The Denver Nuggets Should Not Be Doing This…

The Denver Nuggets Should Not Be Doing This…

eight of 25 from the field, eight turnovers, and possibly the worst playoff game in Nicola Joic’s career. And the Denver Nuggets just beat the best team in the NBA. A team who prior to this series was 72 and4 on the season. Just lost to the Denver Nuggets with Nicola Joic having the worst game of his NBA career. Basically, I was the worst player on the court today, but we won the game and that was the most important. And that right there is the most shocking outcome of the playoffs so far. And it’s even more shocking when you consider this was following a game in which the Nuggets gave up 87 points in the first half and got their pants pulled down to their ankles. Every single player on the Nuggets, well, except for Russell Westbrook. He was good. So, if you had have told me that the same Thunder team would hold Nicola Joic to his worst performance of his career and lose, I would have said you were a Liar. But you know what we need to take into consideration? Aaron Gordon is the clutchest player in NBA history. Wide open Gordon for the tie. Got it. Yes, he did it again. The dunk, the three, and now another three. Aaron Gordon keeps adding to his resume. And every single game, this quote becomes more and more realistic because Aaron Gordon isn’t just doing everything to help Russell Westbrook win a ring. He is doing everything to become the mayor of Denver. I have never seen a player deliver so consistently on both ends of the floor as a non-allar in the playoffs. Time after time, clutch shot after clutch shot. Aaron Gordon, the man he is, I don’t think you can even say enough about him. I mean, even looking at the stats from this game, 228 and five on 11 shot, I can’t stress how good this guy is. Jookic will receive all the credit most nights and rightfully so. And then Jamal Mari who was very good in this game making some clutch buckets. Murray inside throws a circuit. Those guys will receive most of the credit. But I think the world is starting to catch on that Aaron Gordon is more than just a dunk contest winner. Well, should have been winner. Aaron Gordon is one of the best role players in the NBA. You talk about the Derek Whites, the OG Anobies. put Aaron Gordon in that conversation and put him right up towards the very top. He’s just that good and he’s pretty damn sexy. Anyways, moving on. But it wasn’t just Aaron Gordon. This was just another day at the office for aging. One player who performed way above expectations was Michael Porter Jr. 21 points, eight rebounds, seven of 10 shooting, and five of six from three in a game where Nicola Joic couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean. Step up Mr. ported junior entering the game with one functioning arm and a whole lot of people having written him off, myself included. I thought it was time to start Russell Westbrook. Even with the spacing concerns, the gap in play had been that drastic. I mean, just look at MPJ’s first two performances verse OKC. Well, he decided to step up and deliver a special performance in game three. a performance that despite his struggles and only having one functioning arm, not many other players are capable of because quite simply, there aren’t many players in NBA history who can shoot the ball like Michael Porter Jr. Back out to Porter Jr. over Williams. Pass. Pass. Porter Jr. for three. Just look at a play like this where Murray has the ball in the post. MPJ tries to cut initially. Williams does a great job at denying it. Murray throws it to him anyway. And even with Williams contesting, it just doesn’t matter as he knocks it down. And apparently Jaylen Williams was just giving him a shot boost out there because again on this play, even with him draped all over him, it’s a bucket. And this is what Michael Porter Jr. does. He might be frustrating at times. He might struggle to dribble at times with or without two arms, but he does not see shot contest. And you will see some performances like this where no matter the defense he is facing, he just lights it up because he is that good of a shooter and he is that tall, he is that lengthy, he can just shoot over the top of you. This is the Michael Porter Jr. that when he plays like this, the Denver Nuggets become impossible to stop. And that is no exaggeration. They just beat one of the best teams in NBA history with Nicolic having an absolute stinker. I mean, what other evidence do you need? You just hope you can get a bit more consistency. And it wasn’t just the offense for Denver. Let’s not forget when a team goes 72 and 14 in their first 84 games of a season, it means they’re not just an incredible defense, but an unstoppable offense with an unstoppable scorer who is about to be crowned MVP. Well, that unstoppable scorer had some serious troubles against this Denver defense in game three. And in particular, Christian Brown in the fourth quarter. Watch him here against Shay, staying with him on the first hesitation. And then as Shay drives to his right, it’s CB’s ability to stay chest to chest and contest the floater perfectly. Or how about the two biggest defensive possessions of the game with the Thunder up by three points and 40 seconds remaining. This is essentially the game right here. Well, that’s a lie. We saw OKC choke that same kind of lead 4 days ago. But anyways, CB does a great job at staying with him, moving his feet, and on the step back, he doesn’t block the shot, but he does enough to force Shay into an uncharacteristically flat jumper. And then 30 seconds later, again on an island against Shay and again forcing Sheay into that tough moving floater to his right and having the physicality to get into his body and disrupt it. This was the defense that held Shay to one of eight shooting in the fourth. Yes, Joic had a stinker, but it was somewhat balanced out by Sheay struggling just as much. And Christian Brown deserves a lot of credit. And obviously, this wasn’t a one-man effort, just like we are seeing with the Thunder’s defense against Jokic. Two, three, four bodies are getting thrown at both of these guys and forcing the ball out of their hands. But there are still the primary assignments. And Brown has been that against Sheay. And I thought the first two games he wasn’t great, but this game he was terrific to the point where Sheay didn’t even take a shot in overtime. And if there is one bit of credit to give Jokic for this game, he delivered in overtime. Now, that is the only bit of credit because like he said and like I said, this was the worst game of his career and I just don’t imagine he will ever have a game like this again. Shooting 0 of 10 from three and just stinking it up from turnovers to miss shots. Look, let’s put this one in the history books, but he did step up when it mattered in overtime. And that, well, that’s something. And in addition to all of the starters, yes, Jamal Murray was fantastic. And the rest of the starters, not named to Nicolai Joic, two other players need a mention, Russell Westbrook and Peyton Watson. Russell Westbrook didn’t have his best game, but it was a solid game, and he’s been fantastic all playoffs long. And for a player who people said would be unplayable in the playoffs. Yeah, he won’t when it matters. What I’m telling you, he will be a net negative on winning playoff games. If this is a bad Russell Westbrook game where he still gives you solid minutes, some playmaking, some scoring, still gives you energy on defense, well, we are seeing that the good Russell Westbrook games have been very common. And if this is his flaw, then the Nuggets are a much better team than they would have been without Russell Westbrook. Another player who they needed and was the X factor of the bench. I expected a solid performance from Russ. Not to this degree, but I expected him to be good. Peyton Watson was the question mark of this Denver bench. Well, I don’t know if he’s completely answered that question yet, but he was fantastic in this game. Not only knocking down shots, but defensively. There has never been a question mark over Peyton Watson’s defense. If he can do enough offensively to stay on the floor, well then his defense, his defense is special. I mean, look at this play. Two feet in the paint. He’s got his eyes on Alex Caruso the moment the pass gets thrown to check. Look at the ability to turn and then meet the sevenfooter at the rim. Peyton Watson isn’t a generational talent, but he has some generational shot blocking instincts and talent for someone at his position and his size. And if he can continue to make threes and improve his finishing at the rim, he’s going to be a reliable bench player at worst for this Nuggets team. And for a team who looked like they might have six players at best, a seven-man rotation with Russell Westbrook playing like a sixth starter and hopefully MPJ continuing to shoot like this. This is a team that can go a lot further than I think most people thought was possible, myself included. Now, if you made it all the way to the end of this video, consider subscribing for more content like this. Dropping a like on the video would be cool. Most importantly, have a great day. Bye.

Aaron Gordon you are a special human
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