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Despite the injuries and difficult overall season, the Denver Nuggets punched their tickets to the playoff by securing the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Led by the masterful play of likely MVP, Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have overcome a variety of hurdles to extend their season and finish with a 48-34 record. Unlucky for them, they will face the third-seeded Golden State Warriors. Golden State is looking to return to the title contender conversation. 2018 was the last time they have been on top. The Warriors secured the third seed due to their 53-29 record and the red-hot start to the season by Steph Curry. This Warriors Nuggets matchup may ultimately prove to be too much for Denver as the Warriors hold a major advantage in these three factors.
3 Reasons Why Warriors Will Beat Nuggets in First Round of NBA Playoffs
The Return of Klay Thompson
It has been far too long since fans have had a chance to watch Klay Thompson on a basketball court. The days of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson forming the splash brothers and dominating the league are unforgettable. However, Thompson was forced to be away from competitive basketball for 941 days due to consecutive ACL and achilles tears.
Thompson has appeared in just 32 games this season and has averaged 20.4 points while shooting 38.5% from beyond the three-point arc. The sniper launches an impressive 9.3 three-point attempts per game which trails only Steph Curry for the most on the team. Thompson seems ready for another deep postseason run. It has not taken long for Thompson to find his place in the offense as the Warriors have made a conscious effort to get him back to form.
The Warriors are a different team with a healthy Thompson and it appears this is finally the case. Don't forget this is the same player who once scored 60 points on just 11 dribbles not too long ago. If Thompson is back to his old self, finding a way to guard all the Warriors' weapons will be a difficult task for the Denver defense.
The Difference in Depth
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One of the benefits of Thompson's absence was the opportunity it provided for others while he was out. Jordan Poole is the first name to come to mind. The third-year player has seen his scoring average increase from 8.8 points his rookie year to 18.5 points per game this season. JP3 has established himself as a legitimate part of the Warriors' offense. This has not changed since Thompson has returned. He also deserves a ton of credit for changing his game up a great deal to better fit in the Warriors' offense, and the results of it have been incredibly successful.
In addition to Jordan Poole, guys like Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter Jr, and Kevon Looney have all made massive strides in their respective games. This current Warriors roster is reminiscent of the original Golden State team which won the championship in 2015 before Kevin Durant even joined. Finding a way to match up with all these weapons is a difficult task for any defense, and this is a battle the Nuggets will be forced to fight.
Nikola Jokic is Only Human
It is tough not to be amazed by the play of Nikola Jokic. The soon-to-be two-time MVP has almost singlehandedly elevated this Denver roster into a contender due to his high basketball IQ, passing and impressive control over each game. The Nuggets run an ideal scheme for his play and Jokic has the production to match it. That is shown by the 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game he averages.
There should not be concerns about the play of Jokic in this matchup. It is the cast behind him that Denver needs to step up. The back injury to Michael Porter Jr and the ACL tear that Jamal Murray endured will keep each player out for the remainder of the season and leave Jokic without his proper running mates. While guys like Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Monte Morris, and Bones Hyland have all impressed, they simply do not live up to the standard of a contending team. This tough first-round matchup with the Warriors should not take away from the impressive regular season play of Jokic, but the current team will not elevate to contender status with such key members still on the injury report. The Warriors Nuggets matchup is simply too great a differential in talent.
Series Odds
Unsurprisingly given the seeding advantage, the Warriors are listed as -250 favorites for the series. In contrast, the Nuggets are +210 underdogs. The opening game will tip-off on Friday with the home-court advantage in favor of Golden State.
