NBA Playoffs 2023

[Phantom255x]

Miami missed a lot of shots, but Denver didn't shoot well from 3 either. Highsmith had garbage time points to make it an 11-point game, but otherwise Denver basically dominated that game from the start. If Denver goes up 2-0, I really can't see this series going more than 5 games. Wouldn't even surprise me if DEN swept, they are just that good.

Makes it all the more frustrating though that we couldn't beat Miami when all we had to do was take the easy 2s and stop forcing 3s. Denver did that and they basically dominated. 8-27 from 3, BUT 32-52 from 2. It was easy for them, and it was for Boston too but they didn't capitalize. "Mazzulla Ball"

[Birdman]

Hoping Jokic win a title, if not, gotta hear how great player he is in regular season but not playoffs..plus he be one up on Embiid lol

[SparzWizard]

Are the Denver Nuggets about to be the next Golden State Warriors, where they started a dynasty from 2014? They look like a juggernaut.

[RodyTur10]

Where are the silly people that said jokic shouldn’t get mvp because he lost to the warriors last year? That argument has lost a lot of MOmentum

That is silly. Jokic has been an alltime great playoff performer from the first playoff game that he played.
I remember that I did some analysis in 2019 on playoff performances. And at that time Jokic and Davis had amazing scores, but on a small sample size. Now we know that Jokic is truly one of the greats.

[Vermont Green]

Martin, Strus, and Robinson combined 2-23.  Where was that against the Celtics?  They hit every shot it seemed against us.

[keevsnick]

Martin, Strus, and Robinson combined 2-23.  Where was that against the Celtics?  They hit every shot it seemed against us.

Ya they hit like 30% of their wide open shots against Denver, that was 50% against Boston. If they shoot like they did in game 1 all series they'll get swept.

Its going to infuriate me if we watch MIA shoot like 30% from three this series after they hit 43% against Boston.

[Moranis]

Where are the silly people that said jokic shouldn’t get mvp because he lost to the warriors last year? That argument has lost a lot of MOmentum

I always believe that Nuggets underpeforming in the last two seasons have something to do with Murray and MPJ being out than Jokic not being good enough to take them to another level. More than Jokic, I think people underestimated how much of an impact MPJ and especially Murray brings on the Nuggets.

so is Murray or MPJ then the MVP?  Or maybe it is Gordon who has by far their best on off differential in the playoffs (MPJ is 2nd).

This is a stretch even for you. Just give jokic his props already. He is the most dominant player in the league right now

It's pretty obviously a joke, no?

I was mostly being sarcastic of course, but there is a bit of truth underlying what I said.  The simple reality is, the last 3 playoff seasons (before this year), the Nuggets were better when Jokic was on the bench, which is the exact opposite of the regular season when Jokic had an all time great on/off differential. And that includes the bubble run to the WC Finals when Jokic's differential per 100 possessions was -3.0.  That run Porter was +14.6 and Murray was +10.2.  The following year Murray was out, Jokic was -8.2 and Porter was -1.0 and the Nuggets got swept out of the playoffs in the 2nd round.  Last year no Murray or Porter, Jokic was -16.5 and the Nuggets lost in 5 in the 1st round (Gordon was +4.6).

So this year I did say I wanted to see Jokic lead his team on a deep run when he was actually not a negative in the playoffs.  He has done both of those things, but Gordon and Porter do have significantly better on/off numbers and Murray is in the same general range as Jokic.  I would like to see that change more and be more reflective of the regular season when Jokic has been putting in all time best seasons of on/off numbers.  I'd still like to know why the change in the playoffs where his value is concerned.  It is strange and it not typical for a great player.

All that said, as I said a week ago Jokic and Giannis are the only 2 players that can make a legit claim as the best player in the world.  That is still the case.

[cman88]

Martin, Strus, and Robinson combined 2-23.  Where was that against the Celtics?  They hit every shot it seemed against us.

Ya they hit like 30% of their wide open shots against Denver, that was 50% against Boston. If they shoot like they did in game 1 all series they'll get swept.

Its going to infuriate me if we watch MIA shoot like 30% from three this series after they hit 43% against Boston.

There was a chart from ESPN and Miami actually only shot 10 wide open 3's per game. Same as Celtics.

Except Celtics shot 41% on wide open 3's and Miami shot 60% which was better than anyone else in the last few years by a wide wide margin.

[keevsnick]

Martin, Strus, and Robinson combined 2-23.  Where was that against the Celtics?  They hit every shot it seemed against us.

Ya they hit like 30% of their wide open shots against Denver, that was 50% against Boston. If they shoot like they did in game 1 all series they'll get swept.

Its going to infuriate me if we watch MIA shoot like 30% from three this series after they hit 43% against Boston.

There was a chart from ESPN and Miami actually only shot 10 wide open 3's per game. Same as Celtics.

Except Celtics shot 41% on wide open 3's and Miami shot 60% which was better than anyone else in the last few years by a wide wide margin.

Ya I was going off memory from that same graphic I think. TP to you.

In any event MIA suddenly turning into a pumpkin from three would be hilarious, in a infuriating way.

Or maybe this was just an off game and they'll shoot 50% the rest of the series.

[Celtics4ever]

Hmmm, could it be, a sea level team playing in the mile high city might have a problem and shooting woes?

[Vermont Green]

Hmmm, could it be, a sea level team playing in the mile high city might have a problem and shooting woes?

Altitude could have an impact but based on my skiing experience, you should be able to acclimate to 5,000 ft in 24 hrs or less.  The worst of it is going to be the morning after the first night you sleep there.  You are still going to get winded a little quicker at altitude but I don't think the difference between the two teams should be all that much after a couple of days.  They arrived Tuesday morning per the report.  That would give them two nights sleeping at the altitude.

I didn't see the whole game, only parts of it, but what I saw was the MIA scrubs (Martin, Strus, Robinson) just missing decent looks, looks they seemed to make every time vs. the Celtics.  I guess it doesn't take much to change from a make to a miss so maybe the altitude was a factor.  Denver is more used to it, even if both team's hemoglobin is the same.

The Miami Heat arrived early Tuesday in advance of the NBA Finals in which they will take on the Denver Nuggets.

[SparzWizard]

Delete

[liam]

The Nuggets were smart to just let Bam get his. He's not a player who is going to beat you by himself.

[Celtics2021]

The Nuggets were smart to just let Bam get his. He's not a player who is going to beat you by himself.

The Nuggets were smart to let the Heat shoot 30% on wide open 3s instead of 60%.

[SparzWizard]

Tyler Herro will be back by Game 3 or 4 and provide a spark for them.