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This week Tara and Cassidy welcomed Kayla Osby (@nuggetchica) from denverstiffs.com on to the show to help Portland Trail Blazers fans get to know more about the Denver Nuggets. Their wide-ranging conversation includes talk about t-shirt slogans, NBA twins, Nuggets’ lack of playoff success and what it is like to be in a town where basketball is the third-most important sport.
We caught up on how Will Barton and Mason Plumlee are doing and how the Jusuf Nurkic trade felt to Nuggets fans. Then we talk about the upcoming games and what is the key to beating the Nuggets and who are some of the players besides Nikola Jokic that Blazers fans should keep an eye on?
Highlights
00:52 Icebreaker: If you had to wear one t-shirt for the rest of the season, what would it say?
5:55 What are some of the things that define the Nuggets? They have never won a championship. One of her favorite teams was the 2008-09 team that went to the Conference Finals with Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. Earl Boykins was always a fan favorite in Denver. At 5’ 5” he was the second shortest player in the NBA.
10:00 Checking in on Will Barton and Mason Plumlee. Barton is still working his way back into the lineup this season after suffering a hip injury in the second game. Mason is really solid and they like him because he doesn’t make many mistakes. He still makes backwards dunks.
11:00 How did people in Denver react to the trade for Nurkic? Initially they thought that the Nuggets should have gotten a better player in return, since Nurkic was good enough to be a starter and Plumlee was a backup. They seem happy with how things turned out.
12:40 Blazer fans really loved Will Barton while he was here. What was it like watching him grow into his role?
15:30 Monte Morris is a fan favorite this year, someone to watch.
18:45 People in Denver really look forward to the Nurkic vs Jokic matchups and, aside from being sad for Nurkic for his injury, they are sorry they won’t see it again this season.
20:30 What are the Nuggets really good at? Offense. The starting five can outscore almost anyone.
21:30 Teams who can limit Jokic and put pressure on Jamal Murray have the best chance against Nuggets.
22:00 Going into the playoffs, the fans probably have higher expectations than anyone else. The national media are concerned with the Nuggets lack of playoff experience. They haven’t been in the playoffs for six years.
23:50 Concerns going into the offseason? They have pretty good back court depth that might be hard to retain. Malik Beasley has been a solid player this season and fans wonder if he will get an offer elsewhere.
26:45 The fan base seems satisfied right now, arena is full, winning certainly helps.
28:15 What is it like being in a market where the basketball team is an afterthought (after football and baseball)? Pepsi Center is more exciting this season because of the winning.
Get Social
Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. This week’s guest: @NuggetChica.
You can also email us at hoopsandtalks@gmail.com.
Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)
Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball. Our last Blazers WHAT meetup of the year is on April 9, 7:30 at McMenamins on Broadway. Come watch the Blazers take on the Lakers with other women who love basketball!
Music used in the episode: “Happy Alley” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License