Nuggets are the biggest threat if they run it back
However, if they lose KCP, I do think they have some issues
horseshoeoverlook
You know, Paul Pierce is one of the more logical analysts out there sans the ESPN era
GayForJamie
The only contenders are OKC/Minny in the west and Boston/Knicks in the east.
Denver is bleeding role players and won’t hold up, even though I love Jokic.
Mavs just had a fluke year.
Bucks are too old.
Sixers depend on Embiid’s health and how they fill out. I don’t trust that.
Timoteo-Tito64
No world in which I’m more scared of a Philly team than a team with jokic on it (especially when that team also has Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon)
Scared-Arrival3885
At most they’ll have to play one team from the west and 3 from the east to repeat. There’s a good chance Boston will have to go through Philly and NY, but not play Denver at all.
I guess in that sense I’d be more confident in the 76ers and knicks disrupting the Celtics based on the chances being much greater they meet in the playoffs
CBFball
I would never dismiss them but if they lose KCP they’re not nearly as dynamic as they have been.
People underrated the losses of brown and Jeff Green and it really hurt their bench. Now losing a starter moves someone like Braun into the starters which is already not great and pushes up another bench guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make the WCF again if they lose KCP
JaDamian_Steinblatt
I disagree
Denver is far and away the scariest team out there
Kolzig33189
It’s early regardless to talk about Denver. Right now they’re losing another great role player in KCP but who knows what they’ll add or change before next season.
jotyma5
The west is so currently stacked that it will be hard for the nuggets to make the finals. I think OKC might make that leap in 2025
Drawing_The_Line
Denver with Jokic and Murray will always be a threat, but the fact that Brown and Green left, and now they’re apparently ok with KCP and Jackson gone definitely lowers the magnitude of their threat level. Knicks are now stacked with almost 2 starting lineups (remains to be seen if Hartenstein returns) and Philly is currently incomplete, but they have the ability in theory to make their team a threat. I didn’t listen to Pierce’s thoughts on this, but I’m inclined to agree with his sentiment based on how this offseason has gone up to this point. Lots of time between now and the start of the season to see how things shake out.
Ok-Deer637
I still think Denver is the best team in the West but it’s totally possible for OKC, Minnesota and Dallas to beat them in the playoffs. The Knicks can definitely win more regular season games than Milwaukee. Yes they have up a lot for Bridges, but they have a win now mentality and reuniting those Villanova guys will really pay off in bringing the team together. I think we beat them in 5 or 6 still.
20124eva
Why does Indy get overlooked? Is it exclusively due to being a small market team? I would think ecf team would be on more people’s radars
TriMako
The sixers could go back in time to 1992 and recruit Michael Jeffrey Jordan to their current team and I would still feel like Embiid would somehow find a way to lose to the Celtics
NecessaryPair5
Pierce again trying to be different. The Denver Nuggets are still the only threat to us winning back to back. I don’t see any team in the west beating us in a 7 game series besides the nuggets. Phila is our bitch even Embid knows it he said in one of his interviews in the past that our rivalry isn’t a rivalry anymore if they are always losing to us.
aja_ramirez
I will say this; way too many people talk about the nuggets like they’re the boogie man after winning one title and bowing out in the second round the next year. The celtics are the boogie man.
Frozen_Shades
This headline makes me think Paul Pierce has no clue how the NBA schedules games.
Cvspartan
I’d easily rather play the Knicks or 76ers in a 7-game series than Jokic
Unfair-Club8243
At this point I just follow what he says cuz it’s fun
MyLittlePwny2
If Nuggets lose KCP and none of their bench guys can step up and fill his role, they’re still at worst, a tier 2 contender. Jokic by himself makes them a playoff team even in the loaded west. He never gets hurt, and he’s so damn good. Best player in the league.
jmesh12
I think it depends on what teams do in free agency. The Nuggets last year were not nearly as deep as their finals run which forced Jokic to do everything which cost them against Minnesota. I think if we retain our depth there’s no one that can beat us.
noBbatteries
Philly is a non-factor, I’m legit only scared of the Nuggets. Knicks could be scary, but I’d have to see who’s left to face if the matchup even happens, bc no way in hell does a fully healthy Knicks team make it to the second or third round. At least one of them must be sacrificed by lord Thibs to the play to many minutes basketball gods
21 Comments
Nuggets are the biggest threat if they run it back
However, if they lose KCP, I do think they have some issues
You know, Paul Pierce is one of the more logical analysts out there sans the ESPN era
The only contenders are OKC/Minny in the west and Boston/Knicks in the east.
Denver is bleeding role players and won’t hold up, even though I love Jokic.
Mavs just had a fluke year.
Bucks are too old.
Sixers depend on Embiid’s health and how they fill out. I don’t trust that.
No world in which I’m more scared of a Philly team than a team with jokic on it (especially when that team also has Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon)
At most they’ll have to play one team from the west and 3 from the east to repeat. There’s a good chance Boston will have to go through Philly and NY, but not play Denver at all.
I guess in that sense I’d be more confident in the 76ers and knicks disrupting the Celtics based on the chances being much greater they meet in the playoffs
I would never dismiss them but if they lose KCP they’re not nearly as dynamic as they have been.
People underrated the losses of brown and Jeff Green and it really hurt their bench. Now losing a starter moves someone like Braun into the starters which is already not great and pushes up another bench guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make the WCF again if they lose KCP
I disagree
Denver is far and away the scariest team out there
It’s early regardless to talk about Denver. Right now they’re losing another great role player in KCP but who knows what they’ll add or change before next season.
The west is so currently stacked that it will be hard for the nuggets to make the finals. I think OKC might make that leap in 2025
Denver with Jokic and Murray will always be a threat, but the fact that Brown and Green left, and now they’re apparently ok with KCP and Jackson gone definitely lowers the magnitude of their threat level. Knicks are now stacked with almost 2 starting lineups (remains to be seen if Hartenstein returns) and Philly is currently incomplete, but they have the ability in theory to make their team a threat. I didn’t listen to Pierce’s thoughts on this, but I’m inclined to agree with his sentiment based on how this offseason has gone up to this point. Lots of time between now and the start of the season to see how things shake out.
I still think Denver is the best team in the West but it’s totally possible for OKC, Minnesota and Dallas to beat them in the playoffs. The Knicks can definitely win more regular season games than Milwaukee. Yes they have up a lot for Bridges, but they have a win now mentality and reuniting those Villanova guys will really pay off in bringing the team together. I think we beat them in 5 or 6 still.
Why does Indy get overlooked? Is it exclusively due to being a small market team? I would think ecf team would be on more people’s radars
The sixers could go back in time to 1992 and recruit Michael Jeffrey Jordan to their current team and I would still feel like Embiid would somehow find a way to lose to the Celtics
Pierce again trying to be different. The Denver Nuggets are still the only threat to us winning back to back. I don’t see any team in the west beating us in a 7 game series besides the nuggets. Phila is our bitch even Embid knows it he said in one of his interviews in the past that our rivalry isn’t a rivalry anymore if they are always losing to us.
I will say this; way too many people talk about the nuggets like they’re the boogie man after winning one title and bowing out in the second round the next year. The celtics are the boogie man.
This headline makes me think Paul Pierce has no clue how the NBA schedules games.
I’d easily rather play the Knicks or 76ers in a 7-game series than Jokic
At this point I just follow what he says cuz it’s fun
If Nuggets lose KCP and none of their bench guys can step up and fill his role, they’re still at worst, a tier 2 contender. Jokic by himself makes them a playoff team even in the loaded west. He never gets hurt, and he’s so damn good. Best player in the league.
I think it depends on what teams do in free agency. The Nuggets last year were not nearly as deep as their finals run which forced Jokic to do everything which cost them against Minnesota. I think if we retain our depth there’s no one that can beat us.
Philly is a non-factor, I’m legit only scared of the Nuggets. Knicks could be scary, but I’d have to see who’s left to face if the matchup even happens, bc no way in hell does a fully healthy Knicks team make it to the second or third round. At least one of them must be sacrificed by lord Thibs to the play to many minutes basketball gods