Shocker: Analyst Names Biggest Threat To Nuggets In The West, During this final stretch of games, title-contending teams start….
The 2023-24 NBA regular season is approaching its final stretch, with most teams having about 20 games left on their schedule before the NBA playoffs get underway next month.
During this final stretch of games, title-contending teams start to separate themselves from the pack, with the Western Conference being stacked with talented squads this year, as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets are arguably the team to beat once again.
At this point in time, the debate has started about which teams in the West can actually contend with the defending champions in a seven-game series, with the Phoenix Suns emerging as a legitimate force to be reckoned with.
Although it has been an up-and-down season for the Suns, with the team dealing with a number of injuries, Phoenix seems to be coming on strong at the right time and was recently able to beat the Nuggets, prompting James Jones of FOX Sports to say this Suns team is the biggest threat to Denver’s repeat chances, via “Speak” on FS1.
“This team is scary,” Jones said. “You talk about three All-Star players that can score the basketball at any point. I mean, when all three of them play they’re averaging 121 points a game. … Are they the biggest threat? Absolutely!”
Obviously, this is only one win for the Suns over the Nuggets, so it’s hard to say this team can definitively beat Denver in a seven-game series, especially with all their injury concerns surrounding guard Bradley Beal.
However, it will be interesting to see how things pan out if these two teams meet in the playoffs.
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The Denver Nuggets are the reigning champions, yet once again, it seems like people are sleeping on them.
Nikola Jokic’s squad hasn’t been as dominant this season, but they haven’t needed to be either.
Jamal Murray has struggled with injuries, and losing Bruce Brown was a bit of a blow to their rotation.
However, more often than not, they’ve stepped up and have been at their best when they’ve had to face winning teams.
That’s why former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal believes they’re still the team to beat in the league, stating that they ‘have the blueprint’ and that no one can beat them in a seven-game series when they’re locked in (Via NBA on TNT).
“The way they’re [Nuggets] playing, especially when they’re definitely locked in, I don’t see anybody beating them in a 7-game series,” O’Neal said.
Notably, that was just minutes before they dropped an overtime game to the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns dominated for most of the game, and they were able to weather the storm after a late rally by Mike Malone’s team.
The loss was particularly shocking if you consider the fact that the Nuggets were at home and that Devin Booker wasn’t available because of an ankle injury.Even so, anybody can lose a game, and Kevin Durant most likely had this game marked on his calendar after the Nuggets took them out in the playoffs last season.
The fact of the matter is that the Nuggets are made for the playoffs.
They’ve been there and done that, and they know just what it takes to get the job done at the highest level, so it’s time people give them the credit they deserve.
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