The Drive

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets and Avalanche as they get set to start their playoff runs. Zach shares the latest injury report from the Nuggets which has Spencer Jones listed as questionable. Who is under the most pressure from both the Nuggets and Avalanche? Would Jared Bednar be on the hot seat if the Avs can't make it back to the Stanley Cup finals? Who is more important to stay healthy throughout the playoffs between Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson? LA Kings tv color analyst Jim Fox joins the show to discuss the Kings season with firing their head coach, how the Kings can pull off an upset in this series, and much more. Who are the Nuggets and Avalanche x-factors in their first-round matchups? We wrap up the show with the guys sharing their predictions for the Nuggets and Avalanche in both game ones and for their series.

Hour 3

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets and Avalanche as they get set to start their playoff runs. Which team is under more pressure heading into the playoffs? Would Jared Bednar be on the hot seat if the Avs can't make it back to the Stanley Cup finals? The Athletic's NBA analyst Jon Krawczynski joins the show to discuss the Timberwolves underwhelming season, how the TWolves will try to slow down Nikola Jokic, and who the x-factor is for Minnesota in this series. Could the TWolves "blow up" their roster if the series doesn't go well for them? Today's "Three Count" features our reaction to our conversation with Jon Krawczynski, CU landing a huge financial commitment to the Athletic department from a donor, and Chase Dollander dealing in last night's game against the Astros. Our 9News Broncos insider Mike Klis joins the show to discuss the anticipation around the draft without a first round pick, if the Broncos will make a big splash like Aqib Talib predicted, and much more.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss how many championships we will see in Denver this summer between the Nuggets and Avalanche. Are the Avalanche the Thunder of the NHL? Zach and Phil preview the Avalanche first round playoff matchup now that we know their opponent in the Los Angeles Kings. Are the guys expecting the Avs to take care of business fairly quickly and sweep or win the series 4-1? We preview the Nuggets and Timberwolves first round matchup. How will the Timberwolves and Chris Finch guard Nikola Jokic? Will we see Minnesota dare Jokic to score and try take away the other Nuggets' players? We react to George Paton's comments on selecting the best player available in the NFL draft and how it will be hard for a player to come in and start day one. The guys explain why a rookie not starting off the bat can be the healthiest thing for both the Broncos and the player.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Phil and John take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they get ready to start the first round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves. How does this series feel different than when they played the TWolves in 2024? Could the Nuggets be in jeopardy of losing game one of the series? How will the week long break for the Nuggets impact the team as they ended the season on a 12-game win streak? What are our biggest concerns for the Nuggets in this series? Could the Broncos find their "joker" in tight end Eli Stowers? How important is it for the Broncos to upgrade at tight end this offseason? Do the Broncos still need to add a true running back to the team? We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Aniello Piro joining the show to discuss the potential playoff matchups for the Avalanche in the first round. Is there any excuse for the Avs to not make it out of the first round?

Hour 3

In hour 2 of The Drive, Phil and John are joined by DenverSports.com's Jake Shapiro to breakdown the upcoming Nuggets playoff run. How does the western conference bracket set up for the Nuggets chances of winning a championship? Are the Nuggets and Timberwolves officially rivals? Is this year's Nuggets team better than the 2023 championship teams? How will the Nuggets use their depth to not overuse their guys in the first round? How will the Timberwolves approach trying to slow down Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets offense? Today's "Three Count" includes Steph Curry and Draymond Green turning back the clock with a vintage performance in last night's play-in tournament, Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham winning their appeal for extraordinary circumstances appeals to qualify for NBA awards, and Dante's simple fixes to making the NBA regular season matter more. We react to Rockies recent losing skid and dive into what is going wrong with the team.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Phil and John cross-talking with Cecil. The guys discuss the Broncos needs in the draft and how they would feel about the team drafting a running back, tight end or defensive lineman with their first pick. Phil and John preview the Nuggets and Timberwolves first round matchup in the playoffs. We debate how the Nuggets will use their new found depth this season and how the injuries to Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones will impact their rotations. We breakdown the possible matchups for the Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. Who would the guys prefer the Avs play between the Oilers, Ducks and Kings? How would the style of games change, depending on who the Avs opponent is? We react to ESPN's Ben Solak's piece which details how the Broncos can "ace" the draft next week. Do the Broncos need to begin a succession plan for their aging offensive line?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they get ready to go on a championship run. Is this year's team better than the 2023 team that won the title? We hear from Anthony Edwards on the rivalry between Minnesota and Denver, Julius Randle's thoughts on what he's learned about playing against Jokic, and Chris Finish's thoughts on slowing down Jokic. We react to Bo Nix's letter he wrote to his newborn daughter. Zach reads excerpts from the letter and points out the new side of Nix he saw when openly and honestly talking about his personal life. We wrap up the show with DenverSports.com's Will Petersen joining the show to discuss Nix's letter in the Player's Tribune and what we learned about Nix.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil try to guess how the odds makers are pricing the Nuggets and Timberwolves game one. We try to guess Jokic's point total, who will have the most threes in the game, and much more. We react to the Avalanche's record setting win last night in Calgary as they tied the franchise record for road wins in a season with 29. Will Colorado's road success translate to the playoffs? We also dive into Marty Necas's achievement of reaching 100 points in a season for the first time in his career and joins MacKinnon as two Avs score 100+ points in a season for the fourth time ever. How do the guys feel about being behind both SGA and Victor Wembanyama in ESPN's rankings of the most impactful players in the NBA playoffs? With the NFL Draft 8 days away, we react to ESPN's Mel Kiper's latest mock draft which has the Broncos selecting a defensive tackle out of Florida. Do the Broncos need extra depth at defensive line after the departure of John Franklin-Meyers?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they get ready to go on a championship run. Is this year's team better than the 2023 team that won the title? We hear from Anthony Edwards on the rivalry between Minnesota and Denver, Julius Randle's thoughts on what he's learned about playing against Jokic, and Chris Finish's thoughts on slowing down Jokic. Today's "Three Count" features Deion Sanders and Colorado securing a commitment from a four-star quarterback and reacting to two thrilling games in the first day of the NBA's play-in tournament. NHL Network's Mike Johnson joins the show to discuss how the Avalanche stack up against the rest of the playoff teams, if the Avs will roll out multiple goaltenders during the playoff run, and how well Marty Necas has fit with the Avs since the trade last season. Who would Johnson vote for the Hart Trophy this season?

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the beginnings of their radio careers, learning how to fill time on air, and getting over not liking the sound of their voice. Zach and Phil discuss if Zach is a Coloradoan yet and all the great things Denver and Colorado have to provide. We react to the Avalanche's record setting win last night in Calgary as they tied the franchise record for road wins in a season with 29. Will Colorado's road success translate to the playoffs? We also dive into Marty Necas's achievement of reaching 100 points in a season for the first time in his career and joins MacKinnon as two Avs score 100+ points in a season for the fourth time ever. With the NFL Draft 8 days away, we react to ESPN's Mel Kiper's latest mock draft which has the Broncos selecting a defensive tackle out of Florida. Do the Broncos need extra depth at defensive line after the departure of John Franklin-Meyers?

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Phil take a deep dive into the Nuggets as they matchup with the Timberwolves in the first-round of the playoffs. Who is the best player in the series? Which team has the better second option? Will Jamal Murray have the same playoff rise we've seen from him in the past, even after having his best regular season yet? Which team has the better depth? Who is the better coach? Which team will have the three-point shooting advantage? We preview the Rockies as they head into a series in Houston after getting swept in San Diego. Which version of Michael Lorenzen will we see tonight on the mound? We wrap up the show DenverSports.com's Aniello Piro joining the show to discuss the start to the season for the Rockies, Bo Nix hanging out with Drake Maye at the Masters, and more.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Phil are joined by DenverSports.com's Jake Shapiro to discuss the Nuggets as they start their playoff journey. What is the biggest thing the Nuggets need to look out for with the Timberwolves? Will Christian Braun finish games for the Nuggets? How will the Nuggets guard Anthony Edwards? Which team will have the three-point shooting advantage? How has the Nuggets bench improved since last season? We react to Jim Nantz's comments on seeing Bo Nix at the Masters hanging out with Drake Maye. What position group would offer the quickest path to starting and making an impact? Is there room for an offensive weapon to crack the lineup? We break down the Avalanche beating the Oilers in a shootout last night as Scott Wedgewood wins his 30 game of the season. How impressive has Wedgewood been compared to what the expectations for him were?

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Phil react to Drew saying he thinks MacKenzie Blackwood will start "a majority" of the playoff games for the Avalanche. We pivot to the Nuggets as we preview their first-round playoff matchup with the Timberwolves. Who is the best player in the series? Which team has the better second option? Will Jamal Murray have the same playoff rise we've seen from him in the past, even after having his best regular season yet? Today's "Three Count" includes Ball Arena hosting outdoor watch parties for the Nuggets and Avalanche playoff games and previewing tonight's NBA play-in tournament games between the Suns and Blazers as well as the Hornets and Heat. We react to Mike Klis' mock draft in which the Broncos select a tight end with the 62 pick and a running back with the 108 pick.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Phil cross-talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss breaking news of Dianni Russini stepping down at The Athletic after her controversy with Mike Vrabel. Will Russini get another job in sports media after her ethics and credibility have been questioned? Zach and Phil react to former Bronco Aqib Talib calling his shot for the Broncos to make a splash around the NFL draft. What position group would offer the quickest path to starting and making an impact? Is there room for an offensive weapon to crack the lineup? Are the Broncos in a position to draft the best player available instead of drafting for positional needs? We break down the Avalanche beating the Oilers in a shootout last night as Scott Wedgewood wins his 30 game of the season.

In hour 4 of The Drive, Zach and Will take a deep dive into the Nuggets now that they officially set up a playoff series with the Timberwolves. We look back at the history between these two teams including the Nuggets series win on their way to a championship to losing a heart-breaking game seven by blowing a historic lead. Are the Nuggets and TWolves one of the few remaining rivalries in the NBA? Will Denver be able to match Minnesota's toughness and grit? We preview the Avalanche and Oilers game tonight as the Avs head into the final 3 games of the regular season with games that have no stakes for the Avs. We wrap up the show congratulating Lauren Betts for being selected as a top-5 pick in the WNBA Draft and reacting to the Rockies getting swept in San Diego after a 6-6 start to the season.

In hour 3 of The Drive, Zach and Will react to the Rockies getting swept in San Diego after their encouraging 6-6 start to the season. Did Denver media get ahead of themselves when talking about the Rockies after the first few series of the season? We react to the Nuggets officially securing the three-seed in the western conference and being locked in a series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. How do the guys feel about the way the Nuggets handled the end of the regular season and giving guys plenty of time off? Were the Nuggets trying to manipulate the standings to avoid Minnesota? With the NFL Draft a week out, we preview how they will approach their picks. Do the Broncos need to draft for need or best player available? We hear from Aqib Talib and him calling his shot on the Broncos making a splash in the draft. We react to the video of CU players running out of the tunnel in which people pointed out the Buffs looking small and debate how long CU and Deion Sanders will stay together.

In hour 2 of The Drive, Zach and Will continue their conversation on Colorado and Deion Sanders. How long with Sanders be in Boulder? Is CU in a financial position to move on Sanders if there isn't more winning this season? We pivot to the Nuggets as they officially set up a playoff series with the Timberwolves. We look back at the history between these two teams including the Nuggets series win on their way to a championship to losing a heart-breaking game seven by blowing a historic lead. Are the Nuggets and TWolves one of the few remaining rivalries in the NBA? Today's "Three Count" features DU winning an 11 national title in hockey with their goaltender Jonny Hicks having a historic tournament, Rory McIlroy winning the Masters for the second consecutive year, and previewing the other NBA playoff series. We react to Avs coach David Bednar taking a puck to the face in a scary sight over the weekend.

Hour 1 of The Drive kicks off with Zach and Will cross talking with Dover and Cecil. The guys discuss the University of Denver winning a National Championship over the weekend and how DU was able to overcome getting out shot by Wisconsin. Zach and Will react to the Nuggets officially securing the three-seed in the western conference and being locked in a series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. How do the guys feel about the way the Nuggets handled the end of the regular season and giving guys plenty of time off? Were the Nuggets trying to manipulate the standings to avoid Minnesota? With the NFL Draft a week out, we preview how they will approach their picks. Do the Broncos need to draft for need or best player available? We hear from Aqib Talib and him calling his shot on the Broncos making a splash in the draft. We react to the video of CU players running out of the tunnel in which people pointed out the Buffs looking small.