Is this the greatest western conference ever?

[leolozon]

I’m not sure that only looking at wins is a complete way to look at it.

For exemple, in 2008, the 48-win Warriors were lead by Davis and Ellis… I’ll take Luka and Kyrie or Durant and Booker or Sabonis and Fox.

The Rockets got to 55 wins with Yao playing 55 games. McGrady played 66 and was inefficient (.487 TS%).

[JDR720]

There's no point discussing because Jokic stans will say every past example doesn't count for one reason or another. The only thing to do is to wait for the playoffs. The proof will hopefully be in the pudding.

That last sentence basically outed yourself. You want Jokic to fail. Which is the entire foundation of your view that he'll be exposed, it isn't based on anything other than what you want to happen. This is basically what people do/used to do with LeBron.

Weren't you or somebody else doing this same thing last season too? There were multiple "Jokic exposed" threads... and then he won a title and after the Lakers totally figured him out in the Conference Finals.

[jkvonny]

There's no point discussing because Jokic stans will say every past example doesn't count for one reason or another. The only thing to do is to wait for the playoffs. The proof will hopefully be in the pudding.

The Nuggets.....the Denver Nuggets. Won an NBA championship last season. Out of all the playoff teams last season, won an NBA championship! Not even a big market franchise and mostly unsuccessful in the past. These guys won the NBA championship last season! They weren't even the favorites to get out of the West, very underrated, esp by the national media.

Be honest with yourself. 3, 5, 10 , 20 years ago, would you have thought that the Denver effin Nuggets would have even won an NBA title?? Let alone with a somewhat chunky , European being a main piece playing center?

Quit being silly, man. What are you doing here? You've been ragging on the Nuggets and Jokic all day long over here.
You completely derailed this thread with your nonsense and opinions. What are you trying to accomplish here?

[BelgradeNugget]

To hear posters like the one above you injuries only count for the Nuggets.

Jokic having a weakness doesn't mean teams who play to that weakness are able to overcome it. Hopefully this playoffs we get more info.

Here is more info. If only teams would put Jokic through pick and rolls more. Expose him!!

Read on Twitter

.

Yeah this isn't any kind of gotcha. Its not the screener that will light him up, but the ballhandler half of the PNR duo. Guys like Irving/James in the past. When Jokic has to drop in coverage, Irving can just shoot at will or drive by and torch them. And when you think its not on Jokic to stop the guard, well it is, if he could hedge he could slow him down just enough, but he can't. Because there's no way he likely is quick enough to hedge and if he does, he doesn't recover from hedging.

Its not everyday players that are the problem, its elite PNR ballhandlers that give slower centres fits.

I don't like answering this kind of posts because usually it is not worth it, but when somebody says something so wrong I must react. One_and_Done is Jokic's hater who is trolling, but you are trying to sound as knowledgeable poster. So before commenting on the way Nuggets play defense maybe you should start watching them play?

Hedging hard and then trapping the best ballhandlers/shooters is exactly the way the Nuggets defend pnr with rotations and closeouts behind. They play drop against not so good shooters letting them shoot midrange shots. So what is the result?

Steph Curry - 26.7 on 44.9/40.3
Against Nuggets - 22.8 on 37.5/31.3

Damian Lillard - 24.5 on 42.5/35.7
Against Nuggets - 18 on 39.3/44.4

Kyrie Irving - 25.3 on 49.1/40.7
Against Nuggets - 23 on 47.4/31.1

But yes Jokic is going to get exposed in POs because he will be put in 1.000.000 pnr's and he can't guard in pnr and they don't hedge...

EDIT: one more thing. This is not Fewest points allowed per pick as the big defender (guarding the screener) FROM SCREENER this season like you are implying. It is Fewest points allowed PER PICK with these players involved as the ones guarding the man setting screen at the start of play.

[One_and_Done]

The funny thing is I think the league in recent years is as strong as it's ever been, and that Jokic is an easy to like top 20-25 type player who will eventually be top 15ish.

His fans have gotten so extreme that daring to suggest he's not a GOAT level player, or that he has weaknesses, now constitutes hating. In other radical takes I think Duncan and Lebron were better players than him too.

[hardenASG13]

Since there is only one established team in the West, Denver, I'd say no, it's not the strongest western conference ever. It's actually pretty weak compared to most of the 2000's.

[brackdan70]

Some early 90s years were pretty solid. Hakeem’s Rockets, Robinsons spurs, Brakleys Suns, the Lake show, and the Blazers with Drexler.

[MrGoat]

Not even close. It's better than last year though, last year was actually one of the weakest Wests in 4 decades. In 2008 and 2010 the 8 seeds in the West had 50 wins

[Goomba3666]

Not even close. Those of us who have been watching Western Conference hoops for a while know what’s up.

It's definitely the deepest it's ever been, and it's not even close. Now, is that the best ever top 2, the best ever top 3, or the best ever top 4? Obviously not, but it's the deepens it's ever been. Which one you weigh more? I would probably weigh the top-end talent more either, just because you have to go through those anyway.

The records are a bit misleading, in my opinion. Outside of the Nuggets, I don't trust ANY of these teams. Just depends on your definition of deeper. Outside of the Nuggets, All of these teams would get swept by the 2017-2018 Houston Rockets, for example. I don't see any of them beating the 06-08' Mavericks, Suns, or Spurs.

Most of them just look unreiable.

[AleksandarN]

The funny thing is I think the league in recent years is as strong as it's ever been, and that Jokic is an easy to like top 20-25 type player who will eventually be top 15ish.

His fans have gotten so extreme that daring to suggest he's not a GOAT level player, or that he has weaknesses, now constitutes hating. In other radical takes I think Duncan and Lebron were better players than him too.

Moving the goalposts yet again. No one said didn’t have a weakness. You are the saying he would get exposed and fail in the playoffs. Totally different. Then implied posters that like Jokic because he was white. Totally disgusting comment by the way.

[HMFFL]

The only real contender that I see in the West is Denver.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Johnny Bball]

Here is more info. If only teams would put Jokic through pick and rolls more. Expose him!!

Read on Twitter

.

Yeah this isn't any kind of gotcha. Its not the screener that will light him up, but the ballhandler half of the PNR duo. Guys like Irving/James in the past. When Jokic has to drop in coverage, Irving can just shoot at will or drive by and torch them. And when you think its not on Jokic to stop the guard, well it is, if he could hedge he could slow him down just enough, but he can't. Because there's no way he likely is quick enough to hedge and if he does, he doesn't recover from hedging.

Its not everyday players that are the problem, its elite PNR ballhandlers that give slower centres fits.

I don't like answering this kind of posts because usually it is not worth it, but when somebody says something so wrong I must react. One_and_Done is Jokic's hater who is trolling, but you are trying to sound as knowledgeable poster. So before commenting on the way Nuggets play defense maybe you should start watching them play?

Hedging hard and then trapping the best ballhandlers/shooters is exactly the way the Nuggets defend pnr with rotations and closeouts behind. They play drop against not so good shooters letting them shoot midrange shots. So what is the result?

Steph Curry - 26.7 on 44.9/40.3
Against Nuggets - 22.8 on 37.5/31.3

Damian Lillard - 24.5 on 42.5/35.7
Against Nuggets - 18 on 39.3/44.4

Kyrie Irving - 25.3 on 49.1/40.7
Against Nuggets - 23 on 47.4/31.1

But yes Jokic is going to get exposed in POs because he will be put in 1.000.000 pnr's and he can't guard in pnr and they don't hedge...

EDIT: one more thing. This is not Fewest points allowed per pick as the big defender (guarding the screener) FROM SCREENER this season like you are implying. It is Fewest points allowed PER PICK with these players involved as the ones guarding the man setting screen at the start of play.

You gotta be kidding when you are telling me that jokic is hedging most PNRs. Please. Denver isn't trapping and hedging with Jokic and if they did it would be against one hell of a sad screener.

And yeah I get it, that's why the elite part was important to it as is not getting switched onto the guard. But stan away like you have this entire thread when you perceive anything as slightly insulting to Jokic when its just fact and information.

[Dan1970]

No.

I would go with 2007-08.

All 8 playoff teams at 50+ wins.
Lakers 57-25 Bryant / Gasol
Hornets 56-26 Chris Paul / West
Spurs 56-26 Duncan / Ginóbili
Suns 55-27 Nash / Stoudemire
Rockets 55-27 McGrady / Ming
Utah - 54-28 Williams / Boozer
Mavericks- 51-31 Nowitzki / Howard
Nuggets 50-32 - Anthony / Iverson


Missed:
Warriors 48-34 Jackson / Davis
Jackson 41-41 Roy / Aldridge

[Johnny Firpo]

The funny thing is I think the league in recent years is as strong as it's ever been, and that Jokic is an easy to like top 20-25 type player who will eventually be top 15ish.

His fans have gotten so extreme that daring to suggest he's not a GOAT level player, or that he has weaknesses, now constitutes hating. In other radical takes I think Duncan and Lebron were better players than him too.

Dude, you just suggested that people like him because he is white. Don't backtrack on us now.

[BelgradeNugget]

.

Yeah this isn't any kind of gotcha. Its not the screener that will light him up, but the ballhandler half of the PNR duo. Guys like Irving/James in the past. When Jokic has to drop in coverage, Irving can just shoot at will or drive by and torch them. And when you think its not on Jokic to stop the guard, well it is, if he could hedge he could slow him down just enough, but he can't. Because there's no way he likely is quick enough to hedge and if he does, he doesn't recover from hedging.

Its not everyday players that are the problem, its elite PNR ballhandlers that give slower centres fits.

I don't like answering this kind of posts because usually it is not worth it, but when somebody says something so wrong I must react. One_and_Done is Jokic's hater who is trolling, but you are trying to sound as knowledgeable poster. So before commenting on the way Nuggets play defense maybe you should start watching them play?

Hedging hard and then trapping the best ballhandlers/shooters is exactly the way the Nuggets defend pnr with rotations and closeouts behind. They play drop against not so good shooters letting them shoot midrange shots. So what is the result?

Steph Curry - 26.7 on 44.9/40.3
Against Nuggets - 22.8 on 37.5/31.3

Damian Lillard - 24.5 on 42.5/35.7
Against Nuggets - 18 on 39.3/44.4

Kyrie Irving - 25.3 on 49.1/40.7
Against Nuggets - 23 on 47.4/31.1

But yes Jokic is going to get exposed in POs because he will be put in 1.000.000 pnr's and he can't guard in pnr and they don't hedge...

EDIT: one more thing. This is not Fewest points allowed per pick as the big defender (guarding the screener) FROM SCREENER this season like you are implying. It is Fewest points allowed PER PICK with these players involved as the ones guarding the man setting screen at the start of play.

You gotta be kidding when you are telling me that jokic is hedging most PNRs. Please. Denver isn't trapping and hedging with Jokic and if they did it would be against one hell of a sad screener.

And yeah I get it, that's why the elite part was important to it as is not getting switched onto the guard. But stan away like you have this entire thread when you perceive anything as slightly insulting to Jokic when its just fact and information.

Facts and informations are provided from people who know what they are talking about. Like me when I'm talking about Nuggets. Or you whan you are talking about Raptors I guess. I'm not pretending I know enough about Raptors to try to write something smarth about them. You should stop pretending you know enough about Nuggets defense because you don't. And this is not about me trying to protect Nuggets or Jokic is just me trying to protect facts.
So yes Nuggets with Jokic are hedging most PNRs. Time to learn, you will hear word headge 20 times in this anyalisys.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

;t=72s

Watch on YouTube

[Johnny Firpo]

Nowinski

Hope that's a typo.

[dickfox]

I hear what you're saying but I think Steph's Warriors and LeBron's Lakers being in 9th and 10th give it the illusion that it's the greatest because those legends aren't even in the top 8 but one of them could sneak in if they do well in the play-in.

[Harry Palmer]

94-95 Western Conference also had 8 40+ teams but that included 4 teams at 57 or higher, none of which were the champs. 3 teams playing .720 or better (,756, .732, .720) another at .695.

[Godymas]

Denver Nuggets - Jokic will be in the HoF
OKC Thunder - SGA/Chet/JDub all have potential, but SGA is more on the path
Minnesota Timberwolves - Gobert will be in the HoF, KAT and Ant have potential
LAC - Kawhi/Harden/PG/WB will be in the HoF
New Orleans Pelicans - Zion has potential to be in the HoF
Dallas Mavericks - Luka and Kyrie are HoFers
Sacramento Kings - Sabonis is on a HoF path
Phoenix Suns - KD is a HoFer, Book
Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron and AD are HoFers
Golden State - Steph Curry and Draymond Green are HoFers

I think when it's all said and done this current Western conference will have 21 HoFers in the top 10 seeds really how often has that happened?

[Harry Palmer]

Denver Nuggets - Jokic will be in the HoF
OKC Thunder - SGA/Chet/JDub all have potential, but SGA is more on the path
Minnesota Timberwolves - Gobert will be in the HoF, KAT and Ant have potential
LAC - Kawhi/Harden/PG/WB will be in the HoF
New Orleans Pelicans - Zion has potential to be in the HoF
Dallas Mavericks - Luka and Kyrie are HoFers
Sacramento Kings - Sabonis is on a HoF path
Phoenix Suns - KD is a HoFer, Book
Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron and AD are HoFers
Golden State - Steph Curry and Draymond Green are HoFers

I think when it's all said and done this current Western conference will have 21 HoFers in the top 10 seeds really how often has that happened?

Well, not going to look up examples because obviously any list that includes young players ‘on a HOF pace/potential’ will be much larger than ones that already know how many of those did/did not pan out.