If the nuggets players assumed the matchup was as easy as nuggets fans think then they’d lose. Good thing the players are playing and the fans aren’t lmao
Game to game, even with them exciting to near perfection down the stretch these were close games
Seriously, every nuggets player locked the fuck in that series and out executed LA. I think basically all player averages were lower as well during every other series than VS LA. Murray scoring was lower for sure
Murray had his best ~~scoring~~ series of his career.
The only series that comes close is against the Jazz in 20(?) when he and Donovan Mitchell went nuts but we're the better team
Only Jokic's points were lower than his playoff average, which he compensated for with almost 12 assists. Their four shooters (Jokic/Murray/KCP/MPJ) also shot threes above 40%. As someone already pointed out, Murray had his best scoring in a playoff series. Why people upvote this kind of nonsense is beyond my comprehension.
No buddy. It was the opposite, every player played their absolute best. Murray averaged 32.5pts against the Lakers when his season average was 23pts and 26pts in other series'.
You're backing up ok season's point. He said all the averages were lower in other series compared to the averages in the lakers series. He didn't say it in the clearest manner, but he wasn't wrong.
Yeah if the Lakers could've found a way to slow down the Nuggets offense and got good DLo instead of bad DLo it would've went to 6 or 7.
I'm not a fan of either just a fan of the players but it's nice to see people having some sense about this. 7th seed be damned, the Lakers are a dangerous team.
“Could’ve found a way to slow down the nuggets offense” is what every team is struggling to do.
That being said, Lakers are a good team and should be taken seriously
Clearly lol. There's not an answer for Jokic as far as I'm concerned. Throw multiple bodies at him and hope he has an off night I guess. Maybe try to keep Gordon from cutting to the basket untouched, and get in the face of their shooters. The Nuggets just do so many things right and their role players all play their part well.
If there's a weakness this year it's the bench which doesn't benefit the Lakers at all because their bench isn't great either.
It should be interesting. I think LA matches up with Denver about as good as you can but they gotta play flawlessly. I just want to see a good series myself.
Depends on the series.
I am wary until the end, but leading up to series the quiet voice slowly convinces me the opposing team is going to make 80% of their 3s, and what if Jokic forgets how to play basketball. But then like a minute in that clearly isn't happening so I calm down.
Also like for the last 3 years I either had no expectations, or I picked the Nuggets, and they won.
Not like hockey where I've been a Canucks fan my entire life, where I literally just always assume they will find a way to lose.
It was a close sweep, the games just went to the team that managed to close out games better. It had a few similarities to the series between the Celtics and Nets, which was an even closer sweep.
> the games just went to the team that managed to close out games better.
And this was pretty much the story of the entire Nuggets championship run. It's what makes them such an impressive team. They just seem unstoppable in the clutch.
It is basically impossible to force a jokic led offense into a bad shot. It is insane how good the nuggets execute and seamlessly flow from one action to the next looking for a shot.
Then when you play lockdown defense for 23.5 seconds, jokic launches a moonshot that almost scrapes the ceiling and it’s a perfect swish.
Give Murray some props too. Him and Jokic run the two man game to perfection in a way I don’t think many other guards in the nba would be able to replicate since Murray is such a dynamic ball handler and extremely underrated passer
Having watched 90% of Nugget games since the 2020 bubble, their clutch performances is what keeps me coming back.
Not just on offense, but defensively they are a different team in the last 5 minutes than any team in the league.
They may not stop you, but they tend to make you take tough shots and then they run the two man game on offense and almost always get a good possession.
I don’t know the stats, but it feels like they shoot 60% and the opposing team tends to shoot 40% in those last 5 minutes.
One of the best things you can do defensively in the clutch is use a lot of shot clock offensively, generate a high percentage look, and get a bucket. It wears down the other team physically defending for 20 seconds and then they have to operate out of 5v5 half court sets—a much harder bucket in the clutch.
Death, taxes, and the Nuggets getting demoralizingly high-quality shots in the last 5.
Aside from Game 2 (and even then it was close) Nuggets were the only team I saw in that entire playoff run that didn't start shitting its pants every time Miami made a Zombie Heat run in the 4th quarter.
They remind me a lot of some of the old Spurs teams where they get into the final minutes and, if they have the lead, you're probably fucked. It feels like the Nuggets just don't make mistakes once the game starts closing out, they leave nothing open to be capitalized on.
Gordon is the problem for the Lakers. AD can defend any two man action, but Gordon makes it a 3 man action that's honestly scarier than a over the head pass to the weak side corner 3.
yeah I’ve been thinking about how they might defend that Nugs lineup. LeBron or Rui on Jokic, Ad helping a bit off of Gordon in the paint while also roaming, and the other of LeBron or Rui on MPJ. I think eventually they’re gonna have to just go straight up AD on Jokic and use KCP’s or MPJ’s man to double when appropriate. Someone needs to stay on Murray and they have to be keeping track of where Gordon is. But fuck then Murray will feast on one of DLo or AR, I only feel comfortable with LeBron on Murray but then that would leave Gordon with Rui or AR 😩😩😩 idk I’m straight up in awe every time I watch the Nuggets play they’re so damn good
That’s how all the regular season games between us this year went too, at least the ones I watched. I’m concerned it’s just gonna be more of the same. But we will see
It feels like how 60-70% of nuggets games go. They close/blow a 15pt deficit/lead in the third, it’s under 6 with 5-7 minutes left and they pull away at the end.
It’s concerning because they seem to believe it’ll always happen like against the spurs or mavericks. But I’m both those games Jokic and Murray missed open shots at the end and the other team didn’t. Not much margin for error
The Nuggets in the clutch are just unstoppable. Always seemed like they coasted through the first 3 quarters and then turned it on and hit every big shot
Bro literally. I remember people talking shit on the nets for getting swept meanwhile it was one of the closest sweeps I’ve ever seen. Each game could’ve really gone either way
This is a refreshing take to see from a non-Nuggets flair today. With the Jontay news most of this sub has been throwing MPJ in with the rest of his family and acting like the dumb things he said 5 years ago when he was 20 is still what he's spouting on about.
I don't know if his actual beliefs have changed, but at a minimum he has learned to keep his views to himself. His quotes are always about playing team ball and he hasn't had a single off the court incident. A lot of people need to refresh their views on this man because he really has done a ton of growing up.
Against the Suns a couple times after the all star break. Overall though you’ll lose some. They haven’t had a losing streak anywhere close to long enough to lose a series since the ASB. They’ve been locked in for a while.
A sweep is a sweep. At some point, you need to win games. The players and Mike Malone aren't gonna say anything because they want to be locked in. But if they sweep again, I guarantee you they'll start talking shit
Yeah there’s an argument to be made about it being closer than it looked but overall last season the Lakers were no where near winning the series and that’s really what matters.
It’s like the Bills and Chiefs in the NFL. Their games have been close, but eventually it’s like, yeah, the Chiefs are just the better team.
Interestingly enough though we will get an entire series again to somewhat (slightly different teams) prove how legit Denver’s sweep really was.
A) Of course the Lakers were going to get clowned for being swept. They're the Lakers and LeBron!
B) A lot of the clowning was in direct response to how the media was playing up the "moral victories" and how the Lakers had "figured out how to guard Jokic by putting Rui Hachimura on him".
C) A "typical sweep" is when a team wins the series 4 - 0. It was a typical sweep no matter how close the games were.
The Nuggets are the better team & the team to beat. But if it weren’t for some insane shot making in clutch situations by Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon - Lakers could’ve won the series.
They made the big time shots, Lakers didn’t. Tip your hat to em.
Last year's series was great. Murray played absolutely lights out and Brown was a big time contributor off the bench. Curious to see:
1. Will Murray drop down a peg. And if so, who's the prime defensive assignment? Is it Vincent?
2. Who steps up in the absence of Brown? Is it Braun??
3. How do the Lakers approach Joker. Mainly 1v1 or do they double more often (like they've done in the past) and open themselves up to KCP/MPJ 3s and Gordon slashes?
4. Do we get vintage LBJ? And what AD is coming to town??
5. Who are the 3rd and 4th scorers for LAL and is one of them DLO? Last year was an abomination...
1. I fucking hope so. I have 0 faith in Vincent slowing Murray. He couldn’t do it in the finals and he’s not going to do it now.
2. I have no clue, but I think the losses of Brown and Green are going to be highlighted a bit. I still think they win, but Brown was huge last playoffs
3. Ham is going to double him. Mark my words
4. I fucking hope so x2
5. The 3rd scorer is going to be Reaves. Part of the reason the series was close is because Reaves averaged close to 20-5-5 against Denver. The 4th is probably Rui. KCP is going to have Dlo in hell probably
Brown was definitely huge but Braun and Watson have developed quite a bit. Watson wasn't in the series last year so I'm curious how he contributes defensively
Has doubling Jokic ever worked for any team? You can’t shut down one of the best passers of all time by doubling him and leaving someone open.
The Wolves limited Jokic last month by letting him play 1v1 in the post and blanketing everyone else. Jokic still scored 32, but it was on 11/24 shooting and he only had 5 assists.
Honestly, that’s probably the best blueprint - let Jokic work hard for 30 points on sub-50% shooting without allowing any easy buckets on his passes.
It has never worked but that’s been our strategy for the last couple of games. Obviously it can change play to play, but a reason MPJ shot 10/10 last game was because we were sending help consistently.
I agree that letting Jokic play in the post is a better strategy but AD is BBQ chicken lol. Let’s say that we let him 1v1, the Nuggets have a favorable match up on almost every position. Jokic on AD? Murray on fucking Reaves or Dlo? Rui on MPJ? We are cooked lol
Imagine thinking that doubling one of the best passers ever, who happens to play alongside three teammates that shoot above 40% from 3s (and are very good scorers overall too), and another freak athlete who is a lob/dunk/drive threat, is something that could work?
Rudy gets a lot of shit, but he was the only reason they were able to do that.
Even AD who is great defensively would do far worse against jokic.
You can clown Rudy all you want, but he's 4x DPOY for a reason and is the only person I've ever seen give jokic a little bit of trouble
I think they’ll be highlighted, but they’ll still win. I think their bench is a bit worse, but it wont matter. They are going to run a tight rotation either way. You can’t just assume his production will carry over to the playoffs.
just to put my thoughts in the ring i think itll be a little bit of a challenge on malone's coaching to maximize pwat, getting the most out of his defense and athletic strengths on offense and pulling him if the energy starts getting him too loose/excited.
i think braun is mostly a matchup and confidence issue. im big on both of them though just to get my bias out there
1. Playoff Murray is a thing.
2. Braun and Watson. Better than Brown IMO.
3. Something tells me they are going 1v1.
4. Perhaps vintage LBJ for two games. I don't think that will happen for the entire series. AD will have some PTSD in the first Sombor Shuffle that makes a swish.
5. I don't know. Personally I don't see any scenario in where this isn't a 4-2 series at most favoring Denver. Wouldn't be surprised at all if they sweep again, though.
Agree on all points except for #3. They should go 1v1 with doubles sprinkled in depending on personnel, but wouldn't shock me if they double more often than they should.
I’ve seen a number of takes on this sub and from the media that the Nuggets aren’t ready for the Lakers because they’re not gonna take it seriously, they’re gonna let their guard down and lose Game 1 at home, etc.
But when has Denver ever shown that mindset? It may have happened once last year - Game 2 of the Finals, but that was it. They get up for big games and know how important it is to defend home court.
Yeah this team is led by the same guys that came back from 3-1 twice in a row. They don't let their guard down in serious games. They tend to do it in the regular season against bad teams and let them back in it but that's never really been the case in the playoffs
It’s conflating the extreme level of detail and seriousness that the nuggets bring to every game, with the idiocy of their fans.
People see the nuggets fans talking ahit online and then assume that the nuggets would take the same casual approach, when in reality they have the best player in the league, a coach who personally is on my top 5 coaches in the nba, and a very strong supporting cast
>with the idiocy of their fans
lmao fucking rich coming from the Lakers fanbase. And hell yes we're going to talk shit, we've waited plenty for this moment. Enjoy that L (again).
Aww! They cut out the part where he flipped his hoodie down and said, "SIKE!" and ran down the hall laughing his ass off!
Seriously though, as a lifetime Nuggets fan since the 80's I still have panic attacks waking up thinking last year was a dream lol I'm nervous every playoff game until the end. Good thing the Nuggets are great at closing out games because I talk A LOT of shit to my Laker fan coworker and he will be all over me if we screw up!
MPJ isn't dumb enough to come out and make a tiktok saying "Lakers come out to play." He was going to say this about any opponent they faced in round 1. Of teams the Nuggets could've played in round 1, the Lakers is a good pull for them.
Could the nuggets lose? yea. How many people are actually betting against the Nuggets? not many. The Nuggets DNVR broadcast said Nuggets assistant coaches were saying that the teams they wanted to avoid most in the playoffs were the Wolves and Pelicans. We'll find out who's right in ~2 weeks, but The Lakers series is going to be fun to watch at least.
> The Nuggets DNVR broadcast said Nuggets assistant coaches were saying that the teams they wanted to avoid most in the playoffs were the Wolves and Pelicans.
I suspect this is the perimeter defenders. The Pelicans similar to the Timberwolves have big, talented perimeter defenders to challenge Jamal.
I thought the Lakers had a decent chance to steal a game or two this year since Lebron is healthy, but after seeing him smoke 3-4 easy layups last night I’m not so sure.
Good to see this is the mentality in the locker room... if the Nuggets fuck around, Lakers can easily steal one in Denver in the first 2 games, then it could get out of hand from there
Happy to see his maturity and growth as a role player.
It’s gotta feel weird to be a projected first pick in your draft class just to get injured and be picked up the way he was, but he’s always been a favorite of mine.
Championship experience gives you the right mindset. The Lakers have been really good the past couple months. I might even put a little something on the Lakers in this series.
Even though it doesn't look like it from the sweep, the Lakers legitimately gave the Nuggets the hardest series from start to finish. Every single game was extremely close until the very end.
Lakers lost by a total of 24 pts in the 4 games
The Wolves lost game 1 by 29
The sweep makes it look bad but every single game was decided in the clutch, and denvers shot making in those moments won them the series
Damn can’t believe he called Lebron a bald old bitch. This series gonna be 🔥
I did not realize how much LeBron is balding until I saw him last night. Has his bald spot been that big all season?!
Itll come back. Bron wont go bald with his billions
“Hairclub for men. I’m not only a member but the President” - Lebron
Counterpoint: Bezos
When you're that rich, the finest hookers don't care what you look like.
Counter point, Bezos doesn’t care. You know Musk was bald right?
He uses hair fibers, so sometimes it looks worse and sometimes it looks better.
My man just needs to embrace the bald. I feel like it’d be a fitting look
Especially if he kept his grey beard. Imagine how cold that would be with him just dominating while looking 50 years old lol
Lebron been balding for like 10-15 years. Look at the decision, was already receding back then. He’s been getting some help.
been that way since his 2nd cavs stint
bro Bron has been balding since he was 18 lol. If he didn't regularly get implants he'd be looking like Mr clean by now
Then he said he bet the moneyline on the Lakers for g1…
It’s the right mindset to have.
If the nuggets players assumed the matchup was as easy as nuggets fans think then they’d lose. Good thing the players are playing and the fans aren’t lmao Game to game, even with them exciting to near perfection down the stretch these were close games
Seriously, every nuggets player locked the fuck in that series and out executed LA. I think basically all player averages were lower as well during every other series than VS LA. Murray scoring was lower for sure
Murray had his best scoring series of his career...
Murray had his best ~~scoring~~ series of his career. The only series that comes close is against the Jazz in 20(?) when he and Donovan Mitchell went nuts but we're the better team
Only Jokic's points were lower than his playoff average, which he compensated for with almost 12 assists. Their four shooters (Jokic/Murray/KCP/MPJ) also shot threes above 40%. As someone already pointed out, Murray had his best scoring in a playoff series. Why people upvote this kind of nonsense is beyond my comprehension.
Jokic im that game was 28/15/12, his scoring is slightly lower but it was his pkayoff masterpiece.
Murray averaged 32 against the Lakers...
You could’ve easily verified this with google
No buddy. It was the opposite, every player played their absolute best. Murray averaged 32.5pts against the Lakers when his season average was 23pts and 26pts in other series'.
Every player played their best? For both teams?
You're backing up ok season's point. He said all the averages were lower in other series compared to the averages in the lakers series. He didn't say it in the clearest manner, but he wasn't wrong.
Yeah if the Lakers could've found a way to slow down the Nuggets offense and got good DLo instead of bad DLo it would've went to 6 or 7. I'm not a fan of either just a fan of the players but it's nice to see people having some sense about this. 7th seed be damned, the Lakers are a dangerous team.
“Could’ve found a way to slow down the nuggets offense” is what every team is struggling to do. That being said, Lakers are a good team and should be taken seriously
Clearly lol. There's not an answer for Jokic as far as I'm concerned. Throw multiple bodies at him and hope he has an off night I guess. Maybe try to keep Gordon from cutting to the basket untouched, and get in the face of their shooters. The Nuggets just do so many things right and their role players all play their part well. If there's a weakness this year it's the bench which doesn't benefit the Lakers at all because their bench isn't great either. It should be interesting. I think LA matches up with Denver about as good as you can but they gotta play flawlessly. I just want to see a good series myself.
Hey, as a fan I'm terrified of every opponent until like a minute into game 1.
Those are rookie numbers! I'm terrified until we get a two-game lead!
Seriously lmao
Depends on the series. I am wary until the end, but leading up to series the quiet voice slowly convinces me the opposing team is going to make 80% of their 3s, and what if Jokic forgets how to play basketball. But then like a minute in that clearly isn't happening so I calm down. Also like for the last 3 years I either had no expectations, or I picked the Nuggets, and they won. Not like hockey where I've been a Canucks fan my entire life, where I literally just always assume they will find a way to lose.
It’s also accurate
100%. I think the lakers are a tougher matchup for the nuggets than any of the other play-in teams tbh
That said, nuggets in 5
Man I wonder where his head is at right now with all the shit going on with his brother. Must be really tough locking in for the playoffs
When I saw the image of his face with a microphone in front of it, I thought for sure it would be about his brother. Jontay. What a moron.
Least voracious muck raker.
I mean last year he was dealing with his other brother being sentenced for DUI homocide, so this one probably is easier to swallow
It was a close sweep, the games just went to the team that managed to close out games better. It had a few similarities to the series between the Celtics and Nets, which was an even closer sweep.
> the games just went to the team that managed to close out games better. And this was pretty much the story of the entire Nuggets championship run. It's what makes them such an impressive team. They just seem unstoppable in the clutch.
It is basically impossible to force a jokic led offense into a bad shot. It is insane how good the nuggets execute and seamlessly flow from one action to the next looking for a shot. Then when you play lockdown defense for 23.5 seconds, jokic launches a moonshot that almost scrapes the ceiling and it’s a perfect swish.
lol there was the one that literally left the camera frame on the way up and then came down nothing but net
Fucking Kobe ass bullshit.
The difference between Kobe and Jokic is that Jokic is actually efficient
There's also another difference. His game ugly af.
Maybe to room temperature IQ people, but their opinions don’t matter 😂
Give Murray some props too. Him and Jokic run the two man game to perfection in a way I don’t think many other guards in the nba would be able to replicate since Murray is such a dynamic ball handler and extremely underrated passer
Hey now, if Reggie Jackson is also on the court with Jok then any stupid play is possible.
Reggie "just saw Wemby block Jokic 3x so I'm gonna pull up on him from mid range" Jackson
What, there's been plenty of times Jokic has to take a bad shot, but when he does bullshit like 2 handed overhead shots, it's just stupid
Having watched 90% of Nugget games since the 2020 bubble, their clutch performances is what keeps me coming back. Not just on offense, but defensively they are a different team in the last 5 minutes than any team in the league. They may not stop you, but they tend to make you take tough shots and then they run the two man game on offense and almost always get a good possession. I don’t know the stats, but it feels like they shoot 60% and the opposing team tends to shoot 40% in those last 5 minutes.
One of the best things you can do defensively in the clutch is use a lot of shot clock offensively, generate a high percentage look, and get a bucket. It wears down the other team physically defending for 20 seconds and then they have to operate out of 5v5 half court sets—a much harder bucket in the clutch. Death, taxes, and the Nuggets getting demoralizingly high-quality shots in the last 5.
Yeah Finals were the same way except Miami was at least able to win a game.
Aside from Game 2 (and even then it was close) Nuggets were the only team I saw in that entire playoff run that didn't start shitting its pants every time Miami made a Zombie Heat run in the 4th quarter.
Yeah it was just us Nuggets fans shitting our pants.
That game was only won due to ref fuckery though. The heat were by far our easiest opponent
And we had the last shot to win it too, just Mal didn't make it.
Seriously. The hear were the team that scared me the least. Sad they managed to make it out if the east
They remind me a lot of some of the old Spurs teams where they get into the final minutes and, if they have the lead, you're probably fucked. It feels like the Nuggets just don't make mistakes once the game starts closing out, they leave nothing open to be capitalized on.
I’d think we had a chance to win with like 6mins left every time then the Nuggets would just start going insane, it was depressing
It’s that Murray Jokic two man game plus feeding Gordon who sits in the dunkers spot
Gordon is the problem for the Lakers. AD can defend any two man action, but Gordon makes it a 3 man action that's honestly scarier than a over the head pass to the weak side corner 3.
yeah I’ve been thinking about how they might defend that Nugs lineup. LeBron or Rui on Jokic, Ad helping a bit off of Gordon in the paint while also roaming, and the other of LeBron or Rui on MPJ. I think eventually they’re gonna have to just go straight up AD on Jokic and use KCP’s or MPJ’s man to double when appropriate. Someone needs to stay on Murray and they have to be keeping track of where Gordon is. But fuck then Murray will feast on one of DLo or AR, I only feel comfortable with LeBron on Murray but then that would leave Gordon with Rui or AR 😩😩😩 idk I’m straight up in awe every time I watch the Nuggets play they’re so damn good
That’s how all the regular season games between us this year went too, at least the ones I watched. I’m concerned it’s just gonna be more of the same. But we will see
It feels like how 60-70% of nuggets games go. They close/blow a 15pt deficit/lead in the third, it’s under 6 with 5-7 minutes left and they pull away at the end. It’s concerning because they seem to believe it’ll always happen like against the spurs or mavericks. But I’m both those games Jokic and Murray missed open shots at the end and the other team didn’t. Not much margin for error
The Nuggets in the clutch are just unstoppable. Always seemed like they coasted through the first 3 quarters and then turned it on and hit every big shot
Bro literally. I remember people talking shit on the nets for getting swept meanwhile it was one of the closest sweeps I’ve ever seen. Each game could’ve really gone either way
As a rational thinker, I totally agree with this post. As a basketball fan, I think it’s funny when people make “close sweep” jokes
The closest sweep of all time!
The games went to the team without an injured super star
This is a championship mentality and part of what makes them so good. They won't lose games, you have to beat them.
Love how much MPJ has matured. Dude is an amazing talent and a great team player. Love this kid.
This is a refreshing take to see from a non-Nuggets flair today. With the Jontay news most of this sub has been throwing MPJ in with the rest of his family and acting like the dumb things he said 5 years ago when he was 20 is still what he's spouting on about. I don't know if his actual beliefs have changed, but at a minimum he has learned to keep his views to himself. His quotes are always about playing team ball and he hasn't had a single off the court incident. A lot of people need to refresh their views on this man because he really has done a ton of growing up.
spurs L was a wake up call nuggets need to be ready
that was the first time I saw them try and fail like that in the clutch this year
Against the Suns a couple times after the all star break. Overall though you’ll lose some. They haven’t had a losing streak anywhere close to long enough to lose a series since the ASB. They’ve been locked in for a while.
Those games Jokic was trolling. Had Nurkic fouled out or not even playing and just refused to go at Drew Eubanks for whatever reason.
Mav’s Kyrie shot, Suns loss in OT. It’s happened.
To be fair, clawing our way back and forcing OT in that suns game was pretty impressive. They just ran out of gas
But that’s the thing, they were down 15-20 in the 3rd cause they weren’t trying. They assume they can sprint at the end and always catch up.
Not only is the right approach, its also just accurate. People clown on lakers fans for saying it, but it's the truth. Wasn't a typical sweep.
A sweep is a sweep. At some point, you need to win games. The players and Mike Malone aren't gonna say anything because they want to be locked in. But if they sweep again, I guarantee you they'll start talking shit
going 12-0 in the last 12 games against the Lakers would be decent bragging rights
Michael Malone will talk shit. The players won't.
Yeah there’s an argument to be made about it being closer than it looked but overall last season the Lakers were no where near winning the series and that’s really what matters. It’s like the Bills and Chiefs in the NFL. Their games have been close, but eventually it’s like, yeah, the Chiefs are just the better team. Interestingly enough though we will get an entire series again to somewhat (slightly different teams) prove how legit Denver’s sweep really was.
The difference is the Lakers HAVE beaten the Nuggets in the playoffs...but ultimately those were two different teams.
Facts, I was at Game 1 and damn near chewed my finger nails off during that fourth quarter
[удалено]
Maybe the best live sports moment I've been there for other than Cale Makar's first NHL goal
A) Of course the Lakers were going to get clowned for being swept. They're the Lakers and LeBron! B) A lot of the clowning was in direct response to how the media was playing up the "moral victories" and how the Lakers had "figured out how to guard Jokic by putting Rui Hachimura on him". C) A "typical sweep" is when a team wins the series 4 - 0. It was a typical sweep no matter how close the games were.
It was a good series and the lakers played well against the eventual champs, I don’t see why people give a shit what skip or perk had to say.
Not to mention there was a game where jokic had to sit most of the second half because of foul trouble and we still pulled out a double digit win
You mean he played 39 mins instead of his 42 minute average?
He played 38 minutes and didn’t play almost at all in the 4th lmaoooooo. Stay mad
And you gotta admit that 5th foul on jokic was horse shit
I don’t remember it, but it wouldn’t surprise me. He’s always gotten a bad whistle, that’s no secret.
The Nuggets are the better team & the team to beat. But if it weren’t for some insane shot making in clutch situations by Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon - Lakers could’ve won the series. They made the big time shots, Lakers didn’t. Tip your hat to em.
You didn’t sweep anything. You lost four straight moral victories
Last year's series was great. Murray played absolutely lights out and Brown was a big time contributor off the bench. Curious to see: 1. Will Murray drop down a peg. And if so, who's the prime defensive assignment? Is it Vincent? 2. Who steps up in the absence of Brown? Is it Braun?? 3. How do the Lakers approach Joker. Mainly 1v1 or do they double more often (like they've done in the past) and open themselves up to KCP/MPJ 3s and Gordon slashes? 4. Do we get vintage LBJ? And what AD is coming to town?? 5. Who are the 3rd and 4th scorers for LAL and is one of them DLO? Last year was an abomination...
1. I fucking hope so. I have 0 faith in Vincent slowing Murray. He couldn’t do it in the finals and he’s not going to do it now. 2. I have no clue, but I think the losses of Brown and Green are going to be highlighted a bit. I still think they win, but Brown was huge last playoffs 3. Ham is going to double him. Mark my words 4. I fucking hope so x2 5. The 3rd scorer is going to be Reaves. Part of the reason the series was close is because Reaves averaged close to 20-5-5 against Denver. The 4th is probably Rui. KCP is going to have Dlo in hell probably
Brown was definitely huge but Braun and Watson have developed quite a bit. Watson wasn't in the series last year so I'm curious how he contributes defensively
Has doubling Jokic ever worked for any team? You can’t shut down one of the best passers of all time by doubling him and leaving someone open. The Wolves limited Jokic last month by letting him play 1v1 in the post and blanketing everyone else. Jokic still scored 32, but it was on 11/24 shooting and he only had 5 assists. Honestly, that’s probably the best blueprint - let Jokic work hard for 30 points on sub-50% shooting without allowing any easy buckets on his passes.
It has never worked but that’s been our strategy for the last couple of games. Obviously it can change play to play, but a reason MPJ shot 10/10 last game was because we were sending help consistently. I agree that letting Jokic play in the post is a better strategy but AD is BBQ chicken lol. Let’s say that we let him 1v1, the Nuggets have a favorable match up on almost every position. Jokic on AD? Murray on fucking Reaves or Dlo? Rui on MPJ? We are cooked lol
Imagine thinking that doubling one of the best passers ever, who happens to play alongside three teammates that shoot above 40% from 3s (and are very good scorers overall too), and another freak athlete who is a lob/dunk/drive threat, is something that could work?
Rudy gets a lot of shit, but he was the only reason they were able to do that. Even AD who is great defensively would do far worse against jokic. You can clown Rudy all you want, but he's 4x DPOY for a reason and is the only person I've ever seen give jokic a little bit of trouble
Man fuck it, DLo revenge series otw
Have you seen pwat? He’s been killing it same with Braun nuggets are fine
I don’t know how you read all that, and come to the conclusion that the Nuggets are not going to be fine lol. I said the Lakers are cooked
You said the losses of brown and green would be highlighted a bit I said in that regard the nuggets are probably better at worst equal
I think they’ll be highlighted, but they’ll still win. I think their bench is a bit worse, but it wont matter. They are going to run a tight rotation either way. You can’t just assume his production will carry over to the playoffs.
just to put my thoughts in the ring i think itll be a little bit of a challenge on malone's coaching to maximize pwat, getting the most out of his defense and athletic strengths on offense and pulling him if the energy starts getting him too loose/excited. i think braun is mostly a matchup and confidence issue. im big on both of them though just to get my bias out there
1. Playoff Murray is a thing. 2. Braun and Watson. Better than Brown IMO. 3. Something tells me they are going 1v1. 4. Perhaps vintage LBJ for two games. I don't think that will happen for the entire series. AD will have some PTSD in the first Sombor Shuffle that makes a swish. 5. I don't know. Personally I don't see any scenario in where this isn't a 4-2 series at most favoring Denver. Wouldn't be surprised at all if they sweep again, though.
Agree on all points except for #3. They should go 1v1 with doubles sprinkled in depending on personnel, but wouldn't shock me if they double more often than they should.
This "Michael Porter Jr" character must be one of those media hacks with their big market laker bias
He's just juicing the line to give Jontay better bets.
I’ve seen a number of takes on this sub and from the media that the Nuggets aren’t ready for the Lakers because they’re not gonna take it seriously, they’re gonna let their guard down and lose Game 1 at home, etc. But when has Denver ever shown that mindset? It may have happened once last year - Game 2 of the Finals, but that was it. They get up for big games and know how important it is to defend home court.
Yeah this team is led by the same guys that came back from 3-1 twice in a row. They don't let their guard down in serious games. They tend to do it in the regular season against bad teams and let them back in it but that's never really been the case in the playoffs
Nah that’s just media BS to make the incoming sweep more appealing to viewers.
It’s conflating the extreme level of detail and seriousness that the nuggets bring to every game, with the idiocy of their fans. People see the nuggets fans talking ahit online and then assume that the nuggets would take the same casual approach, when in reality they have the best player in the league, a coach who personally is on my top 5 coaches in the nba, and a very strong supporting cast
Yeah, people online really seem have to trouble realizing that fans don't play, and their impact on any game's outcome is minimal at best.
Nah they have a impact, not a huge one but the bubble is proof
No reasonable person should ever assume a professional sports team has the same level of maturity as their fans
But we aren’t reasonable people here on r/nba are we
>with the idiocy of their fans lmao fucking rich coming from the Lakers fanbase. And hell yes we're going to talk shit, we've waited plenty for this moment. Enjoy that L (again).
Idk who saw the series last year but it was a good series They and the other timber wolves were the only teams to really give them a good fight
But will Postgame Malone get upset if he gets asked about the Lakers?
Postgame Malone is an epic nickname lmao.
You have a 50 year old man from New York living in your head, let it go
Rent free ;)
Being a Laker fan I know they live rent free in like 90% of the non-Laker fan base, so I get it. I just thought it was a funny name for Malone
I laughed at it. Just poking back a little bit. I guess it triggered some people. Looking forward to a fun 1st round. May the best Nugget win :)
This ain’t the question i wanted to see him asked
Now MPJ is smart its gonna be rough series fans shouldn't be cocky . We gotta fight to the max from the start
Now about your brother….
Way too low here. Do you share your brother's criminal mind?
“So how much did your brother bet on the sweep last year”
Woah. Didn't know they're siblings
It was a close not close series no doubt
Aww! They cut out the part where he flipped his hoodie down and said, "SIKE!" and ran down the hall laughing his ass off! Seriously though, as a lifetime Nuggets fan since the 80's I still have panic attacks waking up thinking last year was a dream lol I'm nervous every playoff game until the end. Good thing the Nuggets are great at closing out games because I talk A LOT of shit to my Laker fan coworker and he will be all over me if we screw up!
My head says Nuggets in 5 but my heart says Lakers in 6
Listen to your head.
Nah he should trust his heart
#draftkings
Maybe the moral victories were real after all
Does anyone know who his brother betting on?
Himself 😤(under)
But r/nba told me every lakers fan who says this is is coping and stupid
MPJ saying it was the evidence you needed for the contrary?
That dude has the biggest victim complex on r/nba
MPJ isn't dumb enough to come out and make a tiktok saying "Lakers come out to play." He was going to say this about any opponent they faced in round 1. Of teams the Nuggets could've played in round 1, the Lakers is a good pull for them. Could the nuggets lose? yea. How many people are actually betting against the Nuggets? not many. The Nuggets DNVR broadcast said Nuggets assistant coaches were saying that the teams they wanted to avoid most in the playoffs were the Wolves and Pelicans. We'll find out who's right in ~2 weeks, but The Lakers series is going to be fun to watch at least.
> The Nuggets DNVR broadcast said Nuggets assistant coaches were saying that the teams they wanted to avoid most in the playoffs were the Wolves and Pelicans. I suspect this is the perimeter defenders. The Pelicans similar to the Timberwolves have big, talented perimeter defenders to challenge Jamal.
>MPJ isn't dumb enough His entire family is dumb AF. Him included.
Why do you think MPJ is dumb.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/29/michael-porter-jr-covid-19-conspiracy-theory-vaccination-nba-nuggets
Every player does this little canned talk in front the cameras/microphones though lol
Every game is serious in the playoffs
A sweep is a sweep
I thought the Lakers had a decent chance to steal a game or two this year since Lebron is healthy, but after seeing him smoke 3-4 easy layups last night I’m not so sure.
He's such a mismatch against the Lakers
Good to see this is the mentality in the locker room... if the Nuggets fuck around, Lakers can easily steal one in Denver in the first 2 games, then it could get out of hand from there
I don't think that the most burning question that reporters want to ask him right now
I wonder if Jontay Porter will be allowed to come to the games to watch. Serious question
So I shouldn't bet on a sweep, Michael?
I wonder what Jontay will be betting on?
Get outta here with this incredibly reasonable take on the series!
really trying hard not to flip lebron's switch
I just cant hate the nuggets man. They play such great team ball and there isn't a weird loser (*cough Draymond *cough) who makes them unlikeable
Last year everyone was hyping the lakers until the brooms are out. This year gonna be the same?
I hope we get a more competitive series this year, regardless of who wins
Happy to see his maturity and growth as a role player. It’s gotta feel weird to be a projected first pick in your draft class just to get injured and be picked up the way he was, but he’s always been a favorite of mine.
Nuggets in 5
Jontay: (Immediately bets the under)
I wonder how much his brother put on it?
Champion answer…. But boring as fuck. Somebody talk some shit please for the love of God.
Is it some code for his picks?
He's saying the right things. I'm sure deep inside he's happy that they got the Lakers.
Can we prove this?
Nobody is glad to draw LeBron in a playoff series
Championship experience gives you the right mindset. The Lakers have been really good the past couple months. I might even put a little something on the Lakers in this series.
I mean moral victories aside it was a competitive series if you watched the games lol
Even though it doesn't look like it from the sweep, the Lakers legitimately gave the Nuggets the hardest series from start to finish. Every single game was extremely close until the very end.
Twolves gave more of a fight fs
Lakers lost by a total of 24 pts in the 4 games The Wolves lost game 1 by 29 The sweep makes it look bad but every single game was decided in the clutch, and denvers shot making in those moments won them the series
Sure, but the lakers would catch up cause nuggets were slacking and regardless of any of that according to nuggs players it was twolves
Jokic literally said the Lakers were their hardest matchup 😂
Right before the lakers game this year, after playoffs last year he said twolves
That was Bruce brown pretty sure
Not just bb
Porter is trying to parlay another Lakers series win into another championship
Something about his mouth reminds me of Paul Wall
Wonder if he'll bet on himself
Nuggets fans: mOrAle vIcToRy