2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #4 Denver Nuggets vs #5 LA Clippers (DEN leads 1-0)

[BelgradeNugget]

Interesting thing will be Braun - Harden dynamics. Braun will guard Harden and he is leading the league in fastbreak points. If there is no swich in Nuggets defense, Harden will be the one who has to stop the best fastbreak scorrer in the league. Every Clippers missed shot/Nuggets rebound will be Nuggets fastbreak oportunity. Also Braun is one of the best off-ball cuters in half court. Harden will have to be engaged and focused for all 24 secs on shot clock on defense.

[lethalizer]

I'm expecting a gauntlet of a series here.

I don't think the Clippers are very creative offensively, but they execute simple stuff well, and Kawhi on iso is a very hard force to stop when healthy.

Harden will need to force Jokic to defend the paint, he needs to be the one to rim pressure the most, and let Kawhi and co. do the chucking from outside.

Nuggets will probably be better on defense compared to their regular season numbers, as they'll lean heavily on their starters, but they'll have to take some of the load from on Jokic on offense if they want better defense from him, cause it'd take a supernatural effort to keep that energy on both sides of the court while playing 40+ minutes night in and night out.

I'm gonna go with Clippers in 6 here.

[Froob]

Clippers 7...tough pick

[G R E Y]

A lot of people would have had this matchup as a potential West final - that's how weird and ultra tight and competitive West has been.

[-Luke-]

Would have said Nuggets in 6 for most of the season, but I think I'm leaning Clippers in 7 now. Don't think I need to stress the obvious "if Kawhi stays healthy" reference.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

Probably the worst case scenario for the Nuggets in my opinion. I voted clippers in 6.

[BigGargamel]

Clippers in 6. Jokic is the best player in the series, but Kawhi is not too far behind. Harden is far ahead of Jamal Murray. Clippers also got more reliable depth

@ Kawhi not far behind Jokic. Okay.

[OkcSinceSGA]

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Good news from Batum’s wife. Nico Batum will probably be the Clippers 4th or 5th most important player this series.

[Jadoogar]

This is the hardest one for me to predict. Kawhi looks incredible and the Clippers are humming but trusting Kawhi to stay healthy and Harden to not piss himself is a tall ask.

Nuggets have the best player and continuity in their roster but how much will the recent drama impact them? Who's guarding Kawhi and Harden? Jokic was getting killed in the pick and roll against Memphis, Harden is one of the best pick and roll players of all time. How will they handle the non-jokic minutes. Is Murray back to normal?

Too many questions on both sides. I'll pick the Clippers in 7 because Kawhi has looked healthy for most of the season.

[dakomish23]

Kawhi stays healthy? LAC in 6. Jokic isn't enough to stop this onslaught. If the other DEN guys show up - big if - then DEN in 6.

[AleksandarN]

This is the hardest one for me to predict. Kawhi looks incredible and the Clippers are humming but trusting Kawhi to stay healthy and Harden to not piss himself is a tall ask.

Nuggets have the best player and continuity in their roster but how much will the recent drama impact them? Who's guarding Kawhi and Harden? Jokic was getting killed in the pick and roll against Memphis, Harden is one of the best pick and roll players of all time. How will they handle the non-jokic minutes. Is Murray back to normal?

Too many questions on both sides. I'll pick the Clippers in 7 because Kawhi has looked healthy for most of the season.

Gordan will be guarding Kawhi. Which he has done a good job in the past. AG is athletic enough and has the strength to guard Kawhi. Harden well he will be guarded by both CB and probably Peyton Watson in spots.

[PeteyPablo]

Clippers and Nuggets have the same record of 50-32.

For some one to say the Nuggets are better or favored , I do not see it.

The numbers say they are the same.

Although the Clippers played 43 games with out Kawhi to start the season. Harden, Powell and Zubac really carried them.

Could the Nuggets be 50-32 if Jokic missed 43 games ?

For the Clippers - the X Factor will be Norman Powell and Brogdan.

Both guys can go for 30 points any game and they shoot the three ball well.

I have Clippers in 6.

[Mavrelous]

Game 1 got the European primetime slot on Saturday 8:30-10:30 PM depending on where you are around the Mediterranean basin.

[bisme37]

Game 1: Clippers at Nuggets, Saturday April 19, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

[Wigginstime]

Denvers biggest weakness the past few years has been large guards who are too fast Gordon and two big for KCP/Braun. The 3 teams Denver matches up worst with are OKC (SGA), LAC (Harden), and MIN (Ant) and it looks like they will be playing two of those teams in the first 2 rounds. Tough road to the finals.

Regardless - Go Nuggets!

[TinmanZBoy]

This is Jamal Murray’s series… as long as he plays like playoff Murray, nuggets would be fine

[LeBronSpaghetti]

I’m not sure why so many are saying Harden has torched the Nuggets. He scored 23 a night on 39% from the field and 32% from three against the Nuggets this season.

[Jamaaliver]

Would it be a massive upset if Clippers won the whole darn thig this season?

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[BelgradeNugget]

First thing first - great respect for Clippers. I think they have very good team, filled in every position and every type of players team needs to be good. Top 1st, and 2nd options, iso scoring, playmaking, catch and shoot, tough perimeter and interior diffense, experiance...

I just wanted to say something about Nuggets because some people think they are Jokic and bunch of scrubs

Here is scoring average of Nuggets starters
29.6/21.4/18.2/15.4/14.7 post all star 29.8/22.8/19/16.5/16.4

Shooting percentage
58/58/53/50/47 post all star 58/57/57/49/46

3pt shooting percentage
44/42/40/40/39 post all star 46/44/44/34/34

They have a lot of options and every starter is dangerous. They played bad because effort was not there. It is the reason why their defense, which was 8th last season, slipped to no 21. Now after Malone was fired they play with effort again. In the last 3 games with Adelman as head coach they won 3 games pretty convincingly overcoming good 3pt shooting from Sacramento (44.4% 16-36), their cold 3pt shooting against Memphis (20.8%, 5-24) and one od the best defenses from Houston.

Both teams had the same record, injury problems, but Nuggets secured home court adventage.

I just hope everyone stays healthy. And we will have great series.

[Scoundreldays]

Great narrative for this matchup eventhough both teams are quite a bit different from 2020. Just please basketball gods let Kawhi stay healthy.