Yea. Unfortunately Jamal was injured all playoffs and MPJ was going through some terrible family issues, I think that took away his mental focus in the last series. Hope he can get back because he had a fantastic season shooting.
As Olympics participants, Jokic and Murray need to be careful the rest of the offseason so they can rest and recover, and the front office needs to upgrade guard and wing positions.
@@johnbrock8216 I don't think so, Celtics don't have a proper plan to contain jokics offense like the wolves did. He'd be way more effective against Horford and porzingis, getting easy shots for roleplayers. Horford also is very inconsistent with his three ball, meaning they'd have to choose between really bad defense on jokic with porzingis, and someone who jokic wouldn't have to guard in Horford.
I really hate how people can’t think critically when they say this stuff. Their style of play, attitude and charisma, their competitiveness is literally why they do the comparison.They are like the same person lmfao. Like think just a little bit bro they aren’t saying he’s the goat of the league already man.
They gotta make their money. But the media will look to anything to not talk about the Celtics for too long. If it would have been Bron and the Lakers that won you wouldn't be able to stop them from talking about them.
they dont have starters either , who cares if muray can drop 30 if he does it once in a 2 years, and also trade mpj out of denver even for free just to get rid of him. al of their starters beside jokic are all overpaid relying on jokic to get them some free buckets and extend their contacts
No point in making these predictions. THis years playoffs in the west showed it's not about who the best team is, it's about who the matchup benefits. Minnesota was a bad matchup for Dallas, if it was Denver/Dallas, Denver likely would have won. If Dallas faced the pacers in the finals, Dallas would have won. It's all luck of the draw with the matchups.
No point in making predictions because its unpredictable ur right nobody should ever pick one team over another unless its the 2017 warriors vs blazers because its gonna be the end of their career if they make their 500th wrong prediction of the year on tv
“If Charlotte played nobody in the finals because the opposing teams planes all crashed on the way they would just win the chip its just luck of the draw”
Nuggets need another scorer. They need another guy who's a certified bucket getter. The Wolves held them to 70 and 90 points in the last two playoff games.
Yall do realize this current Maverick roster has only been togther for like 4 or 5 months right? And they still made the finals. They will only get better with the offseason additions to the team. I expect them to be the tean to beat especially if they add a 3rd option and 6th man. That's all they need.
Kyrie and Luka will always be serious defensive problems and targeted. That is two big targets to go after that is difficult for them to overcome and compensate for with a team that can exploit those two. Luka in particular with his lack of defensive communication and effort.
Dallas’ kryptonite was going up against a team where all 5 starters were elite defenders. That won’t be easy to replicate across the league. I think with more time together, Luka will learn how to integrate his teammates into the offense a lot better. I can also see PJ Washington developing into being a solid 3rd option
That's what the Lakers thought last year after making the western conference finals. It'll be harder when teams can prepare for you and know you won the west last year. I like their chances though if they can get a deeper bench.
How is antman mj again? How is haslem still talking after anthony’s dissapearing act from late in the nuggets series on? C’mon, wolves won because they were deeper and joki played 47min in that insane 7th game. Nuggets failed jokic. Murray injured (again), mpj trash (again), and kcp, gordon disappeared and withered away.
Honestly if they don’t blow a 21 pt lead at home in game 7, they match up much better against Dallas in the next round and make the finals more than likely.
Of course you can't sleep on the Nuggets. They'll be a force for a while. The West is loaded. Look for the Lakers to miss the playoffs again , with or w/o LBJ.
What what what?!?!? We're not talking about who's going to win the "ExCiTiNg" Mid-season tournament? Or how about the all star game. Oh that's right, because most of the NBA season is embarrassing...
I cannot understand how the MJ comparison even got off ground. Ant man is SO FAR away from MJ. Bag wise, mindset wise, personality wise, college career wise, efficiency wise, work ethic wise. Everything is different except they are both black and athletic. Even Dwade was a lot similar to MJ than Ant, and Wade was very different too. Just an all around weird and forced comparison.
@@Valorant_Dem0n97 so is paul george, jaylen brown, kawhi, butler, and a bunch of other guys. All these guys play better defense too. Ant is like their 4th best defender
Part of it is that people think he actually IS Michael Jordan’s son. Same thing with Jimmy Butler lol. It’s a conspiracy theory but look it up lol, it’s been covered.
idk much bout cap space an all that but hypothetically if kcp leaves can the nuggets go after pg 13 cuz he has the same defense tenacity but a higher offensive ceiling i think theyd be unstoppable with pg there
As long as they don't face the Wolves, they'll have a chance. Thing is, almost every team in the west got better, be it through health, experience, coaching, etc.... Some teams will fall off, but unfortunately for the Nuggets, if they face the Wolves again, they'd lose again, so as long as the can avoid the Wolves, they'll have a chance. Unless a team in the West breaks the game, ala KD to the Warriors, the west won't change too much this year. The biggest threat to the west is Lebron and what he decides to do, if he stays with the Lakers, then it doesn't matter, but if he moves, especially to a team in the west, then that will make shake up the west.
People are behaving like Nuggs didn't win last year's series against the Wolves with KAT, ANT, and Gobert, and like this year it hasn't been in close 7 games. 😔 Ok, Wolves got more help in Reed, etc., but Nuggs lost Brown and Green from the bench + Murray played "on one leg" the whole POFFs. Be real! Wolves ARE the toughest opponents for Denver, BUT they are beatable, as proven last year.
People are behaving like Nuggs didn't win last year's series against the Wolves with KAT, ANT, and Gobert, and like this year it hasn't been in close 7 games. 😔 Ok, Wolves got more help in Reed, etc., but Nuggs lost Brown and Green from the bench + Murray played "on one leg" the whole POFFs. Be real! Wolves ARE the toughest opponents for Denver, BUT they are beatable, as proven last year.
Jus like last Season Mavs beat both them teams without training camp less time together team put together at trade deadline n still get no respect Nuggs lost to Wolves we beat 4-1 is crazy lol smh
Jamal Murray has to be healthy for the nuggets to win! The Antman needs time and a good team, it’s Minnesota, they have to get Gobert swapped out for a more confident middle-man. Kat should stay because AntMan wants him there. Don’t believe the Mavs will be back. Ja Morant’s team won’t make it out either, it’s too disorganized and too much controversy.
The Mavs disrespect is insane. Luka totally dismantled Edwards and the Wolves who themselves gave Denver a country beat down. Luka also beat the Thunder. To have those teams that were literally just beaten above the Mavs is ludicrous. ESPN keeps glazing Anthony Edwards, SGA and Jokic and give no respect to Luka. Even playing so injured he was better than both Tatum and Brown. He didn't get enough help but the dude is the MVP.
@@erikphelan7508 Yeah they beat 3 50+ win teams they faced with their stars at 100% while the Celtics steam rolled through only weakened teams with injured best players.
@@adamstewart247 yeah don’t get me wrong in the end. The Celtics were just a overall better team but no one and I repeat no one expected the Mavericks to make it to the finals and honestly two of those games could’ve gone either way so I think with Luca working on his athleticism and then adding one or two more pieces they have a very good shot of winning the title
@@adamstewart247that’s what happens when you are the 1 seed with the best record in the NBA. The 1 seed doesn’t play the 2 seed in the first round, they play the 8th seed. I don’t think you understand how the playoff seeding works. When you dominate the regular season, it makes the playoffs an easier path because you play the 8th seed in round one.
Interesting choices they made, but I wouldn't guess a team to come out of the west next season until after the NBA free agency moves are complete. As for Denver, they better upgrade their bench this off-season if they want to make it back to the NBA finals. I believe that costed them the series vs. Minnesota in the 2nd round of the 2024 Nba playoffs.
The Nuggets have the best player. They should be the favorites. The Mavs overachieved. We know that now. It was matchup aided for both them and the Nuggets. If the Nuggets can re-fortify that bench of theirs, they're going to go back to the NBA Finals
Funny WEST this year! Minnesota was toughest for Denver (same as big) but easy for Dallas (too small because they must be tall for Denver) while toughest for Dallas would be Denver (excellent back court defense in KCP, Gordon, and Brown) as same for Boston (no answer for Jokic, generally size of Nuggets) :))
This is why I won’t ever take these ESPN analyst seriously. In Luka’s last 2 playoff appearances he took his team to the conference finals and NBA finals. Dallas also beat the #1 seed both times. Dallas is a bad matchup for every team in west because none of them have the range like Boston to matchup against Luka/Kyrie, and they’re only going to get better. Their bias against him is ignoring history. If Dallas can get a legit 3rd option it’s game over
I disagree cuz Jokic is playing with subpar supporting cast If he isnt all time great they cant win Cuz Murray is hot/cold and others are waaay to inconsistant
i would say they are the favorite with some retooling this offseason. Unless Chet takes some huge leap. Jalen Williams was a 3 year college guy, he already hit his prime this season and isn't better than Jamal Murray.
I can see nuggets being the favorites to come out of west, teams like timberwolves and suns match up against them well, overall, i think they would blown by dallas this year though!, and would have definitely given a better finals show against celtics!
For gods sake, its staring you in the face: TRADE MPJ! And thats why they’ll lose AGAIN and waste jokic. Hate the nuggets man… the minute the Srbin leaves, im out. Trash team before him, and they’ll be trash after him. Hate the nuggets and the stupid suits in the upstairs offices.
The media love affair with the Nuggets the past couple seasons is ridiculous. They didn't even beat a 50 win team during their Finals run, so it's not like they're this dominant team.
But we can use a similar excuse with the Celtics. Nobody was healthy vs the Celtics. Even the Mavs, Luka was banged up. All they can do is play who is in front of them. Not the Nuggets fault that the 50 win teams dropped out early.
they beat whoever was in front of them, the only other team in the west that had 50 wins was the grizzlies and they got knocked out by the lakers so...
Being 30 and 29 are about the years you are in your prime in the NBA. Nugget found their core with Murray, MPJ, AG, and Jokic. You're just mad the Nuggets will still be relevant for years to come.
Ppl complaining about Nuggets being favored by media although they didn't even make the Conference Finals should chill. This is what happens when your team has the widely accepted best player in the world. And if that player has a competent squad, that team will always be favored going into the following year. This happened with Lebron year after year when he was the vest player in the world. His team's might not have been #1 odds on team to make the NBA finals and win it all, but they were always top 2-3.
Nuggets will come back stronger but we waitin to see if Lebron and Bronny are on the Mavs and whatever pieces to make them challengers to Boston Boston still have the Bucks to Worry about in the east.
Boston will draft Bronny becuause they have an earlier pick than the Lakers. Then Celtics will extort the Lakers into giving up way too much to get Bronny in a trade so he can play with his dad. This is going to be interesting lol.
No way the Nuggets are favorites again LOL. No young improving players and they've only made the finals 1 time with all players already on their prime. ESPN just riding them hard just because Jokic got another undeserved MVP
As is now. No roster changes or anything. The Wolves would be the best team. Fatigue and brain farts are what caused them to lose the west this year. HOWEVER with potential trades and coaching change I am rolling with the Lakers.
So Nuggets No Benches Help and Wolves no Experience Help Okc To Young For the League Lakers to Old for T.V Ratings and Mavericks Lukas Health insurance So Nextdoor Wemby 😂😂😂
I hope you’re right remember they have been the only team other than the five previous other teams to have won the NBA title the year after the Celtics won it and besides they’ve had done it in four different occasions in 82,85,87 and 2009 and hopefully I hope they win it in memory of the late Jerry West RIP
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