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michaelm wrote:

Gusto1903 wrote:

RoyceDa59 wrote:He’s probably referring to having to beat, in order, an 8th seed, 4th seed, 7th seed and 8th seed to win it all.

Yeah but these 8th, 4th, 7th and 8th seeds beat the "real contenders" on their path. So maybe those werent that easy to play.

Yes. The Lakers with their late season roster changes were much better than they had been for most of the regular season.

They were...but maybe the bucks would have been better had GIannis not gotten hurt?

If Miami plays them again, they'll beat them.

This isn't the Warriors with KD.

Nuggets aren't unstoppable.

cjx wrote:My sources tell me that Kelly P Oubre Jr could be the Nuggets' new 6th man, following in Bruce BB Gun Brown's footsteps

Nuggets will repeat quite easily , just get Jokic out of Serbia already , party have to stop now

3 or 4 is a stretch. The league adapts, and players get injured. I do see them winning at least one more with this core group.

I still think the Nuggets are winning it again next year.

zimpy27 wrote:I would not bet on Nuggets to win..


They looked like they had next after 19-20 but it took 3 seasons to have a healthy team in the playoffs.

They have bigger health issues than people give credit. And they got slightly worse in offseason while a few other contenders got better.

If they get a healthy team in the playoffs then the odds change. I would not bet on Lakers either.

Well nobody thinks the Lakers have a chance besides the brain-dead media. Nuggets still need to be faves to repeat.

CpttCanada wrote:

zimpy27 wrote:I would not bet on Nuggets to win..


They looked like they had next after 19-20 but it took 3 seasons to have a healthy team in the playoffs.

They have bigger health issues than people give credit. And they got slightly worse in offseason while a few other contenders got better.

If they get a healthy team in the playoffs then the odds change. I would not bet on Lakers either.

Well nobody thinks the Lakers have a chance besides the brain-dead media. Nuggets still need to be faves to repeat.

Lakers have a chance. Not a better odd than their vet price though

ShootersShoot wrote:

UglyBugBall wrote:

MavsDirk41 wrote:

I love the Mavs but they are not contenders. They barely improved during the summer (Grant Williams and Curry) and i dont trust Irving to stay healthy and to mesh with Luka. Phoenix has no depth and Durant and Beal have issues staying healthy. James is old/cant stay healthy and Davis is injury prone as well. Denver lacks depth but they have the best player in the league in Joker, a great #2 in the back court (Murray) and some good pieces in Gordon, Porter, and KCP. The west is theirs to lose.

Dallas improved more than any team this off season; Lively, Exum, Grant, Curry, DJJ. They basically got 5 starters worth of talent there. Then you have Hardy and Green another year better.

They are the deepest team in the West right now.

Those five players you named started 30 games total last season. If we remove grant williams, curry/DJJ/Exum started 7 games total. Exum has not played in the league in basically three seasons. Lively is a 19 year old rookie. None of those guys except MAYBE grant williams is currently starting caliber, although I do think both he and seth will be reliable rotation guys.

I dont think Seth will be part of the rotation actually. Exum played extremely well in Europe. He'll get more minutes than Curry. Lively is a rookie but a big upgrade for at C nonetheless and will be starting. Grant is a massive upgrade. Hardy and Green have more experience. DJJ gives us an extra wing defender. The point is this team has upgraded significantly at multiple positions, while getting weaker at none. We have way more depth than before. Curry will be a 9th man on this team.

Lost Angel wrote:the Nuggets are awfully proud of sweeping a team that was together for only a few months…

no chance that happens again, Lakers in 6 this time around.

I think you are on to something

Only a LeBron led Celtics/ Warriors/Suns

AleksandarN wrote:

Lost Angel wrote:the Nuggets are awfully proud of sweeping a team that was together for only a few months…

no chance that happens again, Lakers in 6 this time around.

I think you are on to something

If it wasn’t for that pesky buzzer beater in game 2, then I would’ve been right lol

But at least we didn’t get swept this time

Lost Angel wrote:

AleksandarN wrote:

Lost Angel wrote:the Nuggets are awfully proud of sweeping a team that was together for only a few months…

no chance that happens again, Lakers in 6 this time around.

I think you are on to something

If it wasn’t for that pesky buzzer beater in game 2, then I would’ve been right lol

But at least we didn’t get swept this time

You do realize the game was tied when Murray hit that shot, right? Lakers fans acting like they had that game won, but they would have probably lost in overtime.

BigGargamel wrote:

Lost Angel wrote:

AleksandarN wrote:I think you are on to something

If it wasn’t for that pesky buzzer beater in game 2, then I would’ve been right lol

But at least we didn’t get swept this time

You do realize the game was tied when Murray hit that shot, right? Lakers fans acting like they had that game won, but they would have probably lost in overtime.

yes I do and I also realise we’re getting our asses kicked by Denver the past two years.

I don't think anyone even mentioned the biggest threats to them except Boston in this entire thread because they were all surprise teams: OKC, Minnesota, Dallas.

I'm considering them overhyped until they run through that gauntlet. If they win this championship, you got me.

Last year they beat two 8 seeds a 7 seed and a 4 seed. By seeding that was the easiest path ever to a title.

ChipotleWest wrote:I don't think anyone even mentioned the biggest threats to them except Boston in this entire thread because they were all surprise teams: OKC, Minnesota, Dallas.

I'm considering them overhyped until they run through that gauntlet. If they win this championship, you got me.

Last year they beat two 8 seeds a 7 seed and a 4 seed. By seeding that was the easiest path ever to a title.

What makes Thunder/Wolves/Mavs that much better than Wolves/Suns/Lakers?

The Nuggets didn't win, they dominated. No team in the NBA was going to beat them in a 7 game series.

BigGargamel wrote:

ChipotleWest wrote:I don't think anyone even mentioned the biggest threats to them except Boston in this entire thread because they were all surprise teams: OKC, Minnesota, Dallas.

I'm considering them overhyped until they run through that gauntlet. If they win this championship, you got me.

Last year they beat two 8 seeds a 7 seed and a 4 seed. By seeding that was the easiest path ever to a title.

What makes Thunder/Wolves/Mavs that much better than Wolves/Suns/Lakers?

The Nuggets didn't win, they dominated. No team in the NBA was going to beat them in a 7 game series.

Wolves were missing 2 key players no McDaniels no Reid, the Suns I just LOL at that and Durant was hobbled, with an added Beal they're down 3-0 to the Wolves right now. Lakers are the same Lakers Lebron is old. Then you got the Heat who is Butler or bust. Your run has been completely overhyped. All they have to do to live up to the hype is win this one. Since you claim these teams are nothing that should be no problem at all. You lost a couple of role players from last year as well, no excuses though.

Other than the Wolves who I just mentioned had key injuries, you got to face old stars: 34 year old Durant (achilles tear), Lebron (38), and Butler (33). This year you get Wolves at full strength with Ant (22), Mavs with Luka (25), OKC with SGA (25), and likely Boston with Tatum (26). Totally different deal this year. A real fan would accept the challenge.

BelgradeNugget wrote:

DonaldSanders wrote:- The Twolves were missing Naz Reid and McDaniels, both who would have been big for the Twolves in that series

- Naz Reid wouldn't even play because in the playoffs teams shorten rotation and their 3 best bigs were KAT, Gobert and SloMo. Is McDaniels a difference between losing in the 1st round easily and winning it all?

Well, it seems like Naz Reid and McDaniels are integral part of the wolf pack, don't you think?

BigGargamel wrote:

ChipotleWest wrote:I don't think anyone even mentioned the biggest threats to them except Boston in this entire thread because they were all surprise teams: OKC, Minnesota, Dallas.

I'm considering them overhyped until they run through that gauntlet. If they win this championship, you got me.

Last year they beat two 8 seeds a 7 seed and a 4 seed. By seeding that was the easiest path ever to a title.

What makes Thunder/Wolves/Mavs that much better than Wolves/Suns/Lakers?

The Nuggets didn't win, they dominated. No team in the NBA was going to beat them in a 7 game series.

We're about to find out, important Game 3 later tonight against the undefeated Wolves in Minnesota.

NZB2323 wrote:

One_and_Done wrote:Plenty of teams since the Nuggets have become tremendously overrated.

They are statistically the 2nd least impressive champion in the last 25 years, after the 06 Heat. They're a fine team, but this was a down year for the top of the league. I like the Suns or Bucks over them if they're healthy, and I wouldn't be shocked by them losing in the 2nd round to the Warriors or Mavs or Lakers (assuming Lebron is healthy).

What stats are you using that makes them the 2nd least impressive champion in the past 25 years?

2nd round out is looking like a solid take right now.