2023-05-12 08:43:07
By outclassing the Suns tonight, the Nuggets validated their ticket to the Western Conference Finals. A return to the last four of the Playoffs, three years following their surprise qualification in the Mickey bubble during the COVID period. Enough to silence the gossips.
In 2020, in the very particular context of the Orlando bubble, the Nuggets were one of those teams that managed to sublimate themselves, like the Miami Heat or the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA finalists that year). We still remember it. Under the impetus of a fantastic Nikola Jokic – Jamal Murray duo, Michael Malone’s men had marked the Playoffs by winning two consecutive series despite a 3-1 deficit ( once morest the Jazz then the Clippers), thus winning the fourth qualification in the Conference Finals in franchise history.
Now up to fifth. In a “normal” context.
No COVID, an 82-game regular season, full playoffs, 20,000 people in the stands, and a qualification for the last four finally logical in view of the whole of the 2022-23 campaign. Many of us doubted Denver or favored the Suns of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in semi-conf, but the Nuggets have just shown why they finished first in the West on a regular basis.
Nikola Jokic plays like the MVP he has been since the start of the Playoffs. Not a surprise but it has probably never been so strong. Jamal Murray remains irregular but has reactivated the bubble mode on certain matches, and it makes the difference knowing that the Joker has often been isolated in the past two years in the postseason. The return of Michael Porter Jr. is also good, and then above all there is this collective strength/serenity that emanates today from Michael Malone’s group, which many other teams in the West would love to have. Between Aaron Gordon who is like a fish in water in his role, the arrivals of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown who are super precious, or even the contribution of little Christian Braun (rookie, 21st choice of the 2022 Draft) and the presence of Uncle Jeff Green, we are in front of a group that knows where it is going. And who especially wants to go far.
“We don’t break out the champagne because we just reached the Western Conference Finals. I keep saying that our objective is to win a title, so there is still work to do.
As Michael Malone said, qualifying for the Western Conference Finals is not an accomplishment in itself. But it has the merit of proving one thing: the superb course of the bubble in 2020 was not a stroke of luck related to the COVID context of the time. It was more of a taste of things to come for a franchise that has built itself super well over the past few years, whether through the Draft or good choices in the transfer market / Free Agency.
Next step now: go to the NBA Finals, which would be a great first for the Nuggets.
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