Pickaxe and Roll

Ryan Blackburn shares his thoughts on the latest offseason news with Bradley Beal reportedly being traded to the Phoenix Suns. Ryan looks around the league at important teams and players that could make changes before focusing on the Denver Nuggets. Will Bruce Brown be retained in free agency? Who could the Nuggets target if he goes? Are there other players who could add to the Nuggets title defen...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 2023 championship parade on Thursday, sharing his favorite moments from the event and crediting Nuggets Nation and the city of Denver for stepping up. Then, Ryan asks a simple question: why CAN'T the Nuggets be a dynasty going forward? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal d...

Ryan Blackburn and Aniello Piro of Mile High Sports bask in the glory of a championship season as the Denver Nuggets defeat the Miami Heat in Game 5 to win their first title in franchise history. They accomplished it at Ball Arena in front of the home crowd, and the stories are endless. Nikola Jokić won Finals MVP and solidfied himself as an All-Time great. Jamal Murray had his storybook moment co...

Ryan Blackburn and SwipaCam share their thoughts on the Denver Nuggets defeating the Miami Heat in both Games 3 and 4, taking control of the series and playing great basketball. They're one win away from the first championship in franchise history and can do it in Game 5. They discuss the narratives, the defense, which Nuggets player has seen their stock rise the most, and what "For all Nugge...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 108-95 win over the Miami Heat to win Game 4, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Denver. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray were both good tonight, but they weren't the main storylines. Instead, it was Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown stepping up and making a difference as the Heat did everything they could to slow Jokić and Murray. Ryan discusses the st...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 109-94 win in Game 3 over the Miami Heat as the Nuggets take a 2-1 series lead. Nikola Jokić posted the first 30-20-10 game in NBA Finals history. Jamal Murray added a 30-point triple-double of his own, making him and Jokić the first duo to EVER post matching 30-point triple-doubles. Christian Braun added his own scoring, propelling the Nuggets in the fo...

Ryan Blackburn and Michael Ferrero preview Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. After a disappointing Game 2 loss, what do Nuggets fans think the biggest changes need to be for Denver to pick up a win? From better defense and communication to breaking the zone on offense, Ryan and Michael break down where the Nuggets must improve to pick up a Game 3 win. Hosted by Si...

Ryan Blackburn and Aniello Piro share their day after takes on Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. How much credit do the Heat get for Nikola Jokić having just 4 assists? What do we make of Michael Porter Jr.'s shooting struggles? Why were the Nuggets so lax and unprepared defensively? Will Denver bounce back in Miami? Ryan and Aniello discuss all of that and more o...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Game 2 loss for the Denver Nuggets to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The Nuggets shot better in Game 2, but the Heat were incendiary, taking advantage of every defensive lapse the Nuggets made. Nikola Jokić's 41 points weren't enough, and Jamal Murray's game-tying three-point attempt came up just short before the buzzer. Ryan reacts to the starters, the bench, and w...

Ryan Blackburn and SwipaCam preview Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and the Nuggets are up 1-0. Can Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the Heat slow them down? They also discuss the Jokić haters and the historic season run that Jokić is on before offering Game 2 predictions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com fo...

Ryan Blackburn recaps the Denver Nuggets 104-93 win of Game 1 in the NBA Finals over the Miami Heat. The Nuggets take a 1-0 series lead as Nikola Jokić set an NBA Finals record for most assists by a center with 14. He also finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds to complete his ninth triple-double of the playoffs. Jamal Murray also had 26 points and 10 assists, rising to the occasion when called u...

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the events and festivities of NBA Media Day, including how the Denver Nuggets handled the day and their practice. Then, Ryan goes to the mailbag to answer NBA Finals questions about the Nuggets and the Miami Heat. Are the Nuggets ready for the moment? Can they trust the bench? Is this a Michael Porter Jr. series? Can Nikola Jokić dominate the Bam Adebayo? Ryan breaks it...

Ryan Blackburn, SwipaCam, Matt Moore, and Adam Mares band together to give their final series preview of the 2022-23 season, discussing the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. They begin by discussing where Denver impressed most last series against the Los Angeles Lakers, then talk about Miami's path through the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. They discuss positional battles,...

Ryan Blackburn breaks down the matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. He discusses the stats, the matchups, the battlegrounds, and the advantages for each team. Do the Nuggets have enough size and shooting to score on Miami's defense? Do the Heat have enough shooting to space the floor for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo consistently? Ryan breaks it all down in a series...

Ryan Blackburn and SwipaCam discuss the greatest and most impactful moments of the season for the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets to this point. Ahead of the NBA Finals, it's nice to revisit the moments that had Nuggets fans excited about a possible championship season. Then, they chat about Chris Mannix's Nuggets comments and the state of Nuggets coverage at a local and national level. Finally, preview Ga...

Ryan Blackburn and Jena Garcia of Clutch Points discuss a variety of talking points from Denver Nuggets media availability on Friday, including juicy quotes from Michael Malone, Jamal Murray, and Bruce Brown. Then, they discuss Carmelo Anthony, who recently retired, and whether the Nuggets legend can make amends with his former team after so many years. Finally, they share some more takes on the M...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Boston Celtics defeating the Miami heat in Game 5 to extend the Eastern Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets still don't know who they will face, and Ryan shares his thoughts on what each matchup would look like. Then, Ryan discusses the comments made by Chris Mannix of SI about the Nuggets not being "Interesting" enough for the national media to cover. Is M...

Ryan Blackburn discusses the Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray duo and where it ranks among current and historic duos. Then, he shares his insights on moments throughout the season when the Nuggets proved they were more than just a cute story. Finally, Ryan gives credit to Michael Malone, who has been much more than just a loud head coach in Denver for the last eight seasons. He's an integral part of...

Ryan Blackburn and Michael Ferrero react to the Denver Nuggets Game 4 win over the Los Angeles Lakers as LeBron James got blocked by Aaron Gordon in the closing seconds to clinch a Nuggets victory. Nikola Jokić was fantastic in the closeout game. Jamal Murray did what he had to do on both ends. The Nuggets role players stepped up at every turn. It was a perfect way to celebrate the Nuggets reachin...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 119-108 win in Game 3 to take a 3-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers. Jamal Murray was the best player on the floor and carried the Nuggets with 30 points in the first half alone. Nikola Jokić struggled but played his best basketball in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets got contributions from the entire rotation in what was a true team win. Ryan dis...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets Game 2 win over the Los Angeles Lakers as Jamal Murray scores 37 points to carry the Nuggets in the 4th quarter. Nikola Jokić put up another big triple-double and defended Anthony Davis well. Michael Porter Jr. and Bruce Brown stepped up at perfect times during the second half, assisting Murray and the Nuggets to a nice second half comeback. Ryan discuss...

Ryan Blackburn brings on Harrison Faigen of SB Nation and the Lakers Lounge podcast to discuss Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. They share their takes on adjustments made by the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, from Rui Hachimura guarding Nikola Jokić to LeBron James seeking out post mismatches. They then share what they expect from Game 2, how a different result would change their p...

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets Game 1 win, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 132-126. Nikola Jokić was unstoppable in this game, and Jamal Murray stepped up and provided perfect secondary scoring. Anthony Davis and LeBron James each had strong games, but it wasn't enough for the Lakers to take Game 1 away from Denver. Ryan discusses the starters, the bench, and adjustments both teams w...

Ryan Blackburn and Shawn Drotar of Mile High Sports discuss the historical significance of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers battling in the playoffs. They go over previous defeats and why this year will be different. Then, they cover key battlegrounds and questions for each team, as well as X-Factors that will shift the series. Finally, they go over the coaching matchup and give their ser...

Ryan Blackburn and SwipaCam of Mile High Sports collaborate with Adam Mares and Matt Moore of Locked On Nuggets to produce a Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference Finals preview. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and how the Nuggets can win the series. Will Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and the rest of the Nuggets be ready for...