The NBA Has No Answer for the Denver Nuggets

The NBA Has No Answer for the Denver Nuggets

Celtics nuggets who’s winning Championship if you believe that is the matchup in the NBA finals and if it was the matchup who are you picking so now today’s the oh excuse me as I knocked down my water today’s the day we make that pick yeah okay so but hold up just last

Episode or the last one I missed you didn’t want to give your pick because you wanted to see a regular season game I wanted to see how Boston would match up against Denver we played earlier they won by two they gave us our first s at

Home and now this game won by six or seven point this is deeper season teams are kind of what they are at this point yeah and in this matchup it kind of told me all I needed to know about a series that would happen so wait since since that

First game was in like December side question um just quickly talking about what we talked about before so since this is you know this is where teams start to figure out who they are since the Clippers beat the Minnesota uh turber wolves the other time do you

Think they’re a first round exit or do you think they’re going to come we’re going to get into that I think the Clippers out of the top four teams that we talked about topic this was also we’re just scrambling topics cat got injured cat’s injury changes things for

Me okay but if cat’s healthy I think Clippers are still most likely to be upset first round I know but that’s just how I feel I think the Clippers their defensive rating has dropped off a cliff and quite frankly I’mma share some stats later on in the show that make me not

Trust two of the three Clippers top guys I I think the Denver situation is different because Denver we just saw win a championship sh and Denver we’ve seen on their Championship run last year and the regular season this year fourth quarter comes around there there’s not

Another team in the NBA I trust more than Denver uh Nicole yic I mean shout out to nerd that had uh a a take that seems crazy in the moment but the way he’s playing right now Nicole yic in terms of as a postup player is one of

The most dominant plays we we’ve seen in NBA history it is really difficult to stop this man because he’s such a great passer and has such IQ if you try to double him and Aaron Gordon at the dunker spot it’s funny how in an era where everything is you know is five out

Where you have just three-point Shooters everywhere how Aaron Gordon has really unlocked this offense in a way and has changed the way that in the fourth quarter in crunch time Denver’s been able to play um so I think Denver should be the favorite I think the fact that

They won the championship last year and you have Nicole yic Who currently sitting is like on a generational type run right he only has that one Championship has multiple MVPs but 5 years from now we could be looking at this run as you know one of the greatest

We’ve seen in our lifetime he’s just still super early on into it that’s why I think if you have them over Boston I I can’t be too upset and I’ve said this when we went over our um uh mid-season grades because we were talking about the

Celtics have to win a championship or at least get to the championship I think Boston all season long have been called the favorites because their floor is the NBA Championship nobody thinks in the East that they could be [ __ ] with not the Bucks not the Sixers with with embat

Or or really anybody the West has always been a little bit different because like you mentioned there’s just a lot better teams you had Minnesota this year the the Clippers were looking fantastic you have talented lower seeds like the Lakers Warriors Suns but to get to making the championship which is the

Celtics floor and winning it is Jason Tatum as I mentioned before becoming a top five player consistently night and night out because we could talk about how porzingis has been great in the fourth quarter and how uh they’ve been one of the best teams in the clutch this

Season Drew holiday is the best fifth star in the league Derk der White’s the best fourth starter in the league but to go from making the NBA Finals to winning it that’s when you need your best player to show up and Jason Tatum this game did not show up when the playoffs come

Around has he had his stinkers yes absolutely I know you had your whole 67% such and such I’ve seen Jason Tatum do it it’s just a matter of can he do it now in the champion in the uh Eastern Conference Finals or in the championship

Series if he’s able to do that like he’s been doing for stretches like we’ve seen him drop 15 game sevens take over game four uh excuse me fourth quarter of game six against Philly he has those moments in him like he has the talent there’s no

Real weakness in his game but he has to get to that mindset of if we’re going to win a championship you need your best player to be [ __ ] Elite the entire time Nicole Yer Steph Curry LeBron James like all of the dudes who win championships it’s not just they were

Mostly good no they’re going on dominant sometimes historical runs that’s what it takes to win a championship so I think that’s kind of this is a therapy session right now for I feel but I felt this way like I said this when we did our report

Cards like Tatum has to play the top five level and I think everyone just people were saying like it’s Joe Missoula um you know oh I’ve seen some [ __ ] like when Jaylen Brown takes over the offense just not the same I’m like it was this [ __ ] one possession game

With 50 seconds left I think we were okay but at the end of the day for the Celtics to win a championship Jason Tatum has to play at a top five level you know you said something good there you said Jason Tatum he’s done it before uh something about good great about how

He plays you know he he is a great player there’s no doubt but in watching this game the biggest thing that stuck out to me was the fourth quarter offense between the two everything for Denver runs through Nia yic and he can guarantee you a great possession every time down the floor

With Boston it’s matchup dependent of Jaylen Brown has Jamal Murray on him let’s give him the iso let’s try to get a switch onto the weakest Defender for whoever it’s usually Tatum or brown but you know their possessions where they also go to chrisos porzingis if there’s

A mismatch with him in the post there’s not that true guy they’re always going to go to in the fourth this year Tatum has struggled in the fourth quarter uh mightily the only player worse in a fourth quarter that has 45 clutch field goal attempts is Klay Thompson Tatum is

The second worst he’s shooting toay 32% in the clutch in the fourth quarter Jaylen Brown had a fantastic game the three-point shot was not here for a Bost in this game neither was Denver’s though here’s why I think Denver is going to go back to back nicolea should be a

Three-time MVP he’s two-time MVP but he should have won last year it should have been his award they didn’t give it to him because he didn’t have a playoff run and that was a bad way to judge a regular season award because I thought last might not have won this year though

He was better than ID yeah I don’t think he would have won this year I think ID healthy would have won but now yic has a chance to win this year it’s still a possibility it’s ter SGA for sure there’s just no team that has the chemistry that Denver has if you’re

Going to beat them you have to have some all-time great players on the other side that go nuclear in a way that Devin Booker did for a couple games for Phoenix and you have to have your death pieces uh rise up but I’ve noticed something about Tatum is that I feel

Like against lengthier Wing Defenders that are tall and can match his physicality he tends to struggle against I I saw him play the Pelicans and against herb Jones he did fine against herb Jones that’s cuz herb Jones is on a slenderer side but when you’re going up against somebody like Aaron Gordon like

Mpj mpj is not as thick but he’s taller than Aaron Gordon I feel like he struggles against that type of length and I came to a res Revelation about Jason Tatum that’s pretty good it’s it’s one of those dark room moments they’ve worked so well in the past Jason

Tatum is not Elite at any one thing on offense and that’s why in the fourth quarter he doesn’t have a go to with SGA I know he hasn’t been in the playoffs but I’m just talking from a play style standpoint I know he going to get to the

Mid-range he’s going to get to a spot and that’s what he’s going to use in the fourth quarter for Jason Tatum he’s a good to Great three-point shooter he’s not an elite one mange shooter he’s below average he can drive to the basket but doesn’t do it enough for me he’s

Good not a leite at that finishing he’s great not aite around basket getting to is he shooting like 70 something per yeah he was like that’s pretty great getting to the free throw line he’s not Elite at getting to the line he’s not an elite

Playmaker so what is he Elite at he’s a jack of all trades that can do multiple things on offense but you look at these great players in the in the league that have won championships or that I think rank above Tatum they have a go-to in

The fourth and I think that’s why Boston becomes very matchup Reliant in the fourth because Tatum usually doesn’t have that go-to I don’t I don’t completely dis agree like he’s obviously not a shooter like Steph or his as physical going to rim like LeBron or anything like that but I think the fact

That he could do any of those things is kind of what makes him scary on offense is like he could step back and hit this three he could drive on me he could he was been one of the most efficient in terms of Fords one of the most efficient

Postup players in the league this year so while I agree that maybe he’s not the best in any specific you know attribute or or category the fact that he could do anything to you that’s what makes him such a great offensive player he’s not an elite offensive player you wouldn’t

Say he’s Elite offensive player Elite offensive player a last year I I don’t I don’t joic Steph I don’t think Tatum we’re just going to keep that that class like five because it is a different type of class when we talk about the offense that yic generates it’s a different type of

Class different than the off anyone it’s not semantics it’s a fact is I look at these guys and think yo yes joic you’re a lead you’re amazing you’re the best of the group right now offensively LCA donic you’re in that c category two Steph Curry deserves that that offensive

Respect Kevin Durant like don’t we look at a Deon Booker and think this is an elite scorer he’s offensive player no but I understand that but still and I I went and said scoring also I still look at Deon Booker and think wow he’s been able to transition to point guard maybe

You would still like that true point guard for the Phoenix Suns but he’s been able to to do that for the Phoenix Suns and it helped translate to winning basketball I would still classify Devon Booker as an elite offensive player I think he’s an elite scorer not an elite

Offensive player I think he’s a good sometimes great playmaker he’s not an elite playmaker the difference between him and Tatum on offense isn’t it the ability to combine the two and do it at a high level I feel like it’s what is done at the highest of high levels

That’s what Elite to me means the difference between Tatum is doing it at the highest of levels Booker is an elite pullup jump shooter he’s an elite mid-range shooter that’s not what Tatum is not he’s not even good at that he’s one of the worst mid-range pull-up volume shooters

In the league for his attempts uh when you I think there is a difference of class I think joic look at the MVPs this year the players that I have in MVP level Seasons joic SGA Luca Giannis I think what they’re doing offensively is in a different class than what Tatum is doing

Offensively and that’s what all due respect to Tatum because he’s a great offensive player just not in that not CL I appreciate that but I think winning a championship that’s kind of where you could find that Elite trade too like all of these guys have been questions before

They won the championship and before you go R just to throw some uh the clutch numbers this year have been horrendous for Jason Tatum um with the last three postseasons clutch shooting efficiency Jason Tatum’s number one uh 57.4% 27 attempts Steph is number three at 55 Klay was number two believe it or

Not really um yes and then if we’re looking so throwing that stat out now yeah 2024 this season um and this was before the Denver shot so it’s even worse now um regular season SL playoffs in the fourth quarter overtime less than 24 seconds to Tire Take the Lead Ton’s

Been at 14% this year atrocious from 2017 through 2023 the rest of his career he’s been at 39% Which is higher than Luca Dame uh Bradley Beal LeBron said Bradley be you should Jimmy Butler Donovan Mitchell’s at 22% Deon Booker’s at 20% um he’s been clutch in the past

This year he has not I think you know when you have I think I think there’s always a tier with especially with this new NBA it’s so much talent in the league you know I think there’s a bit of a tier of everything I think there’s tiers of superstars you know tiers of

Elite offensive players you know like the names you mentioned I think those guys are in like a tier one where you can throw Tatum in a tier two if you want Booker and those guys but I think you have to start bunching it up cuz there can’t just be a small room because

I think you can still be elite just not at the elite elite there’s always there’s always new levels because there’s so much more Talent now and you have to keep expanding and you know broadening the system but I think Denver is the pick here I think just Denver

They have the perfect starting five in the league like they just connect and they’re so in sync with each other and they compliment each other’s games like Aaron Gordon compliments to Joker Joker compliments Jamal Jamal compliments to Joker like it kcp compliments both of them like it’s they just do so many

Things together and they just one guy connects to the other and they’re all like a nice beautiful family that just connects so perfectly and have Thanksgiving together all the time and [ __ ] like that like they’re just so in sync that it’s like it’s hard to throw

Out a lineup and not only com you know stop them on defense but like you got to consistently score with them you know it’s so tough to have an efficient shot like them or always come down and have a perfect play always have something for either kcp either Aaron Gordon mpj or

Jamal like they always have a like a counter for any move you kind of put out there especially the Joker like he’s the most UND he’s the most dominant player in the league right now like he’s he has a counter for every defense you throw at him single coverage double coverage hard

Hedge soft hedge anything you want to do lock and trail on the man he’s trying to throw the pass to he’ll find a way to get to him like he just has it accounted for everything and you know you Boston would probably be the best chance because they’re the most talented team

In the East cuz obviously you know in the west I just think a lot of teams are going to have a size problem outside of Minnesota but I don’t think Minnesota can keep up with them offensively you know I think the Joker will be able to

Handle that but I think like in the East you got to hope it’s Boston because I think Boston you know they provide a couple different challenges for Jamal Murray and you know porzingis he is a little bit skinny so that’s going to be a tough matchup for him but the way

Missoula’s been dissecting defenses and offenses this year the way he’s been you know throwing out different coverages you know he’s he’s not moving me cuz I think the Joker isn’t stoppable but he’s been doing good Grand he can’t stop the Joker I mean yeah but he’s not the only

One I think but here’s the thing I think teams like you said um the teams don’t match the chemistry but I think some teams even if they do match the chemistry they don’t match the talent you know like a team like Miami they have all the chemistry in the world

Probably the same amount of chemistry chemistry as Denver but they don’t have the talent you know you look at teams like and they may have the talent maybe they don’t have the chemistry you know so there’s just so many different things and then you can even throw teams like

You know like like just any like Phoenix they don’t have the player that can just be as dominant as the Joker on a possession by possession basis you know Devon Booker still struggles with the turnovers and seeing double team same thing with Kevin Durant you know with

The joker it’s like what can you pick out that’s a weakness it’s even his defense is no longer a weakness he’s locked in on that end so it’s like deflections you know just being in the position to you know defend offensively it’s like what can you do so

This guy he’s been so dominant and I I think for me you got the safe pick is Denver cuz I just think with the joker leading the charge you got Jamal I I think they’ll pull out this one well Missoula is um sorry true the one thing

I’ll say is moula at least in this Denver game he went double big more than I’ve seen damner all season Tillman and porzingis were out there Tillman and uh Al Horford my guess is if they did match up again in the in the playoffs or excuse me in the finals he didn’t start

With Horford and porzingis but I think they’re going to be forced to at some point who comes off probably Drew holiday I would assume um over of course like Derek white but it might be Dereck white that comes off I don’t know Dereck White’s been so great for us it would be

It would be tough to take him off but regardless Al Horford I think is is probably their best bet just because he has the strength and the height to kind of match up porzingis has the height but he doesn’t have the strength we’ve seen Horford of course embiid is not the same

Player but he could go pound-for-pound you know what I mean in terms of like wait he’s like 260 yok y just 30 40 pounds heavier is the only thing is he the strongest player in the league no Stephen Adams thought Y is just one of them he is it

Really is funny I I Riv I like a lot of what you said uh because the way that I feel is I look at the overall talent I think that there’s more Talent on the Boston Celtics they’re a deeper team than the Denver Nuggets but the greatness of Nico joic just being the

Overwhelming star of the series and that’s no sight to Jason Tatum we know who we’re talking about this is the best in the game right now and the fact that you tweeted it and it’s true I mean didn’t take a rocket science to understand that but in the biggest

Moments Jamal Murray is one of the most trustworthy guards in the game and there’s no one that compliments yic the way that well I should say there’s no one that compliments Jamal Murray the way that yic is obviously because anybody can go in there and let me not

Say anybody let me not slight Jamal but they work so well together and they have the history of winning a championship you have the history of Jamal muray being an elite playoff player himself so I I look at I look at just the the chemistry I think that that was

Perfectly said RI they already know each of their individual roles mpj understands if I get the ball my role is to do one thing and one thing only I’m going to put this shot up because they know I’m an elite shooter and I have to stretch the floor kcp is another one

That he goes and he can stretch the floor obviously can can can make the extra pass can get theirs TV uh and then you have Aaron Gordon like mentioned always going to be in that dunk spot looking for a second chance but then on the defensive side you have kcp that can

Lock up you have Aaron Gordon that’s been their one of their go two Defenders mpj showed in the playoffs last year that he can be a solid defensive player himself and when he needs to Nicole leic can defend at a at a relatively high level there’s just so much

Trustworthiness with the Denver Nuggets where with the Boston Celtics we always have that wait and see I do believe they’re the more talented team but it’d be disrespectful to Nicole Yin and of course Jamal Murray who’s been an unbelievable playoff performer in his own right that that you should right now

Favor them I think that it’s natural for every year to kind of pick a different championship winner just because we all love parody I think that’s a big reason why nobody year to year is always picking the Chiefs to Wi Boston H you should pick Boston parody they haven’t

Won that’s what I that’s I’m getting to what I’m about to say right now sorry interrup sometimes it is just the best the best team they’re just the team and that’s what the nuggets are they’re just the best team it’s interesting because you really take a look into the advanced

Numbers compared to last season like this isn’t a great three-point shooting team they were four for 20 against us I think on Thursday they’re really an average three-point shooting team but in the playoffs last year we saw exactly that’s what scar we saw them rise up and

Against the Lakers I saw them I felt like they could have missed a three to save their lives it’s just inevitably they they’re coasting but they have games sorry you’re right games where they don’t shoot well and they still both games against Boston they did not

Shoot well I mean they scored the first game they scored 102 points this was this was like what 118 or something so a better offensive game but they could get into these slug FL slug FES of kind where it’s in the paint it’s yic post up

Yic post up and yeah it’s food between the combination of joic and and Aaron Gordon or Jamaal Murray’s ability to get to the basket too all of their best scorers can finish at the rim and can get theirs in around the pain they can get an efficient offense without

Shooting well because their process is never wrong every time down the court even once in a Boston game late they might have missed the threes they were open threes they were the right shots to take their process down the court is always the right one and eventually that’s going to yield positive results

And in their case they shot por from three and they were still great on offense the offensive rating numbers were still excellent last year before Phoenix made the trade for KD Denver was my pick to make it out the west and win a championship this year kind of been

Waiting for a team to sneak up up and be like we’re going we can beat them in a series Denver’s going to go back Denver’s going to go back to back and it’s not only because their greatness but in a match up against Boston Chris toas porzingis in a series where he has

To guardar yic that type of physicality is he going to have the legs to shoot in a seven game series now when you’re at game five is he gonna be as consistent that worries me but that’s where you rely on JB and Tatum cuz their matchups

Are better than that one that’s when you try to rely on Horford and they played Tilman a ton they like that match up didn’t I wouldn’t even say that because I seen Aaron Gordon on the wing on a road to the Nuggets winning Championship be an elite Wing Defender and he’s going

To be on one of Tatum and brown and then you’re going to have kcp on another one he’s aggravating th those Defenders as a Defender he’s definitely so they got the elite perimeter Defenders that they could stop uh Elite offensive players I don’t know if there’s any quot you can

Limit I think that’s essentially what you’re saying I still think that Jason Tatum will get his this was a bad showing by finals that’s true uh but you still look at Jaylen Brown I Feel Like take away this game versus the Nuggets where he performed at a very high level

I still believe in that matchup you can get Jaylen Brown to play for an entire series a very high level brand win the series I I don’t disagree with you it has to be on Tatum ultimately it comes back full circle that Tatum needs to be the best player on the Boston Celtics

And in that match of Aaron Gordon we can see Aaron Gordon have moments of playing some highle defense but all in all going into that matchup you would take Tatum to win that [Laughter] one

Will the Nuggets go back to back?

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