Late bloomer to Hall of Famer at Legend High School, first-ever All-American at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CU star, NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist.

We don’t deserve him. But Tad Boyle does. And so does CU hoops.

Wednesday, in a packed press conference of former and current players and boosters, CU athletic director Fernando Lovo introduced White as president of basketball strategy and revealed his $2 million donation to the program.

White will continue his career as a star for the Boston Celtics. His side gig will be to serve as a phone-call-away resource. His involvement is designed to inspire fundraising that keeps the Buffs competitive with its Big 12 peers, save for Texas Tech, whose resident billionaire Cody Campbell uses $100 bills as coasters.

“Obviously, it’s not all about money, but it is a lot about money in this day and age,” said White, a nine-year NBA veteran and three-time All-NBA defender over the past four seasons. “There are not many rules and regulations around it. It¶¶Ňőap kind of like two different games. The top of the Big 12 and where we are at. And hopefully we can trend in the right direction.”

Now, before you get too excited, you need to understand something. CU hoops does not have a big booster to match White’s donation.

Truthfully, White riding in on the white buffalo might not translate into immediate success.

But, it gives Boyle a puncher’s chance, provides context for why his record over the past two seasons is not a failure. Boyle is a tremendous teacher. He has guided CU to the NCAA tournament six times in 16 seasons, but the end of his career does not require squinting.

Boyle fought back tears in the Dal Ward Center, explaining that CU remains his “dream job.” He is the top coach in school history, and it is not particularly close.

The best ones burn hot and bright. Watch Boyle on the sideline or at the podium, and his passion defines him.

But how is he expected to survive as a developmental stop for deep-pocketed counterparts?

I told Boyle I thought he might finish his career in Division III away from the NIL madness, where he could coach without wondering which booster would suddenly turn into a human ATM.

“Nope, this is where I want to be until it ends,” said Boyle, who admitted there will be a time he hands off the program and that White will be part of that transition to select his successor.

If not a life raft, White provides hope, a reminder of what makes Boyle special, and by proxy, CU.

“This is such a great opportunity to do something meaningful,” White said.

Boyle has no problem unearthing talent. Retention is the problem. CU has lost an average of five players to the portal over the past four seasons.

The inflation costs of keeping players have become staggering. Paydays are not public, but CU star freshman Isaiah Johnson defected to Texas this offseason. The going rate for point guards in the portal was $3 million and up, per The Field of 68.

As a forward, promising Bangot Dak was in line for around $2 million when he committed to Vanderbilt in April.  A few years ago CU was able to keep Tristan da Silva for five figures.

A clank used to be a coach’s worst nightmare. Now, it’s a cha-ching.

“College athletics are a little messed up,” Boyle said.

But he is not ready to throw his hands in the air. Boyle is a fighter.

He deserves better than to go out as a farm director for Power 4 bullies.

Why? He does things the right way and makes real connections.

If you don’t believe it, consider the alums who turned out for White’s private ceremony on Tuesday night in Denver. Spencer Dinwiddie, K.J. Simpson, Cory Higgins, and Alec Burks were just some of the roughly 20 former players in attendance.

“Tad is a historic coach. He gave us a place to learn and we have careers because of him,” Dinwiddie said. “With NIL now, it’s hard. Derrick’s donation is a big help. And we have to keep navigating it the best we can.”

White’s hiring was months in the making. Three specifically. That is when CU chose Fernando Lovo to lead its athletic department. He is an expert fundraiser, and brings the type of enthusiasm for all sports — not just the flailing football program — needed to make the fan base reach for its wallet.

Lovo made meeting White a priority. In April, he and Boyle flew to Boston for a Celtics game and an Italian dinner. Over food, the conversation broadened from White helping out hoops to something with roots.

White had talked with Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum about his involvement at Duke and was aware that Steph Curry (Davidson) and Trae Young (Oklahoma) held positions in the college ranks.

As Lovo and Boyle returned to Boulder, White was sold.

It was something he wanted to do — the idea of his kids growing up around the program was appealing. He also knew he would have the help of one-time CU teammate Josh Repine, “who will handle a lot of day-to-day stuff and is someone who loves this university as much as I do.”

Former Buffs’ fingerprints were all over this new arrangement, including those on Boyle’s staff, Nate Tomlinson and Evan Battey.

What makes this commitment fascinating is White’s limited time at CU. He played one season for Boyle after sitting out a year as a transfer.

“A little bit,” said Boyle when I was asked if he was surprised by White’s willingness to step into a prominent role. “But it shows what can happen when you try to treat people the right way and coach them well.”

White, who lives with his wife and kids in Colorado in the offseason, explained that his goal growing up was to play in the Coors Events Center. He figured he missed his chance when Legend High did not reach the state playoffs held there.

“So when I got the opportunity to go to CU, it was a dream come true. Like Fernando said, we wear Colorado across our chest here. That’s who I am and, to me, it represents the entire state,” White said. “This means a lot. I want to make it great, to be the best at this. ”

Wednesday, that seemed possible in a room full of smiles and tables full of cookies and brownies. It felt like a party.

Thursday will bring a harsh reality. The challenge in recruiting and retaining players.

Regardless, CU is in a better position because White is all in.

He is not the answer to all of CU’s issues, but he opens a pathway to solutions, a chance for Boyle to finish his coaching career without being consumed by which players are leaving.

“Once we get people in this building and in this program,” White said, “we need to make them realize they can reach their dreams here.”

Yet the reunion between White and coach Tad Boyle’s CU men’s basketball team is as much about the future as the present, with White already considering his post-career endeavors while Boyle aims to one day leave the program on solid footing.

That reunion became official on Wednesday, as White was introduced as the program’s first President of Basketball Strategy. CU also formally announced a $2 million donation from White’s family during an event attended by CU men’s basketball luminaries Cory Higgins, Alec Burks, Spencer Dinwiddie, Andre Roberson and KJ Simpson.

White, the former Buff and current Boston Celtics guard who just finished his ninth NBA season, joins a growing list of active NBA standouts who have taken leadership roles with their college programs, including Golden State’s Steph Curry (Davidson), Washington’s Trae Young (Oklahoma) and one of White’s Celtics teammates, Jayson Tatum (Duke).

“First things first is the Boston Celtics and being the best player I can be,” White said. “But as I get older, this is a good start for me to think about life after basketball and see where this goes. Obviously I’ve got to be the best player I can be. But also, I come here every summer and I’m passionate about CU. I think it¶¶Ňőap going to be a great opportunity for me to learn and grow and while playing, trying to use my resources to help CU and help everybody that¶¶Ňőap here right now.

“Obviously, I’m busy. But if somebody’s got a question, they want to reach out to me, I want to be a resource to the players or a resource to the coaching staff.”

While White will be considered a staff member, a CU official confirmed White is not taking a salary. The Parker native and former Legend High School star is halfway through a four-year, $125.9 million contract extension he signed in the aftermath of the Celtics’ 2024 NBA title.

White’s specific duties weren’t precisely outlined, with the former Buffs guard admitting on several occasions, “I don’t know a whole lot about college athletics.” CU athletic director Fernando Lovo described White’s new role as a conglomeration of responsibilities including roster construction, player development and serving as a high-profile program ambassador.

Boyle typically has shied away from discussing the possible end of a CU tenure that¶¶Ňőap heading toward its 17th season. Yet in a rare concession to his career mortality, Boyle admitted the combination of Lovo, a young athletic director in his first season in Boulder, and White will likely play central roles in shaping the post-Boyle future of the program.

“Eventually, there’s going to be a new coach at Colorado, and I’m going to hand the reins off to somebody else,” Boyle said. “I don’t know when that will be. But Derrick and Fernando are going to be part of that transition. Whatever that looks like, (White) is here because he wants Colorado basketball to be great in the years ahead. Not just this year.”

White and Boyle both described the new role as something that will evolve over the forthcoming months, as White balances his responsibilities with the Celtics with the nuances of his myriad roles with the Buffs, which could include greasing the wheels with donors one day before adding his two cents to the CU staff about a potential recruit the following day.

“He’ll be a great sounding board,” Boyle said. “He’s a guy that we stayed in touch with even before this transpired. We’re just going to figure it out as we go. I don’t know how much on a day-to-day basis, but I think for big decisions and big issues that come up, he’ll be a great part of the discussion.”

After being an overlooked and under-recruited prospect out of Legend, White’s unyielding work ethic, combined with a timely growth spurt, led to Division II All-American honors at UCCS. White shined during his lone season at CU, averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds during the 2016-17 campaign, earning first team All-Pac-12 honors. White was selected in the first round (29th overall) by San Antonio in the 2017 NBA Draft.

White certainly isn’t the first decorated former Buffs player to make his wisdom available for the next generation. But he is the first to take an active role in the future direction of the program, and no other potential program ambassador can boast an acumen that includes an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal, which White won as part of the US National Team in the 2024 Games in Paris.

“It¶¶Ňőap easy to kind of sell CU and Boulder,” White said. “You get on campus, it¶¶Ňőap one of a kind. It¶¶Ňőap easy to talk to someone about CU and show them how they can use CU to get to the next level and reach their dreams.”

Nearly a decade into his NBA career, White hopes his influence, as well as his checkbook, will continue to make a difference at CU.

The Colorado native, who just completed his ninth NBA season, has been tabbed as the first president of basketball strategy for coach Tad Boyle’s program, and he is also donating $2 million to the team that helped launch him into the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

White will be formally introduced to his new role at a press conference at CU on Wednesday morning.

In an era of college basketball marked by unlimited transfers for players trying to optimize their financial windfall, White’s addition to the Buffs’ braintrust follows a growing trend. Legendary Golden State sharpshooter Steph Curry is an assistant general manager for his alma mater, Davidson. Trae Young, who this week reportedly with the Washington Wizards, serves in a similar role at Oklahoma.

While White’s specific duties have not yet been outlined, his return to CU continues one of the greatest in-state basketball careers in Colorado history.

An undersized and overlooked recruit out of Legend High School in Parker, White parlayed a three-year All-American career at Division II UCCS, as well as a major growth spurt, into an opportunity with the Buffs.

Playing when transfers had to sit through mandatory redshirt seasons, White was forced to watch from the sideline during the Buffs’ NCAA Tournament season of 2015-16 before emerging the following year as one of the top prospects in the Pac-12.

Although it was a disappointing season for a Buffs team that expected to return to the NCAA Tournament, that shortfall was no fault of White’s, who made the most of his one season on the floor by averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds. White shot .507 overall and .396 from 3-point range, still the 12th-best season 3-point mark in team history, while earning first team All-Pac-12 honors. White’s 148 assists that season is tied with Barrington Hargress’ total from this past season for 13th in team history.

Drafted 29th overall by San Antonio in 2017, White played four-plus seasons with the Spurs before getting traded to Boston, where he won an NBA title in 2024. A few weeks later, White signed a four-year, $125.9 million extension with the Celtics, and he was a first-team NBA All-Defensive team honoree this past season after earning second team honors in 2023 and 2024.

With a Game 7 upset over top-seeded Oklahoma City, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs guaranteed that an eighth different team in as many years will be crowned champion of the NBA. Such variety seemed impossible as recently as 2018, when the Golden State Warriors were at the height of their reign and decades of history suggested the NBA would always be the American sports league most characterized by dynasties.

But with a collective bargaining agreement averse to super-teams, everything changed. New luxury tax thresholds were introduced, imposing punitive roster-building restrictions on big spenders, scaring teams away from keeping their championship cores intact. The second apron became the boogeyman to front offices. Unrestricted free agency has crept toward extinction. The art of roster architecture has been replaced by the tedium of money management in many cases.

The Nuggets have been profoundly impacted by a system designed to make it harder for them to win Nikola Jokic a second ring. Other repeat dreamers have been thwarted as well. Boston essentially salary-dumped multiple Finals starters last offseason. Even the indefatigable Thunder will face uncomfortable decisions this summer (and next) as its payroll spikes into the second apron.

Titles are not to be taken for granted anymore. One is the new two.

As the Spurs and Knicks tipped off their best-of-seven series this week, we endeavored to rank all 16 teams that have reached the NBA Finals (including them) during the eight-year era of parity, dating back to 2019. Thirteen different franchises have fielded a Finals team during that time, including seven different Western Conference champs in the last seven seasons.

Which one-hit wonders have stood out most in a decade defined by the elusiveness of sustained dominance?

1. Boston Celtics, 2024 

• Regular season: 64-18 (1st in East)
• Net rating: 11.7 (1st)
• Playoffs: 16-3
• Playoff net: 8.6

The only team on this list that won 60 or more regular-season games and never faced elimination in the playoffs. The Celtics are a fitting choice for the most dominant team of the parity era so far because they’re the rare case of an NBA champion without an inner circle Hall of Famer. Instead, they caught lightning in a bottle with a starting lineup featuring five All-Star-caliber two-way talents: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (the franchise cornerstones) were surrounded by Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder, 2025

• Regular season: 68-14 (1st in West)
• RS net rating: 12.7 (1st)
• Playoffs: 16-7
• Playoff net: 8.6

OKC has a fair case for the No. 1 spot, but nitpicking is the only way to differentiate between this team and Boston. The 2025 champs are docked a few brownie points only because they had to survive two home Game 7s against hobbled opponents. That doesn’t make the banner any less valid, but it does leave room to distinguish between their regular-season dominance and their ability to close out a playoff series. Still, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were brilliant throughout this run, and OKC’s depth (aided by a lopsided 2024 offseason trade for Alex Caruso) suffocated top-heavy teams like Denver.

3. Golden State Warriors, 2019

• Regular season: 57-25 (1st in West)
• RS net rating: 6.5 (2nd)
• Playoffs: 14-8
• Playoff net: 3.1

The most difficult team to place, for obvious reasons. Crushing injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson symbolically marked the end of Golden State’s dominion and the beginning of the post-dynasty NBA. But when the two-time defending champion Warriors were healthy, they were still, you know, arguably the greatest roster ever assembled. They still almost pushed Toronto to a Finals Game 7 even after Durant tore his Achilles and Thompson his ACL.

4. Denver Nuggets, 2023

• Regular season: 53-29 (1st in West)
• RS net rating: 3.3 (6th)
• Playoffs: 16-4
• Playoff net: 8.0

The Nuggets lack the eye-popping regular-season résumé of Boston or Oklahoma City, but they still controlled the No. 1 seed in their conference for the last four months of the season without dropping. More importantly, they proved their stature with the second-most dominant title run of the teams on this list, mowing through Anthony Edwards, Durant, Devin Booker, LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the West. Perhaps this will be the only year it all comes together in perfect harmony around Nikola Jokic, the most decorated player of the decade so far.

5. Los Angeles Lakers, 2020

• Regular season: 52-19 (1st in West)
• RS net rating: 5.6 (5th)
• Playoffs: 16-5
• Playoff net: 6.9

It’s hard to escape the skepticism that has greeted LeBron and the Lakers for years since they emerged from the bubble, where they won the pandemic championship in an empty gym. But make no mistake, this team was a wagon. Aside from James and Davis, Los Angeles had a stellar defensive supporting cast headlined by Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, both of whom went on to solidify their status as winning players with other champions higher on this list.

6. Toronto Raptors, 2019

• Regular season: 58-24 (2nd in East)
• Net rating: 5.8 (3rd)
• Playoffs: 16-8
• Playoff net: 5.6

One of the wildest playoff runs in league history, from Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce buzzer beater to win Game 7, to the 2-0 series comeback in the Eastern Conference Finals, to the upset of Curry’s injury-hampered Warriors. It was Leonard’s masterpiece, but the roster around him was deeper than it’s given credit for: Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Danny Green, OG Anunoby (until he missed the playoffs due to appendicitis), Norman Powell, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka each left their marks. A delightful team.

7. Milwaukee Bucks, 2021

• Regular season: 46-26 (3rd in East)
• Net rating: 5.8 (4th)
• Playoffs: 16-7
• Playoff net: 5.3

Sure, if Kevin Durant’s foot was behind the 3-point line, Milwaukee’s season would’ve technically ended in Game 7 of the second round. But every champion needs a little bit of luck. The Bucks just got slightly more than most. They also got an absolute tour de force of a playoff run from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 40 in that Game 7 against Brooklyn, then 50 in a Game 6 win over Phoenix to close out the best Finals of the decade so far. If the Giannis era is indeed about to end in Milwaukee, at least they’ll always have 2021, when the stars aligned for Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.

8. San Antonio Spurs, 2026*

• Regular season: 62-20 (2nd in West)
• Net rating: 8.4 (3rd)
• Playoffs: 12-7*
• Playoff net: 11.0*

They’re a few wins away from making eighth place look criminally low. For now, consider this one last gesture of trepidation toward a radically young team. By prevailing over Minnesota and OKC in back-to-back slugfests, the Spurs have shattered every precedent that experience is a non-negotiable playoff virtue. Victor Wembanyama is wise beyond his years, and Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper don’t seem to care that their combined age equals one LeBron.

9. New York Knicks, 2026*

• Regular season: 53-29 (3rd in East)
• Net rating: 6.4 (5th)
• Playoffs: 12-2*
• Playoff net: 19.8*

An 11-game win streak to bulldoze through the East playoffs forced NBA analysts to reconsider how good this Knicks team might actually be. If they can end Madison Square Garden’s title drought without needing a Game 7, they’ll join Denver and Boston as the only champions of the era to go 16-4 or better. Like the 2024 Celtics, they don’t depend on a bona fide all-time great (though Jalen Brunson will certainly achieve New York immortality if they finish this thing off). It’s the four-man core of Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges that has fueled this run, plus an unexpectedly free-wheeling use of the bench by first-year coach Mike Brown.

10. Golden State Warriors, 2022

• Regular season: 53-29 (3rd in West)
• Net rating: 5.5 (4th)
• Playoffs: 16-6
• Playoff net: 4.9

Of all the teams to raise a banner during this era, the Warriors probably had the flimsiest roster — the last remnants of their dynasty and some new friends they met along the way. That’s ultimately a credit to Curry, who averaged an efficient 31, six and five to knock off Boston. This championship is his greatest achievement. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green’s glory days were in the rearview mirror, Andrew Wiggins was the team’s second option, and Otto Porter Jr. started the last three games of the Finals.

11. Indiana Pacers, 2025

• Regular season: 50-32 (4th in East)
• Net rating: 2.1 (13th)
• Playoffs: 15-8
• Playoff net: 2.1

Basketball fans around the globe will never stop lamenting the timing of Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles tendon, moments after an awe-inspiring barrage of deep 3s early in Game 7 of the Finals. Thanks in large part to their four ridiculous last-minute comebacks — one in each playoff round — the Pacers will go down in history as one of the most exciting teams that didn’t win the title.

12. Phoenix Suns, 2021

• Regular season: 51-21 (2nd in West)
• Net rating: 5.9 (3rd)
• Playoffs: 14-8
• Playoff net: 4.2

Up 2-0 on Milwaukee, then later down one point with the ball on the last possession of Game 5, Phoenix was as close to a ring as any Finals loser this century. Chris Paul and Devin Booker formed one of the best backcourts on this list. But 18 months later, the team was sold, and young role players Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were shipped off to Brooklyn in the fateful Durant trade.

13. Boston Celtics, 2022

• Regular season: 51-31 (2nd in East)
• Net rating: 7.4 (2nd)
• Playoffs: 14-10
• Playoff net: 3.9

Playing in their fourth Eastern Conference Finals together, Tatum and Brown finally broke through. Also buoyed by Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, the Celtics survived Game 7s against Milwaukee and Miami to gain a 2-1 series edge over Golden State. Then they got fried by Curry.

14. Dallas Mavericks, 2024

• Regular season: 50-32 (5th in West)
• RS net rating: 2.1 (15th)
• Playoffs: 13-9
• Playoff net: 2.6

These regular-season numbers disguise a team that was altered at the trade deadline and dominated down the stretch. PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford were savvy acquisitions to assist Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on an impressive playoff run, highlighted by a six-game upset of the top-seeded Thunder. Little did Doncic know it would be his last chance in Dallas.

15. Miami Heat, 2020

• Regular season: 44-29 (5th in East)
• Net rating: 2.7 (7th)
• Playoffs: 14-7
• Playoff net: 1.9

Playoff risers in the bubble. An unimpeachable Jimmy Butler performance made the Finals look closer than they were, forcing Game 6 and delaying LeBron’s fourth title.

16. Miami Heat, 2023

• Regular season: 44-38 (7th in East)
• Net rating: -0.5 (21st)
• Playoffs: 13-10
• Playoff net: 1.9

Props to the Heat for milking everything it possibly could out of the Butler era. This is the only Play-In Tournament team to ever reach the Finals. Butler, Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra outdid themselves, needing only five games to upset the top-seeded Bucks in the first round.

How many other players can we say that about on the Nuggets’ roster? Four? Five? The list begins with Jamal Murray, includes Christian Braun, maybe a few others, and finishes with Gordon.

It felt like each question on Friday circled back to Mr. Nugget.

President Josh Kroenke insisted “everything is on the table” this offseason, but his answers suggested moving on from Gordon is not one of them.

Nuggets Nation, rejoice at your own risk. Everybody loves Gordon. He has endeared himself to teammates and fans alike because of his unselfishness and toughness.

He plays well. He plays hurt. But he no longer plays enough.

And that is why the leadership press conference came off as underwhelming.

Injuries and complacency were cited for the disappointing first-round exit. Sure, coach David Adelman — he is not going anywhere as Kroenke has “full faith” in him — went into the weeds about needing more ball handlers against pressure and better defensive rebounding.

But much of the talk centered on health and motivation. Those are reasons for the Nuggets’ postseason flop. They are easy to identify. What was not offered were solutions, just a lot of word salad and crossed fingers.

Kroenke mentioned “running it back” as a potential best option so many times that it was like he saw the Broncos’ offseason and said, “Hold my drink.”

As plans go, static would be a mistake.

There is no way Kroenke can digest the postseason, remove emotion and decide to stand pat. Hope is not a strategy unless you are the 2019-2025 Rockies.

The Nuggets are too smart to do something so basic. Nuggets Nation deserves better.

The Nuggets are not a title contender. I was hoping Kroenke would look to his left (Adelman) and right (co-general managers Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace) and break the news.

Instead, they ran out the tired trope that any team with Jokic remains in a championship window. He is responsible for much of their success. And he is also their crutch. We have Jokic. We are fine.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Nuggets need more athleticism, more length, more anger, more hunger.

Kroenke acknowledged that he was frustrated by the Nuggets’ response in Games 3 and 4, but stopped short of admitting it revealed a locker-room fissure. His team got curb stomped, and reading between the lines on Friday, you would have thought it was because the Nuggets waited too long to give Tyus Jones minutes to initiate the offense and were too dependent on Jokic’s 3-pointers.

There are annual lessons in sports about the dangers of standing pat. Especially about players. Don’t love them. Like them. Be real. Be transparent. And if you cannot do either of those? Be willing to change.

If another ring is the goal, it must go beyond trading Cam Johnson and signing Peyton Watson.

Instead, the Nuggets talked about Gordon as if there were only one path forward: helping him heal, physically and emotionally.

This is admirable. It just doesn’t seem logical.

Gordon has missed 77 games the past two seasons because of a battery of calf and hamstring injuries. He turns 31 in September as he enters his 13th season.

What we have watched is a former Superman fighting his body and his mind in a public setting that we wished were private.

His older brother, Drew Gordon, died in a car accident on May 30, 2024. Gordon has said that he has struggled to process his grief, and he believes it has contributed to the endless leg issues.

Everyone deals with loss differently. There is no blueprint.

The Nuggets aim to assist Gordon.

“Aaron is one of my favorite human beings I have come across in all of our wide world of sports. What he has been through since we won a championship is simply tragic and would be difficult for anybody to deal with,” Kroenke said. “To have to go through it (in public) and knowing what he does for his family behind the scenes, it is very demanding on the human body. We have to help him get better at it. That¶¶Ňőap absolutely something we have to talk about. We have to look in the mirror and say, ‘AG how can we help you?’^”

When he is right, so are the Nuggets. But are they confusing loyalty with reality?

No one can convince me that there is not a market for Gordon’s contract, even with $103.5 million remaining if he exercises a 2028-29 player option.

Calling the Celtics to see if they would consider swapping Derrick White for Gordon is a must. All they can say is no.

I don’t sense any motivation for a deal. Gordon is not only their guy but also a favorite of Jokic. And the idea of upsetting Jokic before he signs a four-year extension is unnerving.

That leaves a narrow road for improvement. Heal Gordon. And perform some nips and tucks. If shipping out Gordon remains a non-starter, then the Nuggets must get honest about Jokic.

He needs a rim protector. There are too many nights when he is uninterested in defense; his focus is on quickly grabbing the ball as it goes through the net to throw an outlet pass. Gordon is a terrific defender, and there should be discussions with him about focusing on that side of the ball and letting others — like Watson — pick up the scoring.

Regardless, Denver has to add a deterrent in the paint. Someone who can elevate and intimidate. The latter was so lacking against the Timberwolves that it was embarrassing.

The easy thing to do is keep the roster similar, believing that with an overhauled training staff, the team’s injury report won’t look like an episode of “The Pitt.” And to be clear, there must be changes behind the scenes.

It leaves a trade of Johnson as the move to clear the runway for Watson.

That is a little thing. The heavy lifting is navigating the weighty stuff surrounding Gordon.

You know Jokic wants him to stay. The Nuggets’ brass loves him. And fans constantly ask: How can the Nuggets win without him?

The better question: Can the Nuggets still win with him?

Denver capitulated to the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games, a championship bid ending in vacant stares and shaking heads. Braun accepted responsibility. Then he elaborated. 

“I just think I’m the leader of this team,” Braun said. “I’m the vocal leader of this team. And when we don’t play well as a whole, you can blame whatever you want … You can blame anything. But I didn’t play well enough as an individual, and I didn’t have this team ready enough to play in a tough series. So we’ll be better. I’ll be better. I’m looking forward to next year, when we can respond.”

Braun deserves criticism for his awful playoff performance and his lost regular season due to an ankle injury. His quote, on the surface, was absurd. More concerning is that it set off no alarms among his teammates.

How could it? Minutes earlier, Jamal Murray admitted that the Timberwolves wanted it more, and took “it kind of personal.”

Braun meant what he said because he has grown into an outsized role over the past three years in a locker room with a three-time MVP, a player whose number will hang from the rafters and a veteran known affectionately by fans as Mr. Nugget.

This is why the Nuggets are doomed without adding their own version of Gabe Landeskog.

The Avs are 51-7-8 with Landeskog in the lineup this season. But his real value lies in his leadership.

He is the captain, and leads by example, both physical and verbal. Teammates can go to him with concerns, and he is able to communicate points to the coaching staff. Avs players will do what he tells them out of respect, out of love, not fear (that is reserved for Nathan MacKinnon’s glare).

And he takes up for them on the ice.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. You want to mouth off, Landeskog will talk with his fists. You want to take a run at MacKinnon or Cale Makar, a hard check into the boards will be postmarked with vengeance.

Landeskog takes his role seriously.

No doubt Braun does, too. But the loss to the Timberwolves revealed that he is miscast.

Want to be the leader of the team? After Jaden McDaniels called out Nikola Jokic, Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr. as “bad defenders,” Braun should have been waiting, mouth frothing.

The first time McDaniels took the ball to the basket in Game 3, Braun should have fouled him in a way that conjured images of  The second time McDaniels exploded to the hoop, Braun should have fouled him in ways that brought back memories of .

Hard. Clean. Enough is enough. Instill toughness.

Braun did none of it.

Yet blaming him is misguided.

The fact that he felt comfortable talking the way he did tells you everything that is wrong with the Nuggets’ current roster and coaching staff.

Why would he not think he is the leader? His play reflected his team. He was timid, passed up open shots, and was not a lock-down defender. Like his teammates, he accepted accountability and, by virtue of his actions on the court, took nothing personally.

As the Nuggets enter an offseason of uncertainty, it is clear the roster no longer works, especially since all indications are that David Adelman is safe. An argument can be made for letting Adelman learn on the job, but he fueled concerns that he is a better offensive coordinator than head coach with the playoff collapse.

This is not second-guessing.  I wrote six weeks ago that the Nuggets needed a player to provide bad cop energy, to give the team an edge and keep everything in line when the defense slipped because they ran off the last coach who urged them to guard people.

Something has to give.

Maybe it starts with trying to move Gordon to the Celtics in exchange for Colorado legend Derrick White. And obviously, trading Johnson must be discussed as a way to bring back Peyton Watson. He must be a top priority.

The Nuggets are over the luxury tax and both aprons. And if history is a guide, it is hard to see ownership absorbing any financial penalties next season.

Compliance starts with moving on from backup center Jonas Valanciunas, spreading $2 million over three seasons rather than paying him a $10 million salary. And it is unlikely Hardaway comes back unless he signs a team-friendly deal, his situation not dissimilar from Bruce Brown’s after the Nuggets won their championship.

The Nuggets must treat failure as a curriculum.

Looking at the Thunder, the Spurs, and the Timberwolves, there is no way to see the Nuggets as a championship contender. They do not match up well against elite teams. Their scoring was a problem against Minnesota, but not as much as the lack of physicality and protection against drives to the rim.

It has shown up on the road where flaws are typically exposed. In their last 10 postseason games away from Ball Arena, the Nuggets are 2-8, including six losses by double digits.

The Nuggets’ front office of Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer received high marks for building a new bench last offseason. That is exactly what was needed on the spreadsheet. It accounted for strategy, not chemistry.

Now, they are faced with solving a problem they inadvertently created with an inexperienced coach and a roster absent a mean streak.

The Nuggets boast too many good vibes guys. They don’t have a Landeskog. Or a MacKinnon.

There are players with these traits, but they are not displayed with the consistency that, in hockey parlance, would demand a C or an A on their chest.

This is how Braun found himself in front of a microphone after Game 6. He is a veteran with a high basketball IQ. A proven winner.

But he cannot be this team’s leader.

Two years from now if he has lived up to his contract extension? Sure.

When he is averaging 18 points per game and stifling top scorers in the fourth quarter? Yep.

But until then, he needs to become a face in the crowd with a louder, more proven player’s voice filling the room. A player like Landeskog.

MVP (and First Team All-NBA)

• 1. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Thunder
• 2. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
• 3. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
• 4. Luka Doncic, Lakers
• 5. Cade Cunningham, Pistons

This is a safe space, Nuggets fans. You can let it all out. I’ll be your punching bag if it makes you feel better. But I’ll just remind you I was part of the minority when I voted for Jokic over SGA last year. () And I’ll direct you to Jokic’s own assessment of his 2025-26 season, when I asked him recently how it compares to the previous year, when he said he was “playing the best basketball of my life.”

“I think for me, it was a little bit inconsistent,” he said this time. “Just because injury, and then it was the first time I was coming back from (an) injury. … I think before injury, I played really, really high-level basketball. And since injury, it’s so-so.”

That was on March 25, with three weeks remaining in the regular season. You can argue he had turned a corner by then — though you might have to ignore his 10 turnovers in a loss to the tanking Grizzlies a week earlier — but the point is that for at least two and a half months of the season, Jokic simply wasn’t a relevant enough part of the MVP conversation. A hyperextended left knee sidelined him in January. His first few weeks back on the court hindered him in February, not to mention a flare-up of discomfort in his right wrist that he was determined to play through. He was a pedestrian 3-point shooter for the last 33 games after his return from the knee injury. He had a tendency to play loose with the ball, finishing with a turnover rate 2.5% higher than last season and a worse assist-to-turnover ratio. I would not describe this as his most active defensive season either, in part due to his coaching staff’s inclination to save his energy for the playoffs (a worthwhile trade-off).

If it sounds like I’m just a hater ragging on a Denver sports icon, please keep in mind that my ballot still reflects the stance that Jokic was the second-best player in the NBA this season »ĺ±đ˛ő±čľ±łŮ±đĚýthose months. That’s how automatically impactful his presence on the court is, even when he “struggles.” But the margins narrowed this season as Gilgeous-Alexander continued to improve as both a scorer and playmaker. Averaging 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting from the field and 66.5% true shooting (within 0.5% of Jokic) on a guard’s shot diet is ridiculous. That’s the efficiency of a 7-footer whose only shot attempts are pick-and-roll lobs and other easy chances around the rim. Consider also that SGA’s burden as a shot creator was heightened this year by wingman Jalen Williams missing 50 games, and that OKC still had a 121.5 offensive rating with him on the floor (11.1 points per 100 better than without him).

I maintain that Jokic is the best basketball player on the planet because his versatility at the center position is revolutionary and his highs are higher than anybody else’s (at least for now, until Victor Wembanyama catches up). But Gilgeous-Alexander’s metronomic consistency made him the best and most valuable player to his team this regular season.

Second Team All-NBA

• Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
• Jaylen Brown, Celtics
• Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
• Jamal Murray, Nuggets
• Tyrese Maxey, 76ers

I’ll make a few very brief notes on the rest of my ballot as I go. Leonard was originally penciled in as my fifth-place MVP vote and last First-Team All-NBA selection, until an arbitrator unexpectedly ruled in favor of Cunningham being eligible for awards despite not playing 65 games. Leonard barely crossed the threshold himself (and Cunningham actually played more minutes), so it’s not like there was some chasm between them in availability. I almost talked myself into keeping Leonard fifth anyway, but Cunningham’s season was unimpeachable. He had an absolutely profound winning impact on a top-seeded team that doesn’t exactly have awesome spacing or secondary shot creation around him.

Props to Murray, who would have been my unofficial seventh-place MVP vote if Doncic and Cunningham had both been deemed ineligible. Even with those two guys allowed on the ballot, the Nuggets guard was comfortably on my Second Team.

Third Team All-NBA

• Chet Holmgren, Thunder
• Jalen Brunson, Knicks
• Kevin Durant, Rockets
• Jalen Johnson, Hawks
• Jalen Duren, Pistons

Coach of the Year

• 1. Joe Mazzulla, Celtics
• 2. JB Bickerstaff, Pistons
• 3. Tiago Splitter, Trail Blazers

This was one of the most difficult awards on the ballot for me this year. There are a ton of coaches around the league right now deserving of recognition. Also strongly considered: San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson, Phoenix’s Jordan Ott, Toronto’s Darko Rajakovic, Charlotte’s Charles Lee, Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault and Denver’s David Adelman (54 wins despite all those injuries?). Ultimately leaned Splitter, who had perhaps the most unfavorable situation in the NBA this year, taking over for Chauncey Billups on opening day, and coached the Blazers to the playoffs in a tough Western Conference. Will Portland’s cost-cutting new owner pay him a wage commensurate to his accomplishments?

Most Improved Player

• 1. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hawks
• 2. Jalen Duren, Pistons
• 3. Collin Gillespie, Suns

Gillespie didn’t make the cut as a finalist, but would you have ever guessed when he was on a two-way contract in Denver that he would someday break a franchise’s single-season record for most 3-pointers? He’s a point guard by nature, but he also was 47.4% on catch-and-shoot 3s this season. In general, he handled his increased responsibility in Phoenix with incredible poise, starting 58 games for a surprise playoff team after having played only 57 in his NBA career before 2025-26.

Sixth Man of the Year

• 1. Keldon Johnson, Spurs
• 2. Jaime Jaquez, Heat
• 3. Tim Hardaway Jr., Nuggets

Three worthy candidates in a year without an obvious winner. Johnson’s energy is inextricable from his team’s identity in addition to his statistical contributions off the bench, so he gets the nod from me in a squeaker. Also strongly considered: Minnesota’s Ayo Dosunmu, OKC’s Ajay Mitchell and New York’s Mitchell Robinson, until I realized he didn’t meet the 65-game rule.

Clutch Player of the Year

• 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
• 2. Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
• 3. Jamal Murray, Nuggets

SGA’s likely win in this category will reinforce his MVP candidacy. He was fantastic in the biggest moments all season.

Defensive Player of the Year (and First Team All-Defense)

• 1. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
• 2. Chet Holmgren, Thunder
• 3. Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves
• Ausar Thompson, Pistons
• Scottie Barnes, Raptors

Second Team All-Defense

• Cason Wallace, Thunder
• Derrick White, Celtics
• OG Anunoby, Knicks
• Stephon Castle, Spurs
• Amen Thompson, Rockets

Rookie of the Year (and First Team All-Rookie)

• 1. Kon Knueppel, Hornets
• 2. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
• 3. VJ Edgecombe, 76ers
• Dylan Harper, Spurs
• Ace Bailey, Jazz

I’ve seen the school of thought that Flagg should be bestowed this honor because he’s likely to have the better overall career than Knueppel. That may well be true, but Rookie of the Year is about this year, not the next 10 to 20. This was deservedly a tight race nonetheless, and I have no qualms with Flagg winning if that indeed comes to pass. But for a rookie to lead the NBA in 3s is truly remarkable, and Knueppel’s sharpshooting ability had ripple effects across the overall execution of Charlotte’s offense en route to the Play-In Tournament. His poor performance in the Play-In is not supposed to be counted against him, and it certainly was not on my ballot.

Second Team All-Rookie

• Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
• Maxime Raynaud, Kings
• Derik Queen, Pelicans
• Ryan Kalkbrenner, Hornets
• Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans

If his knee allows it, the Nuggets center is pretty much a lock to be sent to Los Angeles for an eighth consecutive All-Star Game on Feb. 15, when he will definitely be thrilled to be part of the festivities.

The voting window for the 2025-26 NBA All-Stars ended Wednesday, and the results will be of particular interest in Denver this year — even with Jokic’s inclusion being anticlimactic. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, long regarded as one of the best players in the league without All-Star recognition, has made a strong case to finally get over the hump with his best statistical start to a season.

Has he done enough in an unfairly competitive Western Conference? Despite the format of the “game” itself undergoing another sweeping overhaul — the 24 All-Stars will be divided into two eight-man U.S. teams and a world team to compete in a round-robin tournament — the league still wants to adhere to tradition in the selection process. Twelve All-Stars from each conference. Five from each recognized as “starters” in name only.

Voting on those starters is position-less and broken down into three factions. Fan submissions count for 50% of the vote, a media panel counts for 25% and players count for 25%. The seven “reserves” from each conference are then chosen by head coaches. Starters are announced Monday; reserves on Feb. 1.

Here is my official starters ballot, as well as my informal picks on who I think should earn the reserve spots.

Western Conference All-Star picks

Starters: Luka Doncic (LAL), Anthony Edwards (MIN), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Nikola Jokic (DEN), Victor Wembanyama (SAS).

I found myself choosing between six players for five spots in both conferences. The difficult exclusion in the West pretty clearly came down to Edwards and Steph Curry. They’re about as deadlocked as it gets, but I ultimately used Ant Man’s efficiency in the clutch as my tiebreaker. His timely shot-making has elevated Minnesota a tier above Golden State in the conference hierarchy: When I submitted my ballot, he was shooting 70.7% from the field in “clutch time” (to Curry’s 43.8%) and 57.1% from the 3-point line, helping the Wolves to a 9-5 record and 9.4 net rating in those situations. (The Nuggets experienced it even in a game they eventually won on Christmas.) The Warriors were 6-9 with a minus-11.4 net rating in clutch games with Curry playing.

The other four starters were no-brainers. Remember, there’s no minimum on games played for All-Star qualification, allowing voter discretion on superstars who’ve been hurt like Jokic and Wembanyama — the league’s best offensive and defensive players, respectively.

Reserves: Deni Avdija (POR), Steph Curry (GSW), Kevin Durant (HOU), Chet Holmgren (OKC), Kawhi Leonard (LAC), Jamal Murray (DEN), Julius Randle (MIN).

This is truly a cutthroat race. Yet I found Murray to be a no-doubter as I went through my list of candidates. Of the 64 players who’ve taken 200 or more 3s this season, he leads the NBA with a 44.6% clip on 285 attempts. His decision-making has been crisp. His passing placement has continued to be an underrated aspect of his game. And aside from the career-high numbers across the board, Murray has cemented his status as a deserving All-Star by leading the Nuggets through this stretch without Jokic.

There’s no way to justify selecting only one player from Oklahoma City, and I think Holmgren is a worthy second choice from the Thunder’s repository of talent. He’s one of the most valuable defenders in the league, and his offensive game has steadily expanded this season with a bit more off-the-dribble work and a 6.7% improvement in true shooting. (He now ranks eighth in the NBA in that category.)

Minnesota is the other team with two players listed here. I had Houston’s Alperen Sengun penciled in at first, but Randle stole the spot from him at the last minute. Their numbers are pretty comparable, but I just think Randle has been a little more essential to the offense of a team that I think is a little better than Houston. The Wolves actually have an 11.6 net rating when Randle is on the floor and Edwards isn’t. He stretches the floor a bit more reliably than Sengun. And assist-to-turnover ratio has to matter eventually if you’re the play-making hub of an offense. Sengun’s is 1.97. (Side note: Rudy Gobert has been excellent for Minnesota and also crossed my mind as an option.)

If All-Star selection didn’t support the facade of conference equality, then Sengun would absolutely be one of my 24 players. In general, my ballot would skew pretty heavily in favor of the West. I hated having to choose between players on lesser teams (Leonard, Avdija) and one particular guy on a more successful squad — I’ll get to him later. Ultimately, I decided Leonard and Avdija have simply been too good to leave out, elevating the Clippers and Blazers into much more competitive territory.

Eastern Conference All-Star picks

ł§łŮ˛ą°ůłŮ±đ°ů˛ő:ĚýGiannis Antetokounmpo (MIL), Jaylen Brown (BOS), Cade Cunningham (DET), Tyrese Maxey (PHL), Donovan Mitchell (CLE).

I’m sure the exclusion of Brunson will put me in the minority of voters. I took no pleasure in it, but I just had a hard time making a case for him over any of these candidates as I went one by one. Mitchell might be the most popular choice on the chopping block, largely because of Cleveland’s underwhelming first half of the season as a team. But the patron statistic of Nuggets fans defending Jokic’s honor over the years has been on/off net rating differential, and Mitchell’s is the second-highest in the league right now (behind Jokic) at 14.8.

That’s far from an ironclad measurement of individual impact, but I do think it’s revealing that Cleveland’s 8.4 net with “Spida” on the floor would be second-best in the NBA. He has also attempted the most valuable shot in the sport (the three) more times than anyone else in the league at a 39% clip.

The player I was closest to swapping out for Brunson was Brown, but I couldn’t get myself there. The scoring responsibility he shouldered to get the Celtics to second in the East without Jayson Tatum is one of the defining stories of this NBA season, not to mention his efficiency and his on-ball defense.

Reserves: Scottie Barnes (TOR), Jalen Brunson (NYK), Jalen Duren (DET), Jalen Johnson (ATL), Michael Porter Jr. (BKN), Norman Powell (MIA), Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK).

Look, this isn’t the most inspiring list you’ll ever see. The standards are just different in the East right now. I found myself choosing between a few guys performing below their preseason expectations toward the end — Towns, Evan Mobley, Desmond Bane. I also flirted with a couple of elite role players, including OG Anunoby and Derrick White, before settling on what’s probably a somewhat chalky set of picks.

Props to MPJ for what’s likely to be his first career All-Star nod, coinciding with Murray’s. The Nets are the worst team on this entire list, but his shot-making talent has ascended to a new level with higher volume.

World Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL), Deni Avdija (POR), Luka Doncic (LAL), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Nikola Jokic (DEN), Donovan Mitchell (CLE), Jamal Murray (DEN), Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK), Victor Wembanyama (SAS).

I’m going to finish by cheating a little. Towns and Mitchell were both born in the U.S., but they’ve said publicly they want to play for the world team because of their family roots (Dominican Republic for Towns, Panama for Mitchell). The new format requires a minimum of 16 U.S. players and eight international players, in order to field three teams for the tournament. If one or the other is short on players, then commissioner Adam Silver will pick extras to ensure both teams have enough.

Who am I to deny KAT and Mitchell? Categorizing them on the world team enables me to reward one more player with a spot: Devin Booker. The Suns guard is the frontman of one of the most surprising teams of the season, but he’s inhibited just by playing in the West. I couldn’t find a place for him in my initial 12 — would like to see more efficient shooting splits — but his overall impact on winning makes him deserving of a 25th spot.

“Zeke Nnaji. That’s what happened,” he said after a 114-110 win over the Celtics.

“He was playing amazing defense.”

Against the second-best offense in the NBA (behind Denver), for that matter. Against Jaylen Brown, who was fresh off a 50-point game amid a sneaky MVP candidacy. Against “everybody,” as Nuggets coach David Adelman pointed out.

And notably, while operating as a center, the position that has vexed Nnaji in recent years. Adelman was making a point to use him almost entirely as a power forward this season, until injuries to Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas left him no other choice. Minutes are minutes. This week, Nnaji is making the most of his. DaRon Holmes II has been starting games at the five; Nnaji has been closing them.

“I don’t remember him moving this well. …He guarded everybody in this game, because we were switching,” Adelman said Wednesday. “Just cool to see him have some success. Obviously, he hasn’t been in the rotation.”

Nnaji helped cement wins at Philadelphia while down seven rotation players and Boston while down three — a pair of season-affirming wins for the Nuggets (25-12) as they try to prove something to themselves and others without Jokic. Nnaji anchored the lineup that took over the game with a 14-0 run on Wednesday, holding the Celtics scoreless for more than four minutes.

“We needed him to do a lot, honestly,” Murray said. “Rebound, switch, box out, run the floor, set screens hard, roll hard. Offensive rebound. Like, he’s in every single action, offense and defense. He felt like the key to our win today. ”

Lineups with Nnaji next to a more traditional center were noticeably more effective than lineups using Nnaji as the five last season. And it wasn’t just a side-effect of sharing the floor with Jokic. When Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan played together, Denver’s net rating was 13.4 in 122 minutes, . With Nnaji and Jokic, it was 14.9 in 244 minutes. When Nnaji was on his own, without either? The Nuggets were minus 21.7 in 243 minutes.

“To be honest, I really haven’t thought about that at all. I’m just kind of out there playing,” Nnaji told The Denver Post. “I feel like just my rhythm, my flow within the team has been great. Whether I’m playing the four or playing the five, it’s like, we’re just playing together.”

Nnaji turned in a career game in Philly. He filled up the box score with 21 points and eight rebounds, splashing 3-pointers and pounding the rock against subsequent close-outs to the perimeter. His dribble-drive game was one of the levers that opened up Denver’s scoring.

With Murray, Tim Hardaway Jr., Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun all back in the lineup on Wednesday, Nnaji was never going to have the ball in his hands as frequently. But the confidence carried over nonetheless.

“It manifests in different ways,” he said. “Maybe last game, I had more shots. This game, I didn’t have as many shots, but I’m still trying to have that same activity level, that same impact on the floor, no matter what my role is.”

Confidence has always been an essential ingredient for him. The physical gifts have been evident throughout Nnaji’s six-year career in Denver. His ability to apply them has wavered.

“Everybody played like they’ve been in the rotation, starting the whole year (in the Philadelphia win). There was a confidence to their games,” Adelman said. “I’d rather have guys fail going extremely hard and playing with extreme confidence than just trying not to screw up. And I think that’s the biggest thing for Zeke. Just be who you are.”

Nnaji scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and blocked two shots as Denver pulled away Wednesday. He was credited with contesting six shots inside the arc. He provided three screen assists resulting in seven points. He even played as an initiator from the elbow a few times at Adelman’s behest, “to get Jamal off action to his left hand.” Most importantly, he managed to cut off Brown from getting to the rim in multiple pick-and-roll coverages, hedging and switching.

Denver won Nnaji’s minutes by six points — another source of confidence for him to draw from as January goes on. The Nuggets are still early in their war of injury attrition. They’ll have to keep leaning on Nnaji for center minutes while Jokic and Valanciunas are out.

For now, he’s excelling by not focusing on the position.

“You don’t have to think about it so much,” Nnaji said. “… I’m not really thinking.”

So, so, so, sooooo much Derrick White.

“I’ve watched highlights on him and just tried to study it a little bit, of just how solid he is defensively,” Clifford, the gifted and genial former CSU Rams wing, told me by phone earlier this week.

“He’s not somebody that’s gambling. He just guards really well and is super disciplined. So that’s something I’ve tried to watch and pick up from his game. And then getting to go to pick-up (games) and play with him, you just see how high-level a shot-maker he is. So that was kind of one of the first people, one of the first pro dudes that I was able to be around.”

And to measure himself against. On Wednesday, Clifford’s expected to officially join White, the ex-CU and Legend High great, in the NBA ranks. Projections say the 6-foot-6 Clifford, who attended The Vanguard School in Colorado Springs,  . And only the fourth since 2010, following Dalton Knecht (2024), Reggie Jackson (2011) and White (2017).

“(That) motivational story that he has, that just pushes you to want to be better,” Clifford said of White. “Because my path wasn’t smooth sailing either. And so just to see a guy that went through what he went through and to get where he’s at now, it definitely is inspiration and more motivation.”

At 23 years old, with 154 college games and six NCAA Tournament appearances at CU (two) and CSU (four) under his belt, Clifford might be the Class of ’25 rookie most ready, mentally and physically, to plug and play, to use right out of the box.

The only mysteries are where — and how much. with pick No. 23. USA Today projected him in Utah at pick No. 21, as did Yahoo Sports. As of Monday, Clifford had visited 15 teams for in-person interviews and workouts.

“If I’m on a higher-level team, like the Thunder, a playoff-contention team, I probably would be more of a stand-in-the-corner, catch-and-shoot (guy),” Clifford mused. “Be a defender, rebounder, and just having more simplicity to my game, just because they’ve got their stars.

“Maybe with a team that’s still growing, you might get more opportunity to be a playmaker or have the ball a little more. I’m not saying you’re going to — you’ll probably still be in the same role, but you might have a little more freedom. It ultimately comes down to what the team needs based on personnel, and then just the opportunity they give you based on what you get to showcase to them once training camp comes and what they see from you in Summer League, (and) how they want to implement you within their system.

“Yeah, I don’t have a clue what I’m going to be at the next level. Or where I’m going to be, either.”

But if you ask it, he’ll try it. The eye test says Clifford’s cut from a prototype 3-and-D mold, given a 6-8 reach and, as a collegian, having guarded positions 1-4 on the floor like the guy in the other jersey just keyed his car.

“It’s a huge thing,” Clifford noted. “If you can make that three, it just spaces the floor so much more, especially in the NBA. It allows the star players to have more space to go 1-on-1 and do certain things. It’s been an essential part of my training and pre-draft process of just trying to become more consistent as a three-point shooter — especially with the line moving back even farther now, I’ve even had to adjust.”

Clifford’s 3-point shot was a pet project of Ali Farokhmanesh, then a Rams assistant and now the men’s basketball coach at CSU. Farokhmanesh took everything from Nique’s feet to his elbows to his release point, pulled it apart as if it were a LEGO set and put everything back together again, brick by brick.

Sure enough, the bricks from distance stopped. Clifford connected on 38% of his treys as a Ram, up from a 29% clip over his final season at CU. Scouts noticed. Heck, so did White, who still works out here over the summer.

The pair even hooked up a pregame tailgate just before the CU-CSU football game in FoCo last September to catch up and swap notes.

“And he was just saying kind of how proud he was of the growth and development and the spot I’m in,” Clifford recalled, “and just definitely saying that I’m ready for the next level.

“And it was just cool to hear from a guy that caliber, somebody from the same place I’m from. Because I’ve got a lot of respect and love for his game as well.”

Talent borrows. Genius steals.