2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #4 Denver Nuggets vs #5 LA Clippers (Series tied 2-2)

[OldSchoolNoBull]

Game's not over, but Denver is still lucky to still be in this series by stealing game 1. Ty Lue is outcoaching whoever the hell Denver's new coach is now

It's Rick Adelman's kid.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Center wise, there’s:
Jokic, AD, Sengun, Sabonis, KAT & Gobert, Adebayo, and albeit with Injuries, Wemby and Embiid.

Debatable, there’s Walker Kessler, Jarrett Allen, Isaiah Hartenstein

Better than guys like DeAndre Ayton (once upon a time he was better), Jalen Duren

Zubac is rock solid, but I wouldn’t say he’s All NBA caliber.

If you factor in offense and defense this year, Zubac was all-NBA caliber. He's probably been their most consistent player (not their best) all year.

I won’t disagree with him being a consistent player and a consummate professional, but how would you rank him against the players that I mentioned (especially the upper echelon)?

No way in hell is he debatable with guys like Hart, Kessler, Jafro this year. The only centers that were better than him healthy are Jokic, Embiid. Even KAT being so much worse on defense it’s unclear.

[HardenGoat]

Harden is just picking Denver apart. The players know the plays and he is one of the best passers in the game even at his prime age. The way to beat him you have to double early.

[oaf54]

Anyone try and sign up for that altitude+ thing?

The altitude website is straight up ass

I don't trust it but was curious about it. I would happily give money if I could just watch all the nuggets games while being out of state, they make it so difficult.

[PeteyPablo]

Harden has 20 points at the half

[ejftw]

This Clippers team is for real. They’re gonna upset OKC as long as Kawhi can stay healthy.

Still have OKC in 6, but in absolute slug fest with all games decided by 6 or less.

Read on Twitter

Is this as loud as peak Chase Center or OKC?

Clearly noise is being pumped.

Says Adelman

[durden_tyler]

Jokic and Giannis both need to demand out in the off-season.

If they were American they would but since they're not they won't. Jokic is content to basically let the GMs/Front Office to do their jobs and players to adjust to it. Giannis is too scared to leave Milwaukee because it's the only city he's known since he's been in this country. They're stuck.

This is very true. i wish Euro players were more vocal (and disloyal, to an extent).

[Infinite Llamas]

Is Harden going to destroy Jokic's reputation?

Sheesh.

Jokic shouldn't lose this series.

Umm yeah he can lose this series. The clippers are the better team and they have James Harden and Kawhi vs Jokic

This doesn't make sense.

Jokic is being labeled a top 10 player of all time by many. Jokic should have 5 MVP awards according to many.

If he's that great, there's no way he loses this series. LA is not far better talent wise and certainly not even close to being so talented that a 5 time MVP can't beat them with Murray, Porter, Gordon, Braun, etc.

So which is it...

Jokic is not top 10-15 all time and not a 5 time MVP? Because that kind of talent beats the Clippers.

1 Jokic
2 Kawhi
3 Harden
4 Zubac
5 Powell
6 Jamal
7 Gordon

That’s the difference.

[Chuck Everett]

Center wise, there’s:
Jokic, AD, Sengun, Sabonis, KAT & Gobert, Adebayo, and albeit with Injuries, Wemby and Embiid.

Debatable, there’s Walker Kessler, Jarrett Allen, Isaiah Hartenstein

Better than guys like DeAndre Ayton (once upon a time he was better), Jalen Duren

Zubac is rock solid, but I wouldn’t say he’s All NBA caliber.

If you factor in offense and defense this year, Zubac was all-NBA caliber. He's probably been their most consistent player (not their best) all year.

I won’t disagree with him being a consistent player and a consummate professional, but how would you rank him against the players that I mentioned (especially the upper echelon)?

If this is his new normal (I'm willing to be reasonable and say this is/was an outlier year), then I take him over Sabonis, Gobert, Kessler, Allen, Hartenstein, Ayton, Duren. Heck, I might take him over Adebayo, because Zubac is so big, he makes his presence felt on the offensive end pretty much every game, unless he's in foul trouble.

Which means, I think Sengun, KAT, Jokic, AD, Embiid and Wemby are better than him. But Wemby at this stage in his career would have a lot of problems with Zubac from a physicality standpoint in the playoffs. And Sengun is arguable because Zubac is probably going to make all-NBA defense.

[Sofia]

Ah skeet skeet skeet skeet

It’s no red panda.

[OkcSinceSGA]

This Clippers team is for real. They’re gonna upset OKC as long as Kawhi can stay healthy.

Still have OKC in 6, but in absolute slug fest with all games decided by 6 or less.

Read on Twitter

Is this as loud as peak Chase Center or OKC?

Clearly noise is being pumped.

Says Adelman

It’s so loud you can barely hear the PA lol

[SpurNani]

It's sad how bad this team has fallen off in two short years. They are just so un-fun to watch, it's so depressing.

The team was never that good. The only reason they won the title was Murray got hot at the right time. Relying on a streaky (and injury-prone) player to get hot for you to win isn't a recipe for sustained success.

Blah blah blah. They were clearly the best team in the NBA in 2023. Don't start with that.

They were the best team but it was such a watered down year with no real great teams. Phx just acquired Durant and gutted their team, Min was in the first year of the Towns-Gobert experiment, Lakers were a 43 win play in team with Darvin Ham and Deangelo Russell starting for them. The east allowed Jimmy Butler and the play in Heat to run through them.

Just a weak year and Denver rightfully capitalized but they were never anything truly special and the talk of them ever becoming a dynasty was laughable.

[PeteyPablo]

Norman Powell production getting better

Just need Brogdan to heat up

[Peregrine01]

The Nuggets have a team that can't shoot and can't defend. This has been true all year and it isn't surprising that they're getting blown out the water. The only reason why they weren't in the lottery every year is because they have Jokic.

[OkcSinceSGA]

If you factor in offense and defense this year, Zubac was all-NBA caliber. He's probably been their most consistent player (not their best) all year.

I won’t disagree with him being a consistent player and a consummate professional, but how would you rank him against the players that I mentioned (especially the upper echelon)?

If this is his new normal (I'm willing to be reasonable and say this is/was an outlier year), then I take him over Sabonis, Gobert, Kessler, Allen, Hartenstein, Ayton, Duren. Heck, I might take him over Adebayo, because Zubac is so big, he makes his presence felt on the offensive end pretty much every game, unless he's in foul trouble.

Which means, I think Sengun, Jokic, AD, Embiid and Wemby are better than him. But Wemby at this stage in his career would have a lot of problems with Zubac from a physicality standpoint in the playoffs. And Sengun is arguable because Zubac is probably going to make all-NBA defense.

In addition to that if this was like a superhero showdown… Zu really neutralizes elite centers. Look what he did to Cleveland? Literally made JAFRO and Mobley his twin sons 1 vs 2 in the paint.

[f4p]

Absolutely shocking that Clips are only shooting 51%, it seems like it'd be much higher. But when the defense is holding the opposition to 41%,. It's solid.

+4 on the glass, feels like more too.

6 blocks though, sheesh. Batum with 3, oy

Denver had 20 points after 5 minutes. 27 in the last 19.

[jokeboy86]

Is Harden going to destroy Jokic's reputation?

Sheesh.

Jokic shouldn't lose this series.

Umm yeah he can lose this series. The clippers are the better team and they have James Harden and Kawhi vs Jokic

This doesn't make sense.

Jokic is being labeled a top 10 player of all time by many. Jokic should have 5 MVP awards according to many.

If he's that great, there's no way he loses this series. LA is not far better talent wise and certainly not even close to being so talented that a 5 time MVP can't beat them with Murray, Porter, Gordon, Braun, etc.

So which is it...

Jokic is not top 10-15 all time and not a 5 time MVP? Because that kind of talent beats the Clippers.

You're acting like depth doesn't matter and you're way too dismissive of the Clippers which is kind of disrespectful. Jokic is the best player of both teams(only slightly) but the next 4 or 5 players are on the Clippers. For years everyone has always said if Kawhi is healthy the Clippers are contenders and favorites, well guess what?

[oaf54]

I love how everyone is assuming the series is over when it's 1-1. Cleary people don't remember 2020 or how those games went.

[AleksandarN]

If you factor in offense and defense this year, Zubac was all-NBA caliber. He's probably been their most consistent player (not their best) all year.

I won’t disagree with him being a consistent player and a consummate professional, but how would you rank him against the players that I mentioned (especially the upper echelon)?

No way in hell is he debatable with guys like Hart, Kessler, Jafro this year. The only centers that were better than him healthy are Jokic, Embiid. Even KAT being so much worse on defense it’s unclear.

Shouldn’t you be watching your team Okc. Or are switching your loyalties again

[Alatan]

This is going to be an interesting off-season for Nuggets.

The only move they have is to trade Jokic. No one is taking MPJ, Murray, AG, Nnaji or Saric on their contracts. And Braun is a restricted FA after next season so i doubt many teams would be interested in overpaying him a season early.

They have no tradeable picks.

Maybe they could swap Watson for something but it wont be better than Watson.

I have never seen a team burry their star in mediocrity like this.