Denver Nuggets
The 2024-25 Denver Nuggets can be defined by taking the Thunder to seven games in the second round — with an interim coach and shallow supporting cast.
What did we learn?
The turmoil between the Denver front office and coaching staff was extreme.
So much so, that with three games left in the season, the Nuggets cleaned house.
The firing of Michael Malone, a coach who had done nothing but win in Denver, and win at a high level, was shocking.
But on April 8 with the playoffs looming, David Adelman was in as the interim head coach.
If it seemed like most people picked the Clippers to win that first round series it’s because most people did pick the Clippers.
It’s hard to blame them given Denver’s current state of affairs.
But the Nuggets still had the Joker.
It was a back-and-forth series with narrow margins all around.
Denver survived Game 1 in OT (a good Westbrook game), however, the Clippers responded in Game 2 behind 39 from Kawhi and dominated Game 3 in LA.
Down 2-1, it took an Aaron Gordon dunk at the buzzer of Game 4 to tie the series and save the Nuggets from losing three straight.
Game 5 saw the return of an old pal, Bubble Playoff Jamal Murray, who had the Blue Arrow out in full force with eight 3s and 43 points.
The Clips would force a Game 7, but the Nuggets had the Clippers number in the playoffs once again, up by 35 points in the third quarter.
Round II vs. OKC was a gauntlet.
A battle of MVPs.
How could this Nuggets team hang with the 68-win Thunder’s depth?
Jokic is just that special.
And Adelman had them go full blown Miami Heat, playing zone defense.
The Nuggets avalanche of a comeback in Game 1 was capped by another Aaron Gordon game-winner, this time of the 3-point variety. Jokic had 42 points and 22 rebounds.
OKC bounced back in the biggest possible way with a 43-point smackdown in Game 2.
But the Nuggets took care of business in OT at home in Game 3, holding the Thunder to just two points in overtime.
OKC locked in and took the next two games to go up 3-2 and put the Nuggets on the ropes.
That’s when Julian Strawther erupted in Denver in Game 6 and Jamal Murray had a flu game as well.
Game 7 in OKC.
Gordon was dealing with Grade 2 hammy strain and the Nuggets couldn’t afford him at less than 100 percent.
But they still started out hot with Christian Braun and it was looking optimistic.
Until the Thunder went on a big run late in the 2nd quarter that carried over to the 3rd, fueled by Denver turnovers and OKC never looked back.
The Nuggets were out of gas. David Adelman’s 8-man rotation had no energy left.
One armed MPJ no showed.
In the series, Westbrook was an overwhelming negative, posting a -92 plus-minus and shooting 34.8 percent from the field and 21.9 percent from 3.
Those Jokic 40+ points and 20+ rebounds games are the stuff of Wilt. Myths that we get to watch in real life.
And it’s even more remarkable given that he had every defender mauling him and slapping his hands, banging him every chance they got.
OKC had an all-time defense after all, flying around with one of the best help defenses we’ve seen.
The Nuggets current roster posed many limitations with spacing and defense. Too many to overcome the Thunder in seven games.
The Nuggets saw they clearly owed it to Jokic to surround him with a better supporting cast going forward.
So that’s exactly what they did.
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Additional Notes
Injuries have stunted his progression, but Strawther in Game 6 is the potential we believe in.
Peyton Watson had some good stretches in the regular season, but the playoffs were a disappointment. He didn’t get much run and didn’t do much with it.
Zeke Naji’s 4-year $32-million extension before the start of the 2023-24 season didn’t make sense at the time and looks even so much worse now. They say he’s an excellent piano player, though.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Really hate to bet against Jokic, but 48-50 wins feels like the outcome. Under 51.5 wins.
Nuggets 2024-25 record: (50-32)
NAILED IT.
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What’s Next?
David Adelman has been named the full-time head coach and upgrades have been made:
Goodbye, MPJ. Hello Cam Johnson! And welcome back to old buddy Bruce Brown. Tim Hardaway Jr. was also brought to the mile-high for veteran floor-spacing.
Is that a backup big? Yup, Jonas Valanciunas is here now to actually offer a spell for Jokic to catch a breather once in a while. Unless… Big Val opts to play overseas as some recent rumors suggest. That would throw a wrench into things.
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