Harrison Wind

in this game you know that that second half was like a masterclass he did everything he could to keep Denver in this game so much so that you know now the non-yokage minutes look like last year again the non-yokage minutes again are a disaster

start the fourth quarter in back-to-back games.

Nuggets have had these brain farts that have been inexcusable where David Adelman's had to burn back-to-back quick timeouts because the Nuggets have just not been ready to play in these non-Jokic minutes to start the fourth quarter in two straight games.

It's inexcusable that a veteran team like this can just be not focused and not locked in to start quarters.

We're like walking off a plank right now with Big Val, I feel like.

Well, the bench has looked really solid all season, partly because of Big Val, partly because of the Cam Johnson stacker.

Those are two things the Nuggets added this year that have made the second unit work.

And they're not playing Jamal Murray with that second unit.

I think partly because...

It's never really worked in the past.

And also because it saves Jamal's legs from what's been a really like taxing season for him.

Just having to carry this team a lot with the other four stars out of the lineup for a large portion of games.

But we're not getting either of those things right now.

We're not getting the Cam Johnson effectiveness on the second unit.

We're not getting Big Val.

And this goes back to a point I made after the Thunder game.

Big Val has been very good for a lot of this season.

He's been what the Nuggets have needed.

But...

When you play really good teams, when you play Western Conference contenders, and then when you think about how this team's going to look in the playoffs, I just think as the competition ramps up, Big Val's effectiveness goes down.