to be great we’ve got a lot of things going here I think Westbrook is probably that final piece and if we can’t make that happen well then and I don’t particularly know if I can watch games next year for a little bit I’m going to need to be um taking a lot of yoga classes and getting in my Namaste era because excuse me what um appreciate you guys so much damn I just tuned in you’re about to end the show I’m late LOL you can rewatch it on YouTube as well as Twitter we’ll post it for you you can give it a watch um but yes we are wrapping things up here I appreci appreciate you guys so so much we will be back um every week talking Denver Nuggets so if you are like I love the NBA but the NBA is not happening right now there is still plenty to talk about and we are going to be bringing you coverage for the NBA specifically for the Denver Nuggets like twice a week moving forward so you will have plenty of Denver Nuggets talk from here on out and then you’ll start seeing me talk about the Broncos and the NFL and all things Sports so we’ve got a lot to offer make sure you are subscribed to the gorilla Sports YouTube where you’ll find coverage for the NHL the NBA the NFL um all things Sports really we have our daily Guerilla Sports shows where we talk just daily sports news um for 30 minutes in the morning so lots to offer make sure you’re subscribed to the YouTube as well as following the Twitter account on um Twitter account on Twitter gorilla Sports on Twitter give them a follow because you can stream all of our shows and our live lives through there so thank you this has been another Hoops your daddy episode where I am very excited about Russell Westbrook potentially joining Denver hopefully now you are too fingers crossed it happens thanks for being here and we’ll see you soon bye

Liv Moods is diving into all the Denver Nuggets free agency news, and the rumors of Russell Westbrook coming to Denver.