Nuggets Repeat?
It seems just like yesterday I was checking the series count of the Denver Nuggets vs. the Phoenix Suns in the 2023 Playoffs. 3-2 Nuggets? What the hell is going on over there?
I imaged it was just a matter of time before KD turned it on and we all got to see the Suns, Lakers playoff rematch we’d been waiting for. Plus, wasn't this Jokic, 2-time MVP guy sort of overrated?
4-2, Nuggets win the series. Oh man, here we go again, another Lakers, Nuggets series from the bubble. Lakers are going to walk away with this one and beat the Heat in the Finals again. Not exactly.
Four games later followed by a gentlemen’s sweep of the Miami Heat - the Denver Nuggets were crowned champs of the NBA. The 'Lakers’ Daddy' some may say.
Since that Lakers series, there hasn’t been a better team in basketball. You think Luka is good? You think the Warriors have a potent, motion-filled offense? The Denver Nuggets are the best team with the best player in the league.
Jokic cleans up the stat box. He currently leads the league in player efficiency rating, win shares, offensive win shares, win shares per 48 minutes, box plus/minus, offensive box plus/minus, defensive box plus/minus, and value over replacement player. (https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2024_leaders.html)
Essentially, what the means is when Jokic is on the floor he is the most dominant, best offensive and defensive player on the planet. When he is playing you can practically guarantee your team is going to win.
Team stats are good but a bit contradicting. Although they aren't top 5 in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, three pointers, or free throws, they are top 5 in net rating, percentage of points in the paint, percentage of points in the mid range, and assists per game.
While I’m a bit concerned about some of the regular season stats, I’m more concerned about what happens in the half court game. Points in the paint, mid range and assists win playoff games. They also have the best record at 9-1 since the all start break of any team in the league, with an average win margin of 11.1 points. (https://www.nba.com/stats/teams)
The kicker for me is the chemistry. Jokic and Murray are the perfect 1,2 punch. Aaron Gordon is the best third option in the NBA and has really owned his role as this power forward/dunker type player. Throw in some shooting from KCP, Michael Porter Jr., bench presence from Jackson, Braun and assistant-player-coach DeAndre Jordan, you can’t lose.
Michael Malone has earned his stripes with this one. It’s hard to believe he’s been with this group since 2014! Ten years later and he’s built a masterpiece of an organization. If I’m building a franchise, I’m hoping to do the same thing. Give me one guy for a decade and let’s make it work.
No one is messing with this team in the playoffs. The only teams in the West who will come close are the Clippers and Suns simply due to pure talent. But we saw how that worked out for the Suns last year.
Pending a meltdown or Doc Rivers getting lucky, the Boston Celtics should make it out of the East. If that’s the case we’ll have one of the most competitive finals, and possibly a repeat for years to come, we’ve seen since 2016.
The Nuggets got the juice. They are getting hot at the right time, have the experienced coach, team chemistry, and the greatest basketball player on the planet.
If I was a betting man, which I’m not (thanks Dad), I’d put my money on Denver.
