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Nuggets Journal: Will Russell Westbrook stay in starting lineup when Denver is healthy?

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Nuggets Journal: Will Russell Westbrook stay in starting lineup when Denver is healthy?


As Aaron Gordon’s calf heals, Michael Malone faces what can only be described as a good problem.

The Nuggets have been steadily trending in the right direction, even while dealing with a variety of injuries to starters, most notably Gordon. During the most recent nine-game stretch that he spent on the sideline, Malone went small with his starting lineup, opting to start Russell Westbrook instead of Peyton Watson and repurposing Michael Porter Jr. as a power forward.

The results have been successful enough to raise the question of whether Westbrook should remain in the starting lineup with Denver at full strength.

“We’ll jump off that bridge when we get to it,” Malone said this week in Dallas. “We’re gonna take a really cautious approach with Aaron Gordon. … Everything’s on the table. We’re gonna do whatever’s best for our team.”

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Gordon is currently on a tight minutes restriction, which allows Malone to bring him off the bench and delay any lineup decisions. But the fact that Malone has not ruled out the possibility of a change to the starting five is, of course, an indication that he’s considering it.

It’s a problem because none of Denver’s five regular starters have done anything to warrant what risks coming across as a demotion. It’s a good problem because having more than five players worthy of starting is ultimately a refreshing situation for a team facing broader concerns about its depth.

So how should Malone navigate this? First, someone has to be identified as the most sensible player for Westbrook to replace. Jamal Murray is firmly off the table. His efficiency as a secondary scorer has improved throughout the season, and even if that wasn’t the case, he has meant too much to the franchise to consider benching. Michael Porter Jr. should be off the table as well. He has been far too good, and his floor spacing is far too essential.

There’s more of an argument that can be made for Gordon coming off the bench permanently — he’s versatile and selfless enough to be effective in any lineup, and Denver’s starters excelled while he was out. But again, overall cache within the organization should be taken into account. Gordon, Porter, Murray and Nikola Jokic make up the “core four” responsible for a championship.

That leaves Christian Braun, a third-year player and first-year starter who often operates as Denver’s lead defensive guard — a role Westbrook also occupies occasionally.

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Malone has consistently praised the 23-year-old Braun throughout his transition into the starting five, where he’s replacing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. At the 40-game mark. the Nuggets’ status-quo lineup — the core four plus Braun — had a 5.1 net rating in 220 minutes of playing time.

When it’s the core four plus Westbrook, Denver’s net rating is 16.9, albeit in a much smaller sample size of 48 minutes.

Crucially, Jokic looms over all analytics. He is the constant variable. When he is on the floor, the net rating is always going to be in the black, almost regardless of how Malone builds the lineup around him.

Jokic’s rest minutes are more fraught with danger. Malone described them earlier this season as “man’s search for meaning.”

So which player is better equipped to handle minutes without the MVP?

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When Braun and Jokic are on the floor together and Westbrook is off (499 minutes), the Nuggets have a 10.6 net rating. Westbrook on the court, without Jokic and Braun, is a minus-13.9 (233 minutes).

Now flip it around: When Westbrook and Jokic are on the floor and Braun is off (217 minutes), the Nuggets have a 6.1 net rating. Braun, without Jokic and Westbrook, is a plus 4.4 (144 minutes).

Those numbers illuminate the nuance of the situation. Both players benefit from playing alongside Jokic, but Westbrook lineups in particular have thrived with Jokic and struggled without. Westbrook’s greatest strength in Denver has been his chemistry with the center. When Jokic has the ball, Russ looks to cut. When Russ has the ball, he looks to feed Jokic. They’re the No. 3 assist duo in the NBA, and they’ve played 100 fewer minutes together than the top two combos.

Regardless of whether Westbrook is starting or coming off the bench, then, Malone will want to keep maximizing the veteran point guard’s minutes with Jokic.

But there’s a delicate balance between optimizing that combo and empowering Braun, who represents the long-term future of the Jokic-era Nuggets. Entering the starting lineup has been a key stage in his development, allowing him to play through shooting slumps; prosper as a top-three fast-break scorer in the league; and learn from his increased defensive reps against star guards and forwards.

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There’s also a spacing dynamic to consider once Gordon is back in the starting lineup. He’s 42% from the 3-point line, which has been a massive boost for Denver’s short-on-shooting roster, but opponents may still feel inclined to sag off Gordon when he plays on the perimeter. The NBA is and always will be a reputation-based league. And Westbrook’s infamous reputation as a 3-point shooter has been etched in scouting reports for years. Teams will always dare him to fire away.

Like Gordon, Westbrook deserves credit. He’s making 33% of his 3s in Denver, his highest clip since the 2016-17 MVP season. But with him and Gordon on the floor together, the Nuggets are still asking for a clogged interior.

When Jokic, Gordon and Westbrook are on the court and Braun is off, their net rating is minus-6.4 (74 minutes). Most of that damage is done when one of Murray or Porter is also on the bench, accentuating the need for two shooters to be on the floor with that three-man lineup.

Braun is still trying to establish his own reputation as a 3-point threat. But when he, Jokic and Gordon are on the floor and Westbrook is off, the team’s net rating is 5.9 (265 minutes). The defensive metrics are almost identical between those lineup variations; the offensive gap is 11 points per 100 possessions.

You could keep going down the rabbit hole of combinations from there. The layers to a decision like this are endless, and it’s possible there is no wrong answer — only pros and cons for Malone and his staff to weigh.

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“We’ll evaluate as a staff when we are fully healthy what lineup gives us the best chance to go out there and win games at a high level,” he said. “I like how we’re playing right now. Our defense is much improved. Our 3-point defense is much improved. But whether we continue to bring Russ off the bench when we’re healthy or he starts, those are conversations that we’ll continue to have internally.”

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Denver, CO

Colorado weather: Record heat returns to Denver, northern part of state

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Colorado weather: Record heat returns to Denver, northern part of state


Two more days of record-breaking heat are forecast for northern Colorado this week, including in the Denver area, according to the National Weather Service.

Earlier forecasts from the weather service projected 90-degree temperatures in Denver on Wednesday, which would have marked the city’s first of the year and earliest on record. The expected temperature high has since dropped to 88 degrees, which would still break daily and monthly heat records, according to the weather service.

NWS Tuesday forecasts:

  • 64 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 63-degree record for March 24.
  • 75 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 71-degree daily record.
  • 81 degrees in Denver, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
  • 83 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
  • 83 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
  • 84 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 80-degree daily record.

NWS Wednesday forecasts:

  • 69 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 62-degree record for March 24.
  • 80 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 75-degree daily record.
  • 88 degrees in Denver, breaking the 75-degree daily record and the 86-degree March heat record. Denver has broken or tied the March heat record three times so far this month, according to the weather service.
  • 89 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
  • 87 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 78-degree daily record.
  • 89 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 79-degree daily record.



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Married couple stars on stage at Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors”

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Married couple stars on stage at Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors”


The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating more than 100 performances of its hit comedy “Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors.” The show, which puts a funny twist on the classic tale of Dracula, is filled with comedy and romance, and that romance can be seen both onstage and off.

“It is a great date night. It is fast, it is fun,” said Marco Alberto Robinson, the actor who portrays Dracula on stage.

Adriane and Marco Robinson

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“People leave with a smile on their face, it is a good time,” said Adriane Leigh Robinson, an actress who plays multiple characters during the show.

The duo not only finds romance on stage in the production, but off stage, they are already in love.

“We are just best buddies,” Marco Robinson said.

“We are married,” Adriane Robinson said as she laughed.

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The duo has lived in Denver for years and has enjoyed helping bring Dracula to life at the Garner Galleria.

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“Dracula is a cult classic about a blood thirsty monster. But this is different, because he is not only blood thirsty, he is spicy,” Adriane Robinson said.

The other cast members of the production told CBS News Colorado they are confident both Robinsons are capable of starring on Broadway in New York. However, both said they have found a purpose and belonging in Denver and at the DCPA.

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“We have found a super tight and loving community that we don’t ever want to leave,” Adriane Robinson said.

Both have been in many productions at the DCPA, but added Dracula has given them an opportunity to explore a side of their relationship that they’ve never had before.

“It’s the easiest (to be romantic interests on and off stage),” Adriane Robinson said.

“It is super easy. We can come up with something at home and bring it in. It is nice to not be passing ships,” Marco Robinson said.

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Both said they have an appreciation for the surrounding arts community in Colorado, and have loved being on the same funny production in Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors.

“We are putting roots down here, and regional theatre is super important. And, the Denver Center is doing some of the best of it,” Marco Robinson said.

Dracula, a Comedy of Terrors, plays at the DCPA through May 10. For more information on tickets, visit their website.

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Traffic, parking and transportation at Burnham Yard are focal points around Denver Broncos stadium plans

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Traffic, parking and transportation at Burnham Yard are focal points around Denver Broncos stadium plans


As the Denver Broncos design a new stadium for Burnham Yard, one of the most critical elements — with some of the highest potential for backlash from neighbors and the team’s fans — will be the plan for getting people to and from the site.

Questions about parking, traffic management, transit access and accessibility have emerged as major concerns for neighbors of the future stadium during early community meetings in west Denver organized by the city and the team.

“It is probably the No. 1 topic that we’re hearing,” said Troy Halouska, the vice president of the La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association.

Lindsey Noble, a resident of the neighborhood, said in an interview with The Denver Post that she and her neighbors were “pretty concerned about traffic and parking” from the events the new stadium would host — which the team has said would go well beyond Broncos home games.

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“They (the Broncos) are creating these problems, and some of the solutions I have heard have to do with altering our neighborhood or changing streets,” she said. “These aren’t things we want.”

The Broncos are still early in the process of laying out plans for the abandoned rail yard as the team aims to build a stadium by 2031. The team has already released some transportation-related details, including proposed changes to street crossings with the Regional Transportation District’s light rail tracks, potential parking options for events, and plans for connections to existing pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

The team plans to build more than just a stadium, though. Alongside their home field, the Broncos want to create a mixed-use entertainment district that uses the space year-round. Like other modern stadiums, it would have restaurants, open space and, potentially, hotels or apartments outside the venue.

Burnham Yard can be seen through the windows of an RTD light rail train as a passenger sits in their seat on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

Officials with the Broncos say they have heard the worries from nearby residents about the massive development’s potential impact on their neighborhoods. They say they’re looking for ways to integrate the site into the community — without flooding nearby streets with thousands of cars and people.

Generally, the team plans to address those concerns by designing the site in such a way that eventgoers are guided in through the north and south ends of the site, rather than being routed through the mostly residential neighborhood to the east.

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The site itself, once the rail yard is cleared, will be nestled between two rail corridors — freight lines to the west and RTD’s light rail tracks to the east. Entities connected to the Broncos have been buying up properties beyond the banana-shaped rail yard for the stadium and surrounding district.

A passenger crosses the tracks at the RTD 10th/Osage Rail Station with the north end of Burnham Yard visible in the background on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
A passenger crosses the tracks at the RTD 10th/Osage Station with the north end of Burnham Yard visible in the background on Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

A bit farther to the west of the site is Interstate 25, and the north and south boundaries are generally West 13th Avenue and West Sixth Avenue. An early conceptual plan the team submitted to the city shows how its designers plan to connect local streets through the site. One new street would connect West Eighth Avenue to Osage Street, for instance, incorporating city plans to lower part of Eighth’s current viaduct.

Josh Brooks, a principal at Sasaki, the architecture firm designing the site’s master plan, said during a community meeting in February that the team plans to design the area so that noise and visual impacts are pushed as far from the residential neighborhood as possible.

“Our intention is to ensure this is an integrated community, a mixed-use development that really serves as an extension of the city and becomes part of the shared memory of the community,” Brooks said.

One of the things that most attracted the team to Burnham Yard was its connectivity with other areas. Located near I-25, Sixth and Eighth avenues, an RTD station, walking paths and planned bike lanes, the site won’t need massive changes to help bring in visitors.

But that doesn’t mean the team won’t have plenty of work to do on that front.

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DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 12: The large crowd gathers in a gymnasium for a community meeting hosted by the Denver Broncos at La Alma Recreation Center to share preliminary concepts for the proposed new stadium and mixed-use community at Burnham Yard Denver on February 12, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
A large crowd gathers in a gymnasium for a community meeting hosted by the Denver Broncos at the La Alma Recreation Center to share preliminary concepts for the proposed new stadium and mixed-use community at Burnham Yard in Denver on Feb. 12, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)

During the February community information meeting at the La Alma Recreation Center, the Broncos conducted a quick survey of attendees to ask what their top concerns were. The most-selected item was “traffic congestion during games/events,” followed closely by “impacts to housing expenses.”

The design for the site will focus on connecting existing roads and pedestrian paths and easing those neighborhood concerns, Brooks said.

The Broncos will work with the city in the coming months to develop a small-area plan, which will set out the design for the expanse surrounding the stadium site. While the stadium itself will be privately financed, the team has said, the city and state could be on the hook for infrastructure improvements nearby.

The city already plans to pay for improvements to two major road connections, the nearby Sixth and Eighth avenue viaducts, as part of bond projects passed by voters last fall.

Train crossings and transit access

One advantage of the Burnham Yard site is that it already has an RTD rail station next to it, making transit access easier. But the 10th and Osage station is accessible only from the east, with Burnham Yard west of the tracks. So it would need to be reconstructed to allow pedestrian access from both directions.

Working together with RTD, the Broncos are proposing changes to several light rail crossings. At 13th Avenue, the team has suggested a bridge for trains to pass over the street, with a place for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to cross beneath.

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EVERYDAY ACCESS: A map included in the Denver Broncos' large development review pre-application filed with Denver's planning department in November 2025 shows a conceptual plan for transportation access to the Burnham Yard stadium neighborhood. Orange lines identify planned vehicle routes. Dotted orange lines are shared streets and dashed blue lines show existing freight and light rail lines. (Courtesy Denver Department of Community Planning and Development)
EVERYDAY ACCESS: A map included in the Denver Broncos’ large development review pre-application filed with Denver’s planning department in November 2025 shows a conceptual plan for transportation access to the Burnham Yard stadium neighborhood. Orange lines identify planned vehicle routes. Dotted orange lines are shared streets and dashed blue lines show existing freight and light rail lines. (Courtesy Denver Department of Community Planning and Development)

At 12th and 9th avenues, team officials are proposing a separated-grade crossing for cyclists and pedestrians to also pass underneath the light rail tracks.

Eleventh, 10th and 8th avenues would have at-grade crossings. Halouska, with the La Alma Lincoln Park Association, said residents would like as few at-grade crossings as possible to prevent collisions or other safety hazards.

Besides concerns about transit crossings, Noble expressed worry that there also might not be enough light rail cars on a game day to transfer everyone who arrives and departs that way.

A spokesperson for RTD said there was no one available to discuss the transit agency’s plans for the area.

“RTD is regularly meeting with the project team and other partners to provide feedback and ask questions about their proposed stadium plans. Specific information about any proposed changes to RTD’s services or operations is not yet available,” RTD’s Pauline Haberman said.

What about parking?

Other concerns about the plan center on where those who drive to the stadium will park.

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Halouska said even when his group tries to host meetings about other topics, parking is the concern its leaders hear about the most from the neighborhood.

“The Broncos have said themselves they really want this area to be activated 300 days a year, and so folks in the neighborhood are very concerned about what kind of impact that will have on parking,” he said. “We really need more details from the team and the city.”

A map included in the Denver Broncos' large development review pre-application with Denver's planning department in November 2025 shows a conceptual plan for handling game and event day access to a new stadium in Burnham Yard. Streets with solid blue lines would be the primary access routes, while dashed blue lines are for limited access routes. Streets with red lines would be closed around events. Potential parking is shaded yellow. (Courtesy Denver Department of Community Planning and Development)
EVENT DAYS: A map included in the Denver Broncos’ large development review pre-application filed with Denver’s planning department in November 2025 shows a conceptual plan for handling game and event day access to a new stadium in Burnham Yard. Streets with solid blue lines would be the primary access routes, while dashed blue lines are for limited access routes. Streets with red lines would be closed around events. Potential parking is shaded yellow. (Courtesy Denver Department of Community Planning and Development)

Team officials have said they plan to provide the same amount of parking at the new site as Empower Field has — which is roughly 7,000 spots. But instead of a stadium surrounded by surface parking, officials are proposing making use of parking structures and shared parking systems.

Noble said the on-site parking spots could make a big difference in the impact to the neighborhood.

The city could also add resident-only parking permit rules for the surrounding streets, much like a longstanding system in the Jefferson Park neighborhood around Empower Field.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the same system is possible for Burnham Yard, but it’s too early to know specifics of how it would work.

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“We won’t begin designing anything until we understand how the site will work, where impacts could occur, and there’s a focused conversation on (residential parking permits),” Nancy Kuhn wrote in an email.

Halouska said that could help, but only if the parking permits are regularly enforced.

“Having the permits is a fine idea — though it does cost money to get a permit — but if it’s not enforced, then it’s kind of pointless,” Halouska said.

Bike and pedestrian access

It won’t just be public transportation and cars getting people to events or the new development. The Broncos also plan to build connections to surrounding bike and pedestrian infrastructure, like the South Platte River Trail and the bike lane along 13th Avenue, Brooks said.



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