This was on his podcast today with Russilo. Russilo wanted to argue Milwaukee a bit but didn’t push it.
Do you agree? Are the Nuggets that good they’re better than all the championship teams from the last 5 years?
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vdGhlLWJpbGwtc2ltbW9ucy1wb2RjYXN0/episode/ZjZlOTNiNmUtZDcyNy0xMWVkLThjY2EtNWI5YjY2OTc1ZTY5?sa=X&ved=0CAQQ8qgGahcKEwjYgeqB95j_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg
by CIark
35 Comments
2019 Raptors are up there I’d say. Kawhi was BALLING that postseason
Bill Simmons loves his hyperbole
2020 Lakers with younger Bron and good jump shooter AD might have something to say about that. Wouldn’t call it an awful take tho can definitely be argued.
they have a decent shot of losing to Boston so let’s maybe pump the brakes a bit
Let’s at least let the Nuggets win the title before crowning them. But they can certainly have an argument if they keep taking care of business the way they have
2018 Rockets, 2020 Lakers and 2021 Nets
Celtics haven’t even advanced yet and Bill is already putting in the reverse jinx work. That’s true dedication right there.
Bill knows deep down the bubble Lakers were better but he would never admit it.
The massive over correction by fans and media alike is crazy. Underrate them all season, then finally watch them play and they beat the lakers (the only team national media actually cares about) now they are the greatest thing ever. Let them earn a title first
He’s building up excuses for if the Celtics lose to them. Or to prop them up even more if they beat them. This is typical Simmons strategy
I wanna say, that the thing that preceded this statement was that, with the 04 Red Sox comparisons, the vastly different thing is that if these Celtics complete the comeback, it’s not the 04 Cardinals waiting in the finals, but a really good team. Which if Bill stopped there, would be a great point. But everything afterwards felt like him putting on the biggest reverse jinx possible.
ALSO, there was a qualifier, that this Nuggets team is the best team **he saw live** in the last 5 years. Not sure how much that qualifier changes but yeah.
Why do people keep trying to fucking jinx us
Aaron Gordon and MPJ are quietly a stacked front court.
It’s hard AF to find this kind of athleticism and length to guard the new age forwards who can dribble.
KD was exhausted handling that length. Tatum will probably be shocked next round. Going from Gabe/Martin/Strus/Butler guarding him to those twin towers.
They’re good but I’d hold off on hyperbole like that.
They won “only” 53 games in the regular season.
Not to mention that, you know, they haven’t *won* yet.
I think best constructed is the term to use. Home grown, smart FA pick ups and low key but effective trades.
Plus in terms of fit it’s just about as good as you can get. If Gordon shot the 3-ball a little better and MPJ’s D and rim protection were a bit better, it would basically be the perfectly constructed supporting cast for a player as unique as Jokic.
Bill had the 2020 Lakers in his greatest teams of the century draft, not sure what happened.
I’m saying this as a big nuggets fan but they didn’t even break 55 wins this season… if they win a championship then they’re definitely in pre KD/rise of Steph Klay Draymond 2015 Warriors territory.
But 2017 Warriors are one of the top 3 teams of all time. Nuggets have to achieve a bit more for that kind of comparison
Assuming the Nuggets win the championship, saying they are the best team of the last 5 years doesn’t seem crazy
KCP was such a huge, understated pickup. Seamless fit.
I’d love to see them against the 2020 Lakers but other than them or a healthy 2021 Nets I have to agree
2020 Lakers when healthy were a force, it was the bubble sure but people forget they were the 1 seed the whole year before the bubble and absolutely cruised thru the playoffs with little to no resistance
IDK man 2019 Raps and 2020 Lakers were top teams. Gotta see this nuggets team in the Finals first.
’19 was a 60 win team the next year without Kawhi, with an absolutley historic defense. Granted, you can say that the roster overperformed on offense between Kawhi’s run, FVV exploding, while Lowry and Siakam has sneakily great scoring runs, but that team was still elite.
Meanwhile 2020 Lakers were just an outright better version of this years team. 2 of the top 3 players in the world at the time with Bron and AD (if any of you disagree, watch AD in 2020, man might have been #1 in the world) with more versatility, size, and wings than this years team, albeit a sometimes shaky offense. Of the post Warriors winners, they had the easiest time in the playoffs of them all, with no one able to really touch them.
Bill has been jerking the Nuggets and Jokic for about 4 months so this is not Celtics jinx related lol.
It’s also an interesting point, but I still 100% think that Raptors team was the best non KD warriors team recently.
Wow I didn’t know Denver had 2 MVP caliber players on the team to go along with 2 all stars. Why is it I find these playoffs so much more entertaining than 2017 and 2018 ?
1) It’s been like 4 years. Who cares?
2) Bill just throws stuff out there. I like him, but taking a comment of his in a vacuum usually isn’t worth much.
This guy is such a clown why do the biggest clowns always sit in front of a microphone. And I’m a Cs fan
I’d take 2020 Lakers or 2019 Raptors. But these Nugs are built to contend longer
Simmons already protecting his little princesses lol
Lakers 2020 is better IMO. AD was defending like a DPoY while shooting 40% from 3. 50+% from midrange.
Everyone on that laker team shot far above their regular season average.
Every position had a good defender AND was shooting lights out.
Maybe it was an aberration, but that team was ridiculous
Behooves any Celtic fan to say this. Then, if the Celtics win, it’s an all-time win. If they lose, well, they were up against an impossible opponent.
Bill going for the rare win-win-win with this statement
-If the Nuggets beat the Celtics in the Finals, he can say, “Well, the Nuggets were the best team in 5 years, there was no way we’d win”
-If the Celtics beat the Nuggets in the Finals, he can say, “Are the Celtics the best team since the 2018 Warriors?”
-If the Celtics lose to the Heat, he can say, “We wouldn’t have beat the Nuggets anyway, they are the best team since the 18 Warriors”
The Nuggets haven’t even won the chip yet, they can’t be the best since KD. Hell I think the Celtics are a better team than Denver – they have better offensive and defensive ratings than the Nuggets and they have two All-NBA players to only one Nugget. Of course Bill Simmons being the massive Boston homer he is, he’s trying to set up the underdog/giant killer narrative for his team should they pull off the 3-0 comeback tomorrow.
idk. Now we’re getting to overhype.
People have been saying it doesn’t matter who makes it out the east, it will be easy for Denver. But I don’t see how that’s the case.
Team with more youth and depth, Brogdon hurts of course.
First time playing without homecourt. If they go down 0-2. They’re playing with the pressure of being behind for the first time this playoffs.
This is a clear anti jinx. Denver has been great this playoffs and they’re definitely playing the best but they haven’t played a defense even close to bostons or miamis
People are taking what he said so wrong… Hes not comparing the Nuggets to the KD warriors. Hes saying the nuggets are better than 2019 raps, 2020 lakers, 2021 bucks, and 2022 warriors. Everyones focusing on Nuggets vs KD warriors, but of COURSE the KD warriors were WAY better than these nuggets. Bill went on to say that same thing like a sentence later.