2020 Playoff - Western Conference 1st Round: [3]Denver Nuggets vs [6]Utah Jazz

[THE J0KER]

Utah Jazz is a very good team, but Nuggets is better. I expecting 4-2 or even 4-1 win for a Nuggets!

[NuggetsWY]

Denver should be able to beat Utah but I won't say four games. Our play isn't consistent enough, so I'll say five games and hope it doesn't go to six games.

[Village Idiot]

The Nuggets are my favorite to win it all this year. Here's to good health and fair officiating

[NuggetsWY]

The Nuggets are my favorite to win it all this year. Here's to good health and fair officiating

Thank you so much - a dark horse for sure, but a Rip City fan ought to know all about that! I'd love to face the Blazers in the playoffs (a little payback for last year)

[skywalker33]

The Nuggets are my favorite to win it all this year. Here's to good health and fair officiating

FTR, I'm rooting for the Blazers to take out those dreaded Lakers in round one !!

[THE J0KER]

INJURY REPORT:

Bojan Bogdanovic (UTA), Ed Davis (UTA) - will not play whole DEN-UTA series
Gary Harris (DEN), Will Barton (DEN), Mike Conley (UTA) - according to most of media reports any of them will not play at least until game#4

[The Rebel]

I am getting really tired of hearing how the Jazz are missing Bogdanovic and Conley while the national idiots are ignoring that we are missing Harris and Barton. Then killing us for our perimeter defense while excusing everything that the Jazz are doing because they are missing a couple of guys.

[THE J0KER]

I am getting really tired of hearing how the Jazz are missing Bogdanovic and Conley while the national idiots are ignoring that we are missing Harris and Barton. Then killing us for our perimeter defense while excusing everything that the Jazz are doing because they are missing a couple of guys.

To be fair they really miss these two starters more than we miss our two starters. When both teams missing two starters of a similar level, the deeper team is less damaged (Nuggets are deeper there without a doubt). Also, it is no secret that after restart Barton is actually our 6th man, not a starter anymore.

But I agree that "defensive specialist" Harris missing is so underrated for Denver, especially in series like this where the opponent's by far best offensive weapon is their SG star. I write about that week ago in General Board DEN-UTA thread, but of course, my concerns were that without Harris Mitchell is going to repeat great 35-5-5 like numbers from that seeding bubble game, not even in worst nightmares I didn't see 60-10-10 monster is coming. Craig put a good defense in the 1st quarter on Mitchell but have early foul troubles, while Grant was good in that role in OT, so without Harris (and Barton), Malone should insist only on these two to cover Donovan Mitchell since game#2 IMO.

[skywalker33]

It's anticipated that Conley will return by Game 3 bringing a huge importance to Game 2, a loss could swing all momentum towards the Jazz

[skywalker33]

I am getting really tired of hearing how the Jazz are missing Bogdanovic and Conley while the national idiots are ignoring that we are missing Harris and Barton. Then killing us for our perimeter defense while excusing everything that the Jazz are doing because they are missing a couple of guys.

To be fair they really miss these two starters more than we miss our two starters. When both teams missing two starters of a similar level, the deeper team is less damaged (Nuggets are deeper there without a doubt). Also, it is no secret that after restart Barton is actually our 6th man, not a starter anymore.

But I agree that "defensive specialist" Harris missing is so underrated for Denver, especially in series like this where the opponent's by far best offensive weapon is their SG star. I write about that week ago in General Board DEN-UTA thread, but of course, my concerns were that without Harris Mitchell is going to repeat great 35-5-5 like numbers from that seeding bubble game, not even in worst nightmares I didn't see 60-10-10 monster is coming. Craig put a good defense in the 1st quarter on Mitchell but have early foul troubles, while Grant was good in that role in OT, so without Harris (and Barton), Malone should insist only on these two to cover Donovan Mitchell since game#2 IMO.

I think the point of emphasis was the morons of broadcasting ALWAYS seem to devalue the Nuggets by minimizing our deficits while
trying to emphasis the importance of those of the opponents . I just watched the game and note how Jackie MacMullin gushed all over the Jazz and how they were outplaying the Nugggets...until the OT, only then did Murray and Jokic become "franchise players". It's just how pathetic how we get disrespected by National Media who I thought had a responcibility to be non-biased....man was I ever wrong about that.

[THE J0KER]

Read on Twitter

I hope the reason for this is "13:30 ET" not "two small markets franchises", otherwise I would be disappointed in NBA fans.

[The Rebel]

I am getting really tired of hearing how the Jazz are missing Bogdanovic and Conley while the national idiots are ignoring that we are missing Harris and Barton. Then killing us for our perimeter defense while excusing everything that the Jazz are doing because they are missing a couple of guys.

To be fair they really miss these two starters more than we miss our two starters. When both teams missing two starters of a similar level, the deeper team is less damaged (Nuggets are deeper there without a doubt). Also, it is no secret that after restart Barton is actually our 6th man, not a starter anymore.

But I agree that "defensive specialist" Harris missing is so underrated for Denver, especially in series like this where the opponent's by far best offensive weapon is their SG star. I write about that week ago in General Board DEN-UTA thread, but of course, my concerns were that without Harris Mitchell is going to repeat great 35-5-5 like numbers from that seeding bubble game, not even in worst nightmares I didn't see 60-10-10 monster is coming. Craig put a good defense in the 1st quarter on Mitchell but have early foul troubles, while Grant was good in that role in OT, so without Harris (and Barton), Malone should insist only on these two to cover Donovan Mitchell since game#2 IMO.

Who says they miss their starters more? The only way to make that argument is by ignoring defense. They are missing their 3rd and 5th best players, we are missing our 3rd and 4th best players. Our best perimeter defender by far is missing, our 2nd best perimeter defender is missing, who do they have missing?


Mike Conley started declining 2 years ago, he is barely above replacement type level. I can easily argue that Monte Morris is better this year than Conley is, he is not that big of a loss.

Bogdanovic is a great shooter and solid all around role player, he is a big loss. Is he a bigger loss than Gary Harris or Will Barton?

2 years ago we were talking about Gary Harris being a future all star, he was putting up 18 on 60% TS% with great defense. He had a major hip injury and surgery, that surgery takes 2 years to fully recover from. When healthy Harris was our best iso player, we need a 3rd scorer and we have the worst 3 point defense in the bubble. In March Harris put up 13 PPG on 76% TS% while playing amazing defense. The only game that Harris and Mitchell both played in this year Mitchell shot 8 for 24. Are you really trying to tell me that either Bogdanovic or Conley is a bigger loss than that?

Will Barton is a guy who broke in to the rotation due to his defense, while he may annoy us to no end wanting to go into his iso over and over again, our bench couldn't use another creator out there right now?

I do not understand why it is so hard to see. Jokic and Murray, and if he plays like he has in the bubble MPJ are good enough to overcome Harris and Barton, I would easily take back Harris and Barton for Conley and Bogdanovic. Last year Harris shut down LIlliard and White when he was guarding them, go watch those games, Harris is a huge key to our team.

I think the point of emphasis was the morons of broadcasting ALWAYS seem to devalue the Nuggets by minimizing our deficits while
trying to emphasis the importance of those of the opponents . I just watched the game and note how Jackie MacMullin gushed all over the Jazz and how they were outplaying the Nugggets...until the OT, only then did Murray and Jokic become "franchise players". It's just how pathetic how we get disrespected by National Media who I thought had a responcibility to be non-biased....man was I ever wrong about that.

While it is very annoying how often this happens, and oddly guys suddenly become better when they go to a big market. Hell look at the way Gallo is treated now compared to 3 years ago when he was actually a better player in Denver. But no it is not just that, it is the fact that these broadcasters are flat out wrong. I explain above why, and honestly would love to hear how I am wrong, Harris and Barton are vastly more important to us than Conley and Bogdanovic are to them.

[The Rebel]

Read on Twitter

I hope the reason for this is "13:30 ET" not "two small markets franchises", otherwise I would be disappointed in NBA fans.

Of course it was the start time, that game started at 11:30 in the morning on a Monday, most people were at work. The games that the NBA should be worried about were the 2 games that were played during normal time periods. Those ratings are only slightly better than a regular season game was drawing 2 years ago, that is terrible for the league.

[skywalker33]

Looks like POR just took out the Lakers in their 1st game, could we be on path to match up against the Rockets in round two ???

[EGame]

Looks like POR just took out the Lakers in their 1st game, could we be on path to match up against the Rockets in round two ???

No because the way the playoff bracket is set up has the winner of the Lakers/Blazers face the winner of the Thunder/Rockets in the second round.

[skywalker33]

Looks like POR just took out the Lakers in their 1st game, could we be on path to match up against the Rockets in round two ???

No because the way the playoff bracket is set up has the winner of the Lakers/Blazers face the winner of the Thunder/Rockets in the second round.

When did they stop reseeding the playoffs ???

[EGame]

Looks like POR just took out the Lakers in their 1st game, could we be on path to match up against the Rockets in round two ???

No because the way the playoff bracket is set up has the winner of the Lakers/Blazers face the winner of the Thunder/Rockets in the second round.

When did they stop reseeding the playoffs ???

It has always been like this. The winner of 1 v 8 seed plays winner of 4 v 5 seed and then winner of 2 v 7 seed plays winner of 3 v 6 seed in the second round. It isn't NFL where lowest seed plays the highest in the next round.

[skywalker33]

Game two of the best of seven, here's where we can see what sort of dog the Nuggets bring to the fight, will they attack like a pit or sit on their haunches like a spaniel ??

[skywalker33]

Will Barton has left the Bubble seeking a 2nd opinion on his knee issue. Guess we'll be seeing more of ??? PJ Dozier ??? Troy Daniels ?? Perhaps Bol Bol ??

Dozier has already been getting some PT so Daniels may get some time at SG or Bol may for his shooting. Guessing Barton won't be around for this Utah series.

[THE J0KER]

With Harris and Barton out, the Beasley episode looks even more painful.