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

[bisme37]

[Johnny Tomala]

Clippers in 6.

[strokerace]

If KL stays healthy they have the potential to make some noise. This should be an interesting series. Clips in 6.

[Wolfgang630]

Denver in 7

[jym85]

Clippers in the 1st round with a healthy Kawhi is just terrifying. They could beat anyone out west in 5 or 6 games. I just don't trust them to stay healthy for the later rounds

[sp6r=underrated]

For the Milwaukee series I wrote:

This is a quintessential best player vs best team series. I have the talent gap close enough that Milwaukee wins

Same thing applies here but I think the talent gap is way larger in LA's favor. They'll win in 6 unless Jokic plays at same level, full health from the supporting cast and Denver manages to play competently when he sits.

I don't think they can.

[Ssj16]

I'm doing a poor job at casting my votes in this site. I keep picking the wrong vote. I meant to put Denver in 7 but chose Clips in 7.

[LoneyROY]

Feels like there's a special synergy between Kawhi and Harden right now. Throw in Zu, Powell, and some elite role-players...they may just have what it takes.

As amazing as Joker is (and he is f*cking amazing), I think the Clippers can pull this one out.

[guynumber45]

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

[Whopper_Sr]

Clippers are slight favorites but going Nuggets in 7

[WestbrookGOATed]

If Kawhi and Harden are both healthy I'm taking the Clippers in 7. Just seems like a series that will go 7 either way honestly. Kawhi goes off in game 7 and makes us think he's back to himself, then gets a hang nail and misses the rest of the playoffs.

[THE J0KER]

In terms of quality, this is PO-2025's 1st round best series!

Zubac and Powell improved significantly this season from out of the TOP100 to around TOP50 players, while finally healthy Leonard is back into all-star shape right in time this spring, and Harden didn't decline at all at 35y. The mystery is the Clippers' bench, nobody knows what to expect from Bogdanovic and Simmons.

Denver's late coach-change shock therapy works so far, 3-time MVP Jokic has a career-best season, while Braun improved significantly. The mystery is Jamal Murray's health, who, when healthy, is an all-star level player.

[GeorgeSears]

Nuggets in 5. It's demolition time.

The specter of Malone isn't hanging over the team. This is the best possible matchup for them.

[NZB2323]

I don’t trust Kawhi to stay healthy, I don’t trust Harden to come through in the playoffs, and I trust Jokic to beat the Clippers again, just as he did in 2020 before he was a MVP level player and had Aaron Gordon.

I voted Nuggets in 7.

[Wolfgang630]

Jamal Murray still sucks btw to end the season. Hopefully his injury won’t be an issue because they need him to look close to Kobe again

[Scoundreldays]

Can Kawhi please stay healthy this series. Would be nice for the Clips to get the Nuggets demon off their shoulders

[HardenGoat]

Clippers in 6. Harden knows how to pick them apart particularly on Jokic. He has Zu as a lob threat offensively. Dunn will wreak havoc on Murray but they also have a long defender with Jones and overall a great defensive team. This is assuming the team stays healthy of course.

[durden_tyler]

Clippers are slight favorites but going Nuggets in 7

No they are not, the Nuggets are still the slight favorites in this series.

[Marvin Martian]

I don't like DEN sending out a random assistant coach to lead this team in this type of atmosphere. LAC in 6

[jokeboy86]

Bottom line is this if the Nuggets lose this series, Murray and MPJ are going to be aggressively shopped in the off-season. I know Josh Kroneke has a soft spot for the both of them but the days of wasting Jokic's prime end if the Nuggets go out in the first round.

If the Clippers lose this series with a healthy Kawhi then I expect for Lue to be fired regardless of the extension he just signed last year. The Clippers dont have any other moves to make in the off season if they go out this round. We know Ballmer will never part with Kawhi and they cant just run it back next year expecting Kawhi to magically play more games next year than he did this year. Clippers lose with a healthy Kawhi and somebody is going to have to take the heat.