NBA FINALS 2023: Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets

[PIP]

Your Lebron prejudice is so intense it makes it hard to take stuff you say seriously. Giannis isn't as good as Lebron, he's at his peak already and will certainly never be better than Lebron.

Jokic isn't "far" more skilled than Bron either, although I agree there's a case that he's every bit as good and perhaps even slightly better at peak.

Now comparing them both to Jordan at peak...that's an interesting debate.

Oh I think he’s far more skilled. (Jokic)… Giannis is not however— but Giannis does have the skill set, athleticism and power to be just as dominant.

Jokic can do it all tho. Outside, inside, post, around the rim, touch, can finish with either hand, can put in the floor, best passer in the game, high level rebounder.

I’ll give LeBron and Giannis the edge defensively.

 

[Derek]

Well I think the twolves is definitely a stretch and a half. We beat plenty of teams that would handle the wolves who were likely the worst team in the entire playoffs

Point taken otherwise. The East wasn’t world beaters, but our final opponent always made up for it

I think you’re really underestimating the Wolves. Only reason they were seeded so low is because Towns missed nearly the entire season.

Edwards, Towns, and Gobert are pretty damn good. I’d put the Wolves up against any of the Eastern conference teams we ran through.

 

[Derek]

The way he played this season, and in these playoffs, I'd say he was definitely "in the ballpark". Doesn't have the length of greatness LBJ had, but as of right now he tilts the floor in a very similar way.

For sure. Sustaining it is what puts you in the GOAT conversation, but the season/playoffs Jokic just had? It was an all-time great season.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

He likes basketball. He just doesn't like parades.

I don't think you can play like he plays and not like basketball. He understands every intricacy and plays with all kinds of flair.

He seems like an introvert. Doesn't like cameras in his face, doesn't like being center of attention. I do think he loves the game, loves his teammates, and loves challenging himself.

 

[CardiacCavs]

He likes basketball. He just doesn't like parades.

I don't think you can play like he plays and not like basketball. He understands every intricacy and plays with all kinds of flair.

The City of Denver should let him ride a chariot with his horses down the main street like this is some Roman Triumph. I bet that would make the parade more tolerable to him

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

The City of Denver should let him ride a chariot with his horses down the main street like this is some Roman Triumph. I bet that would make the parade more tolerable to him

I just can’t imagine how openly high Shump and JR would be during a parade in Denver.

 

[eChameleon]

When you think about it, ever since we won in 2016, some pretty worthy teams have won. Raptors, Bucks, now the Nuggets. Teams impossible to hate.

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

When you think about it, ever since we won in 2016, some pretty worthy teams have won. Raptors, Bucks, now the Nuggets. Teams impossible to hate.

I think you technically have to go back to the Mavericks, but seeing all these small markets win in that stretch (and with the exception of a 50-year old Milwaukee chip, all franchise-firsts) is definitely a win for the NBA.

 

[2 For The Brew]

I think you technically have to go back to the Mavericks, but seeing all these small markets win in that stretch (and with the exception of a 50-year old Milwaukee chip, all franchise-firsts) is definitely a win for the NBA.

Toronto is a small market?

 

[godfather]

The way he played this season, and in these playoffs, I'd say he was definitely "in the ballpark". Doesn't have the length of greatness LBJ had, but as of right now he tilts the floor in a very similar way.

Even I was hesitate to say this, but now, he's in the ballpark.

No one has done what this guy has done. People realize that, right?

He's the only player in the HISTORY of the NBA to have a 30, 20, 10 triple double THREE TIMES!

There's only TWO players that's done it in the history of the NBA, once. Wilt and Kareem. They did it once!

This guy has done it three times.

Jokic to me has to be in the top-5 centers discussion. This guy is that good.

 

[godfather]

Jokic is by far the most unique player in the history of the league. I love seeing that this guy plays point guard, and center on the floor.

As I said before, he's a VERY good defender, too, and this series proved it. He does it all. He's a complete player.

I want to laugh at anyone that ever put Embiid in his category. Because that is laughable. Embiid is not even in the ballpark. Jokic runs laps around him.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Jokic is by far the most unique player in the history of the league. I love seeing that this guy plays point guard, and center on the floor.

As I said before, he's a VERY good defender, too, and this series proved it. He does it all. He's a complete player.

I want to laugh at anyone that ever put Embiid in his category. Because that is laughable. Embiid is not even in the ballpark. Jokic runs laps around him.

One thing I noticed was how his length and incredibly good hands bailed out so many of his teammates on the offensive end when they got into trouble.

Lots of guys start a drive and then get stuck, or pick up their dribble, or get double-teamed, or otherwise do something that in many cases would result in a turnover.

But on the Nuggets, guys in trouble can often turn and toss these high arcing passes at awkward angles in Jokic' direction that he is able to grab, and then resets the offense. That seems to happen a lot.

It's just an incredible advantage to have the primary playmaker in the middle of the offense rather than in the backcourt. The angles are just so much better.

 

[CardiacCavs]

I think you technically have to go back to the Mavericks, but seeing all these small markets win in that stretch (and with the exception of a 50-year old Milwaukee chip, all franchise-firsts) is definitely a win for the NBA.

I saw a crazy fact on Twitter last night -- this is the first time a non Texas or California western conference team won a title since the Supersonics in 1979.

 

[godfather]

One thing I noticed was how his length and incredibly good hands bailed out so many of his teammates on the offensive end when they got into trouble.

Lots of guys start a drive and then get stuck, or pick up their dribble, or get double-teamed, or otherwise do something that in many cases would result in a turnover.

But on the Nuggets, guys in trouble can often turn and toss these high arcing passes at awkward angles in Jokic' direction that he is able to grab, and then resets the offense. That seems to happen a lot.

It's just an incredible advantage to have the primary playmaker in the middle of the offense rather than in the backcourt. The angles are just so much better.

I think legacy wise he's surpassed Durant.

Definitely in the ballpark of LeBron.

I think LeBron is slightly better, but its not by a lot. How can you realistically be a lot better than him. You can't.

Wilt I think is better, but I wouldn't even say by a lot. Defensively he is for sure.

 

[cavsfever]

You do need to look at longevity and productivity of peak before assessing a player. A fair number of players have had incredibly high peaks but not sustained. Shaq at peak was an unbelievably dominant player (although obviously not nearly as well rounded as Jokic), but he didn't quite sustain and is not now thought of as on the very highest tier.

With that said Jokic has not so far (fingers crossed) been injury prone and we could very well see five years of this kind of play with more than one championship. Hopefully we're just at the beginning.