Vinny's NBA Insider: Bones Hyland, Ish Smith could make for formidable second-unit backcourt for Denver Nuggets

Bones Hyland and Ish Smith played well together in the preseason. They played with speed and aggression. Smith will make his regular-season debut for Denver. He will set an NBA record for most teams played for in a single career. Zeke Nnaji and DeAndre Jordan provide different skill sets at center. Jeff Green or Deandre Jordan could play small forward. Denver has flexibility with the second unit this season. It's unlikely to be an every-night thing. The team has different options. Michael Malone has some flexibility. it's a good thing for the team. the Denver Nuggets have different possibilities this year.

There are 12 teams in the NBA, including the Denver Nuggets. The odds of the Nuggets winning the championship are +1,800. LeBron is in West, Giannis is at the top of his game and there are new contenders. Cavaliers, Pelicans, Raptors, Hawks and Timberwolves are outside the 12 most likely champions.

Vinny's NBA Insider shares his thoughts on the NBA season-preview surveys. The Warriors and Clippers are getting the most respect among Western Conference teams. Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid are the favorites to be named the Most Valuable Player.

"Broken Arrow" is a documentary about Jamal Murray's rehabilitation. It's free to watch on TSN's website.

Michael Malone believes Michael Porter Jr. can be a difference maker for Denver Nuggets. Bruce Brown is getting 4-6 points a game off cutting with Nikola Jokic. Aaron Gordon shares a mantra: "Greatness comes with pain".

Facundo Campazzo signed with the Mavericks on Monday. Bones Hyland and Ish Smith could make for a formidable backcourt for Denver Nuggets. Clippers are launching their own streaming service, ClipperVision, that will broadcast 74 games this season.

The NBA season begins on October 18th. The Denver Gazette's Nuggets special section drops on Oct. 19th and the Nuggets start the regular season at Utah onOct. 22nd.