There was considerable, justifiable doubt surrounding the Denver Nuggets entering the 2023 NBA playoffs. They did not end the 2022-23 regular season on the best foot, with the MVP discourse surrounding Nikola Jokic turning toxic, and as a result, some pundits believed that the Nuggets may end up being the casualty of a first-round upset.
However, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have put all that talk to bed. They finished the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round without much fuss. And now, they are only two wins away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals again after three years after they outlasted the Phoenix Suns in a low-scoring Game 2 that ended with a 97-87 score line. This Game 2 victory over the Suns comes on the heels of a convincing Game 1 win, which sets the Nuggets up nicely for the rest of the series.
Entering their second-round clash against the Suns, some pundits and fans believed that Devin Booker and Kevin Durant may be too much for the Nuggets' defense to handle. Nikola Jokic, after all, isn't the best defender, and there are plenty of occasions where opponents have taken advantage of Jokic's lack of defensive mobility on the perimeter and lack of rim protection.
But the Nuggets have thoroughly outplayed the Suns through the series thus far, forcing Booker and Durant into one tough shot after another, making the Suns' lives extremely difficult.
Nevertheless, nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. With the series heading to Phoenix, the Suns could very well get back into the series even if history hasn't been too kind to them.
With that said, here are three bold predictions for how the Nuggets will perform on Friday night.
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3. Michael Porter Jr. puts up his best-ever playoff game for the Nuggets
Michael Porter Jr. has become sort of a forgotten man for the Nuggets. Many expected Porter to make the leap to superstardom during the 2021-22 season, but he ended up suffering a back injury, derailing what could have been a golden opportunity for the talented forward.
Now, Porter has become more of a guy on the fringes for the Nuggets rather than a featured option on a nightly basis. Even with the Nuggets struggling to space the floor (7/27 from deep in Game 2), head coach Michael Malone still opted to roll with Bruce Brown in crunch time due to his defensive capabilities. And it's hard to fault Malone for doing so because it worked, as the Nuggets go on the road with a 2-0 series lead.
But for this Nuggets team to truly reach its ceiling, Michael Porter Jr. will have to play a bigger role on offense. And in Game 3, Porter should do exactly that to help Denver, a team that finished with a below .500 record on the road this past season, claim a commanding 3-0 lead over the Suns.
Porter has taken a demotion to a diminished role to heart before, but expect him to come back with a vengeance as he tries to prove to Malone that he is deserving of a more featured role with a resounding Game 3 performance.
2. Nuggets hold the Suns bench scoreless
When the Suns traded for Kevin Durant, it definitely looked like they only exacerbated their depth woes. Regardless, when you get an opportunity to add a player of Durant's caliber, you definitely do it in a heartbeat like the Suns did.
However, their bench production has gotten so awful to the point where there's now a debate to be had (as flimsy as the arguments may be) regarding the merit of trading for Durant at the expense of depth.
In Game 2, the Suns bench scored an astounding four points, two each from Bismack Biyombo and Cameron Payne. That is not going to cut it. That is embarrassing.
And the Nuggets must not hesitate to twist the knife.
Only four playoff teams have failed to get any sort of production in the scoring column in the past. In Game 3, expect the Nuggets' defense to make it five as the Suns' bench continues to scuffle to an unprecedented degree.
1. Nikola Jokic drops 30+ points, 20+ rebounds in blowout victory
Nikola Jokic has already said that he doesn't particularly care anymore about whatever the result of the MVP race may be. But given how competitive he is, losing out to Joel Embiid will surely ignite the Nuggets star's competitive fire. And what better way to take out one's frustration than by doing so with one's performance on the court?
Expect Jokic to put Deandre Ayton in a blender as the Suns, who may be without Chris Paul for Game 3, struggle to keep up with a full-strength Nuggets team in Game 3.
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