2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #4 Denver Nuggets (OKC WINS 4-3)

[Castle Black]

Read on Twitter

I've seen this posted so many times, and its dishonest without including games played, since it's raw totals. Jokic has played 14 playoff games, which is 2-3 more than anyone else. Jokic is not even top 10 in points per game in these playoffs. He doesn't lead any of these other categories per game either.

Jokic has earned the best player in the league title and I don't think he did anything to take that away, but the stat-hunting to justify it feels like a "lady doth protest too much" ordeal.

It's the same as people who said Jokic has never played with an all star, It's a disingenous arguement not made on good faith. Do Jokic stands prefer he played with De'Angelo Russsell instead of Murray during the title run year? Most likely, they don't have a title if you replace Jamal Murray with All Stars DLO or Chris kaman. Or how about All star Carlos Boozer?

Jokic is a great player, and the best player today. But these arguments are grasping at straws to try to make him into something he's not when he's losing.

Murray playing 2 Playoff series at a high level 2 years doesn't make him an All-Star. That should go without saying. He played well (well above his means honestly) and deserves a lot of credit for those performances, and he's gotten that credit. Just like he deserves a lot of blame for underperforming mightily the past 2 years straight. And that's just offensively. We're not even mentioning the fact that he's one of the worst defensive guards in the NBA.

Bottom line is Joker's supporting cast is the weakest a generational Superstar has had since 2007 Lebron. No shooting and no defensive pieces around him. Denver is very likely lottery team without Jokic. Of course he has his flaws too, he's not a perfect player by any means. But the guy is hands-down the best basketball player in the world right now and he literally can't even take a 2-minute breather on the bench without his team falling off a cliff. It's the same story every single game. The fact this series even went 7 games is a miracle in itself.

Read on Twitter

[Prophet_tt]

Good job OKC. Hope this goes a long way to prove Jokic isn't that guy. Locked up by Caruso haha, pitiful. His record vs elite teams in the playoffs is terrible and regardless of his teammates he was in a game 7 and couldn't deliver the goods. That's a fact.

It took y’all 7 games AND Scott Foster to defeat a team with no bench, depth and injured. Not the flex you think it is. And that’s a fact!

Did Jokic deliver in game 7. Yes or no? A straight answer if you can please.

[Furinkazan]

may be a worst game 7 I ever seen
pathetic

[Mavrelous]

When Jokic talks, GMs should listen, he's a player/coach and a sharp basketball mind, 3 of the 4 final teams are legit 8 deep, with some extra

Read on Twitter

Nuggets could hang and even overcome the talent deficit, but they got killed by the shallow rotations, Westbrook and Watson were a disaster class, the 1 time Strawther caught fire, it felt like a miracle that flipped a game.
Your tolerance to injuries is also non-existent.

[SpurNani]

may be a worst game 7 I ever seen
pathetic

The Clippers Nuggets was worse.

[Bobbymcgee]

Maybe Jokic and the other starters should have taken less money so the Nuggets could afford to have a bench?

Next season: Jokic ($55 million), Murray ($50 million), Porter Jr. ($38 million), Gordon ($23 million) = no bench.

Gets even worse the following season when Gordon makes $32 million.

Not sure why Jokic is complaining.

[Calvin Klein]

Maybe Jokic and the other starters should have taken less money so the Nuggets could afford to have a bench?

Next season: Jokic ($55 million), Murray ($50 million), Porter Jr. ($38 million), Gordon ($23 million) = no bench.

Gets even worse the following season when Gordon makes $32 million.

Not sure why Jokic is complaining.

did he complain? or is he just talking about what's going on?

[KnicksGadfly]

When Jokic talks, GMs should listen, he's a player/coach and a sharp basketball mind, 3 of the 4 final teams are legit 8 deep, with some extra

Read on Twitter

Nuggets could hang and even overcome the talent deficit, but they got killed by the shallow rotations, Westbrook and Watson were a disaster class, the 1 time Strawther caught fire, it felt like a miracle that flipped a game.
Your tolerance to injuries is also non-existent.

Thibs:

[Slimjimzv]

The toxicity of NBA fandom is just gross. Jokic was incredible this series. Denver was hurt and recovering from major leadership changeover. They were exhausted from a 7 game series against the Clippers, no rest, then a 7 game series against the Thunder. Sprinkle in several overtime games. The Thunder grew up in this series and stepped up in game 7. SGA was great, and their defense in game 7 was one of the best I've ever seen. I'm thrilled my favorite team is going to the conference finals, and I'm incredibly relieved that they got past the Denver juggernaut. I hope, but have little optimism, that the fans in the next round will be less whiny and hateful.

[davidfr94]

Every time i see Thomas Bryant making a good play for the pacers i can't help but think about jokic that has been stuck with deandre Jordan as a backup 5 for years (that couldn't play in these playoffs because he is just unplayable).

Btw, Bryant was acquired mid year for a second rounder because BOTH our backup centers suffered season ending injury.

Of course Booth was fired, this level of laziness is inexcusable.

Sent from my 2409BRN2CY using RealGM mobile app

[syrus3]

I don’t know who is worse. Calvin Booth or Nico Harrison. And that’s saying a lot.

[Furinkazan]

may be a worst game 7 I ever seen
pathetic

The Clippers Nuggets was worse.

ah yes so many historical stinkers in such a short span

[nbafan38]

Not sure why people destroying the nuggets,they were the walking wounded walking into a buzzsaw, the thunder did exactly what a 68 win team should do in a game 7.

Knicks destroyed the best team in basketball and didn't have the luxury of having an MVP player.

Once OKC gets eliminated, people will understand how bad the Nuggets were all along. Just like last year.

Maybe this will end up proving accurate but saying celtics are the best team in basktball this year is debatable.

[Chuck Everett]

Every time i see Thomas Bryant making a good play for the pacers i can't help but think about jokic that has been stuck with deandre Jordan as a backup 5 for years (that couldn't play in these playoffs because he is just unplayable).

Btw, Bryant was acquired mid year for a second rounder because BOTH our backup centers suffered season ending injury.

Of course Booth was fired, this level of laziness is inexcusable.

Sent from my 2409BRN2CY using RealGM mobile app

Mike Malone wouldn't play Thomas Bryant though. You're blaming Booth for that? Carlisle plays Bryant.

[Special_Puppy]

Good job OKC. Hope this goes a long way to prove Jokic isn't that guy. Locked up by Caruso haha, pitiful. His record vs elite teams in the playoffs is terrible and regardless of his teammates he was in a game 7 and couldn't deliver the goods. That's a fact.

It took y’all 7 games AND Scott Foster to defeat a team with no bench, depth and injured. Not the flex you think it is. And that’s a fact!

Did Jokic deliver in game 7. Yes or no? A straight answer if you can please.

What series do you think the Nuggets should have won in the Jokic era that they lost

[scrabbarista]

Every time i see Thomas Bryant making a good play for the pacers i can't help but think about jokic that has been stuck with deandre Jordan as a backup 5 for years (that couldn't play in these playoffs because he is just unplayable).

Btw, Bryant was acquired mid year for a second rounder because BOTH our backup centers suffered season ending injury.

Of course Booth was fired, this level of laziness is inexcusable.

Sent from my 2409BRN2CY using RealGM mobile app

Mike Malone wouldn't play Thomas Bryant though. You're blaming Booth for that? Carlisle plays Bryant.

To be honest, Bryant was really bad in Denver, unlike in Indiana.

I don't know whose fault that is, but he wasn't a rotation-level player on the Nuggets.

Not like there's a shortage of guys Malone could've and should've developed/played, though.

And I liked a lot of what Booth did and think he shouldn't have been fired (yet). But Bryant was bad. He made Jokic look All-Defense.

[Prophet_tt]

It took y’all 7 games AND Scott Foster to defeat a team with no bench, depth and injured. Not the flex you think it is. And that’s a fact!

Did Jokic deliver in game 7. Yes or no? A straight answer if you can please.

What series do you think the Nuggets should have won in the Jokic era that they lost

Last year game 7 at home vs the Wolves. They were up by 20 and allowed the biggest comeback in NBA history for a game 7. They were the defending champs as too. That's the first one that comes to mind for sure.