2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Neurotic Guy]

So, really good teams have really bad games? Huh. Denver will show up in Minnesota. Maybe not enough to get back in the series, but I wouldn’t count them out. 

Knicks aren’t a pushover. Cs will have their hands full if they get past the Cavs, even with Porzingis.

[ozgod]

Have the Jokic Nuggets ever beaten an elite team in the playoffs? They had a historically easy path to a title last year. They've disappointed in prior years, albeit often in part due to injuries. And now this year they're getting smoked by a talented but relatively inexperienced Wolves team.

I always remember the adage "they were never as good as you thought they were, but they're not as bad as you now think they are" 

[cman88]

Muray clearly is hurting from that calf strain and they are a really poor 3 point shooting team. in the modern NBA as much as people hate Joe's strategy. if you cant hit 3's at a high clip you are going to lose.

Also, if Lakers didn't blow those leads they could've honestly made it a series.

[moiso]

https://x.com/bleacherreport/status/1787600939245052024?s=46

This guy has to have become the most cringe professional athlete ever right?

Yup, what a clown.  I'm surprised he still gets invitations to events like that.  Luke Kornet has played better basketball than Simmons for a couple years now and he wasn't invited.

[tazzmaniac]

https://x.com/bleacherreport/status/1787600939245052024?s=46

This guy has to have become the most cringe professional athlete ever right?

Yup, what a clown.  I'm surprised he still gets invitations to events like that.  Luke Kornet has played better basketball than Simmons for a couple years now and he wasn't invited.

He's still got another season at 40.3M left on his contract.  Hopefully after that no GM is dumb enough to give him another contract even vet minimum. 

[Kernewek]

Have the Jokic Nuggets ever beaten an elite team in the playoffs? They had a historically easy path to a title last year. They've disappointed in prior years, albeit often in part due to injuries. And now this year they're getting smoked by a talented but relatively inexperienced Wolves team.

I always remember the adage "they were never as good as you thought they were, but they're not as bad as you now think they are" 

The other thing to keep in mind is that as the defending champions they've been absolutely under the microscope for 82 games by 29 teams. There's a reason why repeat titles are so rare in the NBA.

[Roy H.]

Have the Jokic Nuggets ever beaten an elite team in the playoffs? They had a historically easy path to a title last year. They've disappointed in prior years, albeit often in part due to injuries. And now this year they're getting smoked by a talented but relatively inexperienced Wolves team.

I always remember the adage "they were never as good as you thought they were, but they're not as bad as you now think they are" 

The other thing to keep in mind is that as the defending champions they've been absolutely under the microscope for 82 games by 29 teams. There's a reason why repeat titles are so rare in the NBA.

Yeah, one of the more interesting things about the great Spurs teams is that they never went B2B.  It's hard, and the competition in the West is real.

[cman88]

Have the Jokic Nuggets ever beaten an elite team in the playoffs? They had a historically easy path to a title last year. They've disappointed in prior years, albeit often in part due to injuries. And now this year they're getting smoked by a talented but relatively inexperienced Wolves team.

I always remember the adage "they were never as good as you thought they were, but they're not as bad as you now think they are" 

The other thing to keep in mind is that as the defending champions they've been absolutely under the microscope for 82 games by 29 teams. There's a reason why repeat titles are so rare in the NBA.

there is something to say about how last year the highest seed they faced was the 4th seed suns. and thats including the finals. sometimes it takes luck to win. look at milwaukee they were a durant toe away from us questioning Giannis legacy.

part of the shock too is people on this board have overrated them all season as this unstoppable juggernaut.

[Who]

Denver has yet to beat a 50 win team in a playoff series in the Jokic era.

I saw this. This can't be true, can it?

So last year. They had the 42 win T'Wolves who were without Towns for almost all the season. The 45 win Suns. The 43 win Lakers. The 44 win Heat.

In 2021, Jokic beat a 42 win Blazers team. Went out in the 2nd round but was without J Murray.

So 2020, they win two series and lose in the WCF to the Lakers in the bubble. Last time Murray was healthy for the playoffs prior to last year's title run. They beat a 44-28 Jazz team and a 49-23 Clippers team. So this was a shortened year. The Clippers were 1 win away from 50 and had 10 more games to play in a normal season (56 win pace). They would have been a 50 win team. The Jazz maybe as well (50 win pace). They needed to 6 out of 10. So only a technicality that they did not beat a 50 win team that season.

In 2019, Jokic beat a 48 win Spurs team led by DeRozan and L Aldridge.

-------------------------------

Still, that is quite amazing. That Clippers team is really the only high level team Jokic has played against. Kawhi and PG13 played in that series. That was the year all their offensive minded supporting cast doomed them with selfishness. Montrez Harrell, Lou Williams, Marcus Morris. 

The 2023 Suns were injury hit. They were better than a 45 win team when healthy but CP3 was injured during that series so they were not full strength in the playoffs.

[celticinorlando]

Said it earlier in the thread...First time Denver has played a team with a pulse in the playoffs since the days they were getting knocked out in the first and second rounds a few years back.

Last season were very fortunate to get a play in Lakers and then a worn out Heat that got through by selling their soul to the devil. Beat up the injured Wolves and the dysfunctional Suns before that.

This season, the same. Play in Lakers and now a team that is so much more athletic than they are. Looks like we are seeing the real Nuggets that aren't benefiting from easier match ups.

[Moranis]

Said it earlier in the thread...First time Denver has played a team with a pulse in the playoffs since the days they were getting knocked out in the first and second rounds a few years back.

Last season were very fortunate to get a play in Lakers and then a worn out Heat that got through by selling their soul to the devil. Beat up the injured Wolves and the dysfunctional Suns before that.

This season, the same. Play in Lakers and now a team that is so much more athletic than they are. Looks like we are seeing the real Nuggets that aren't benefiting from easier match ups.

They also beat the Wolves in 5 last year.  I know the Wolves are better this year, but they both have essentially the same cores. That is what is most surprising about these 2 games.  It wasn't a really competitive series last year and the Nuggets have been the nest home team over the last 2 sessons, yet they are getting whipped at home. Wolves didn't even have Gobert yesterday.

[Celtics2021]

https://x.com/bleacherreport/status/1787600939245052024?s=46

This guy has to have become the most cringe professional athlete ever right?

Yup, what a clown.  I'm surprised he still gets invitations to events like that.  Luke Kornet has played better basketball than Simmons for a couple years now and he wasn't invited.

Luke Kornet is busy in May (and every other month, really).

[celticinorlando]

Said it earlier in the thread...First time Denver has played a team with a pulse in the playoffs since the days they were getting knocked out in the first and second rounds a few years back.

Last season were very fortunate to get a play in Lakers and then a worn out Heat that got through by selling their soul to the devil. Beat up the injured Wolves and the dysfunctional Suns before that.

This season, the same. Play in Lakers and now a team that is so much more athletic than they are. Looks like we are seeing the real Nuggets that aren't benefiting from easier match ups.

They also beat the Wolves in 5 last year.  I know the Wolves are better this year, but they both have essentially the same cores. That is what is most surprising about these 2 games.  It wasn't a really competitive series last year and the Nuggets have been the nest home team over the last 2 sessons, yet they are getting whipped at home. Wolves didn't even have Gobert yesterday.

Wasn't KAT out injured last season for that series? He seems to be a real factor this time around.

[Who]

Said it earlier in the thread...First time Denver has played a team with a pulse in the playoffs since the days they were getting knocked out in the first and second rounds a few years back.

Last season were very fortunate to get a play in Lakers and then a worn out Heat that got through by selling their soul to the devil. Beat up the injured Wolves and the dysfunctional Suns before that.

This season, the same. Play in Lakers and now a team that is so much more athletic than they are. Looks like we are seeing the real Nuggets that aren't benefiting from easier match ups.

They also beat the Wolves in 5 last year.  I know the Wolves are better this year, but they both have essentially the same cores. That is what is most surprising about these 2 games.  It wasn't a really competitive series last year and the Nuggets have been the nest home team over the last 2 sessons, yet they are getting whipped at home. Wolves didn't even have Gobert yesterday.

Wasn't KAT out injured last season for that series? He seems to be a real factor this time around.

He played in the series but barely played during the season.

Only 29 games played last season. Only came back about 2 weeks before the playoffs started (played 8 games after being out for several months). Not fully integrated into the team.

Gobert and Towns were still developing understanding on the court together. That was interrupted by Towns injury and missing most of last season.  Much better this season.

They were missing J McDaniels and Naz Reid though. 2 of their top 6 players. Or after their Big Three of Ant, Towns, Gobert. 2 of their top 3 supporting cast / role players.

[Who]

Bruce Brown Jr said Minnesota was the toughest opponent they played last season on their title run. I think one or two other Nuggets players have said the same thing.

Denver blew them out in Gm 1 last year but the 4 remaining games are all very close and hard fought.

Give them a fully healthy & integrated Towns, a healthy and much improved Naz Reid, and a healthy Jaden McDaniels and Minnesota are a much stronger outfit this time round.