(2) Denver Nuggets vs (3) Minnesota Timberwolves - 2024 WC Second Round
- Thread starter InstaFace
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This is why Brad keeps stockpiling premium offensive options. You can lose 1-2 at any given time and still be elite.
Most teams are fragile to a star getting hurt or being limited, but Denver is uniquely dependent on Murray being perfectly healthy, which has historically been a bad bet. Good for them that they got that title, but it's a knife's edge.
Who do you put ahead of him? I have Giannis but maybe that's it at this very moment. I'd still take Tatum assuming Tatum plays better than he did last night - I don't want to make this a Tatum thing however.
FWIW, I don't think he said maybe or at least he seemed to be implying that he probably is.
I feel like Mark Jones is fine, but we really have a lot of great play-by-play voices (i.e. Eagle, Breen, Harlan) doing NBA now and he’s not in their class. He’s probably too good to do local Kings games, but not quite great enough to do round two.
Assuming health (significant assumption, admittedly):
Giannis
Embiid
Davis
Kawhi
Tatum
I love love love Joker, but his defense is functional, at times disruptive (steals and deflections thanks to anticipation and court vision), but not at the same “two-way player” level, IMO.
I guess I never really get the criteria for "two-way player." If you play both offense and defense (as all NBA players do) and your **overall** impact is consistently the best in the league, that makes you the best two-way player, in my book.
Fair enough. I’m never gonna argue against Joker’s overall greatness. Was just thinking in terms of a baseline for both ends of the court. Like, one would not say Luka is a great two-way player despite being a pick and roll savant — so there’s a floor somewhere.
Murray is playing awful frisky for a guy who is supposedly injured...
Edit: sorry, what @TrapperAB said
Edit: sorry, what @TrapperAB said
Part of it is Denver having made adjustments since G2, and — as the announcers are pointing out — the refs aren’t allowing as much contact
Joker’s shot feels just a liiiiiiiiiiitle off (all shooters know that feeling — he can work through it)
In ten cities (sorry that's a terrible old reference but I couldn't resist).
Damn that fall away by Murray.
Yeah the officiating feels like the "points of emphasis" meeting may have shifted some focus.
How long before we get “heart of a champion” platitudes, along with a “come at the king you best not miss” side dish?
(don’t get me wrong, I do think Denver’s experience will help)
(don’t get me wrong, I do think Denver’s experience will help)
Love that half from Denver. Up 15 even though Joker is 3-8 (though with 6 assists and 9 boards). Feels like they still have another gear.
Ant, shockingly, isn’t the second coming — at least in that half.
Ant, shockingly, isn’t the second coming — at least in that half.
Ha! Only in the East. If you’ve won over 60 games. And it’s an even numbered game in the series.
This is great! We can cross off Denver *and* Minnesota as contenders! (tongue firmly in cheek, tim4wins)
Still gotta go with Kobe there, but Ant is easily the best of this generation of players.
I think Kobe was actively trying to be a Jordan impersonator. Edwards is the first guy that reminds me of him. Doesn’t mean he will win like Mike.
He's more like 05-07 Wade as a player to me, but with Jordan's charisma. Kobe played like 2nd 3peat Jordan, not young Jordan.
Everyone hates Gobert. (It was a shove, but I never expect Rudy to get the benefit of the doubt.)
I do not remember Wade bombing fucking dunks like Edwards but maybe you are seeing something else.
Let's say since Kobe. 2-way hyper athletic shooting guard with an alpha attitude, Ant does a better impression than just about anyone in the last decade.
This is fair, but it was a pretty strong impression (helped by the fact that their physical attributes were pretty damn similar). And agreed on the last, lots of things had to go right for Jordan to win as much as he did. Probably ain't happening again.