Yes, I know. This is a Colorado Rockies blog. However, I’m here today to talk about the Denver Nuggets, the Phoenix Suns, and the importance of team chemistry.
In 2023, the Nuggets finally won their first-ever NBA Championship. And they did so without any big-name superstars. Yes, the roster is filled with superstars – namely, Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray – but they were drafted and developed by the Nuggets. When they did sign outside star point guard Russell Westbrook, there were some questions
about how he would fit with the culture the Nuggets had developed. The Nuggets were a team, and Westbrook was notoriously a ball hog throughout his career. Would he be OK coming off the bench? Would he pass the ball if he had a chance for his own shot? Would he integrate as part of the team, or keep trying to be a lone wolf?
The answer to those questions, for the most part, was yes. Westbrook still made some boneheaded plays, sure, but he seemingly understood that he had a role to play within the team rather than being “the guy” like he’d been on other teams.
Looking at the Phoenix Suns, they attempted the “Super Team” thing. In February 2023, the Suns made their first blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. In June of the same year, they made a second blockbuster deal for Bradley Beal. In total, they traded away three core pieces from their 2021 NBA Finals run, eight first-round picks and six second-round picks for those two players (and a few other role players). Between those two and incumbent star Devin Booker, the Suns attempted to enter the “Super Team” arena. However, in two seasons together, the “Big Three” only played 78 games together and the team posted an 85-79 record. The Suns also fired 2021-22 Coach of the Year Monty Williams at the end of the 2022-23 season, and tried hiring higher-profile coaches like Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer. Both were fired after one year.
However, the Suns decided to cut their losses after a disastrous 2024-25 season that saw them finish 36-46 and miss the playoffs as the 11 seed in the West. They traded Durant to the Houston Rockets in a seven-team trade and waived Beal, who is now on the Los Angeles Clippers Injured List roster, as part of a massive contract buyout. They also hired a new general manager in Brian Gregory, and a brand-new head coach in Jordan Ott.
After the teardown (which owner Mat Ishbia has called a ‘pivot and reload’), the Suns were predicted by many pundits to finish with a win total in the 30-35 range and near the bottom of the Western Conference. However, they are currently 14-12 and ranked seventh, meaning they would be a play-in team if the postseason started today. They’re also 8-5 at home, and there are rumblings that Ott could win Coach of the Year, former Nugget Collin Gillespie is eyeing Comeback Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year, and now the Suns might have postseason aspirations that weren’t there at the beginning of the year.
They’re down, but they’re not usually out, and they appear to really like playing together. One local radio host even said on air that this was the first time he’d seen Booker genuinely smile since his Studio B Smiles dental commercial.
So you’re probably wondering: How does this relate to the Colorado Rockies?
It shows how important chemistry is to building a winning culture. You can have all the stars in the world, but if they don’t get along or don’t fit together, they won’t win many ballgames. (See: almost any LeBron-centric “Super Team.”)
We saw the importance of chemistry and culture in 2025 when Warren Schaeffer took over as interim manager. Like Ted Lasso, Schaeffer made it his mission to help the Colorado Rockies players both on and off the field.
He buckled down and helped the team tune out the “historically bad” noise. Especially in the second half, they were down, but they were never out as we saw in games like the Pittsburgh Pirates series at Coors Field, the final San Diego Padres series at Coors Field, the final Padres series at Petco Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers series at Coors Field, and others.
They had something (or someone) to play for, and they rallied back time and time again, even if they didn’t always win.
This is one of the main reasons why Schaeffer was brought back. First and foremost, he is a chemistry builder. The Rockies probably won’t win many games again this year, but they might play better, more cohesive baseball because he has started to build a culture of “Goonies Rockies never say die!”
But the next steps are to determine what kinds of players might fit within the new “Rockies Way.” Does Kris Bryant fit the current mold, or could they move KB like the Suns moved BB and KD? What kinds of veterans would help the youngsters take the next steps, and what does their role look like on the team?
Paul DePodesta has already started putting together a team of culture builders, starting with Schaeffer and continuing with Josh Byrnes. As the three of them continue to build the roster, they need to not only look at the numbers, but also the “chemistry factor” that a player might bring to a team. As we saw with Bryant, or even with a player like Anthony Rendón, signing a big-name free agent doesn’t always turn out well if he doesn’t fit in the team culture.
The Rockies aren’t projected to win many games in 2026 and will likely finish with more than 100 losses for the fourth-straight season. However, if Warren Schaeffer is able to continue building chemistry and culture in the clubhouse, perhaps they could surprise some people like the Suns are doing right now in the NBA.
Trading Brenton Doyle might have to be part of new direction for Rockies | Denver Post ($)
Now that the Winter Meetings have concluded, we’re officially in the middle the dog days of winter. However, that doesn’t mean things won’t happen before the season starts. Center fielder Brenton Doyle has been in the middle of trade talks for the Rockies lately, and the Gold Glover could bring back a haul of pitching that the Rockies desperately need. Will the new braintrust move Doyle, or sign him to a long-term extension?
Will New Rockies Hitting Coach Brett Pill Inspire Offense To Success? | Sports Illustrated
The Rockies continued to flesh out their coaching staff with the hire of former Dodgers minor-league hitting coordinator Brett Pill. The offense has been mostly absent at 20th and Blake for many years, compared to the Blake Street Bombers of old. Can Pill bring the Rockies anemic offense back to life?
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
