The Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round and will now face the Phoenix Suns in the second round. It was a five-game series win for both teams and is an intriguing matchup for a second-round series.
The Nuggets are the 1-seed in the Western Conference and had a great regular season. Phoenix had a phenomenal end to the regular season after acquiring superstar Kevin Durant at the trade deadline. The Suns have a top-heavy team with Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton. This is a formidable four-player core, but Denver does have better depth than them.
The Nuggets are built around two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. In the first round, Jokic averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from 3-point range. They have surrounded him with Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr., as well as role players like Kentavious Caldwell Pope, Bruce Brown, and more.
Murray had a great first-round series, averaging 27.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists. He shot 47.1 percent and 42.9 percent from behind the arc. This was the best Murray has played since the 2020 bubble playoffs.
Denver is playing well and will need to play its best against Phoenix. The Suns are one of the most talented teams in the playoffs and have the star power to make a deep run. This should be a terrific second-round series.
With that said, here is the Nuggets' X-Factor against the Suns in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Nuggets X-Factor: Aaron Gordon
Aaron Gordon will be the X-factor in this series for the Nuggets. While Jokic, Murray, and Porter are talked about a ton, Gordon is a very important part of this team. Gordon's offense is a big boost for Denver when he has it going. In the first-round series against the Timberwolves, Gordon averaged 13.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. He shot 50.0 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from downtown.
While Gordon's offense will certainly be important in this series to keep up with the Suns, his defense will be crucial. Gordon will likely be tasked with defending Durant, who is one of the best scorers in NBA history. Durant has adjusted well to Phoenix since the trade deadline and is making a significant impact. In the Suns' first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Durant averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. He shot very efficiently at 51.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range.
Gordon is a good defensive player, but he will have his hands full with Durant. Durant is a player who is nearly unstoppable. He can score at all three levels, and with the surrounding talent in Phoenix, doubling him leaves opponents susceptible to Booker explosions.
This makes Gordon's one-on-one defense even more important. Stopping Durant isn't very possible, but Gordon can do his best to contain him. Forcing Durant into tough shots and making him work hard for his buckets is what the Nuggets will need Gordon to do.
Aaron Gordon is the X-factor in this series for Denver as his defense on Kevin Durant will be pivotal, and his offense will give an extra boost.
This Nuggets-Suns second-round series will be one for the ages. The 1-seed will take on a star-powered Suns team. Both of these teams are championship contenders, and the winner of this series will advance to the Western Conference Finals.
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