Heating Up Some Nuggets To Go With My 'Big-Face Coffee'! | Official Miami HEAT (#8) vs. Denver Nuggets (#1) | 2023 NBA Finals Thread
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T.he I.nformant
1st Ballot HOF Teller
How the 2023 NBA Finals rosters were built: Denver Nuggets
Take a closer look at how the Denver Nuggets assembled the roster that led them to their 1st NBA Finals appearance.
How the 2023 NBA Finals rosters were built: Denver Nuggets
Take a closer look at how the Denver Nuggets assembled the roster that led them to their 1st NBA Finals appearance.The Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history, sitting just four wins away from their first NBA championship after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
The team that will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals was built with a combination of draft picks, free agent signings and trade acquisitions. Below we’ll dive into how each player joined the Nuggets, broken down by acquisition type.
NBA Draft
Nikola Jokic: 41st overall pick, 2014 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 38.9 mpg, 29.9 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 10.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 53.8% FG, 47.4% on 3-pointers, 1.8 3pg, 78.4% FT, NBA record eight triple-doubles in 15 games
The core of this Nuggets team was built through the draft, beginning with Jokic back in 2014. When Denver used its second-round pick to select the future two-time Kia NBA MVP, Jokic was asleep in Serbia and the selection was revealed on the U.S. broadcast on ESPN’s ticker while a Taco Bell ad played during a commercial break. Fast forward nearly nine years and Jokic has established himself as an all-time great NBA center, breaking records set by Wilt Chamberlain while leading the Nuggets to the Finals.
Jamal Murray: 7th overall pick, 2016 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 39.1 mpg, 27.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.7 spg, 48% FG, 39.8% on 3-pointers, 3.1 3pg, 92.5% FT in 15 games
While the Nuggets selected Murray with the seventh overall pick in 2016, they acquired the rights to that pick five years earlier as part of a three-team trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. In addition to the players and Draft picks they received for trading the future Hall of Famer, the Nuggets acquired the right to swap 2016 first-round picks with New York. Following the Draft Lottery, the Knicks (32-50) held the No. 7 pick while the Nuggets (33-49) held the No. 9 pick, so they decided to exercise the pick swap to move into the No. 7 spot where they selected Murray out of Kentucky. It seems fitting that on the same day that Anthony officially announced his retirement, a player acquired in a trade by the team that drafted him back in 2003 helped the Nuggets reach the Finals.
Michael Porter Jr.: 14th overall pick, 2018 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 33.7 mpg, 14.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 45.5% FG, 40.8% on 3-pointers, 2.8 3pg, 81% FT in 15 games
Entering the 2018 NBA draft there was no concern about Michael Porter Jr.’s talent translating to the NBA. But there were plenty of concerns about a lower back injury which had required surgery and limited him to just three games at Missouri before he declared for the Draft. Picking at the end of the lottery, the Nuggets watched as Porter Jr. continued to fall. Entering the day with little hope of landing a player of Porter Jr.’s caliber, the Nuggets pounced on the opportunity to bring him to Denver. His third season with the Nuggets was cut short as he needed a third back surgery, but he returned healthy this season and has been a key contributor to this Finals run.
Trades
Aaron Gordon: Trade with Magic on March 25, 2021
• Playoff stats: 35.6 mpg. 13.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 49% FG, 35.1% on 3-pointers, 0.9 3pg, 70.4% FT in 15 games
After making three shrewd Draft picks to acquire Jokic, Murray and Porter, the Nuggets looked for additional pieces to help bolster the roster. At the trade deadline in 2021, the Nuggets pulled the trigger on a trade to acquire Gordon from Orlando along with Gary Clark in exchange for R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and a 2025 first-round draft pick (top-five protected). While best known for his Slam Dunk contest exploits during his time with the Magic, Gordon has been a full-time starter for the Nuggets since his arrival.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Trade with Wizards on July 6, 2022
• Playoff stats: 33.3 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 48.1% FG, 41.1% on 3-pointers, 2.0 3pg, 86.4% FT in 15 games
The Nuggets acquired Caldwell-Pope (and Ish Smith) from the Wizards for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Denver saw Caldwell-Pope as a strong perimeter fit alongside Jokic and Murray and have been proven correct as he has been a key piece to Denver’s run to the Finals. Caldwell-Pope is the only player on the Nuggets to have won an NBA title as he was part of the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers that won the title in the bubble — knocking out Denver in the conference finals along with way. Three seasons later, Caldwell-Pope helped the Nuggets oust the Lakers in the West Finals.
Free agency
Jeff Green: Signed as free agent on Aug. 11, 2021
• Playoff stats: 18.6 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.7 apg, 37.7% FG, 26.9% on 3-pointers, 84.6% FT in 15 games
The Nuggets signed the veteran forward in August of 2021, making Denver the 11th team that Green has played for in his 15-year career. Green is one of three Nuggets players that have appeared in the NBA Finals as he was part of the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers, who were sweptby the Warriors.
Bruce Brown: Signed as free agent on July 7, 2022
• Playoff stats: 26.5 mpg, 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 53.1% FG, 28.9 3P, 0.7 3pg, 89.5% FT in 15 games
Drafted by Detroit in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, Brown spent two seasons with the Pistons before being traded to Brooklyn as part of a three-team deal with the Nets and Clippers. A key part of Brooklyn’s playoff teams in 2021 and ’22, Brown signed with Denver as a free agent last summer, bringing versatility and toughness to the roster. He has been a key contributor off the bench during this playoff run and has a player option for next season.
Coaching
Coach Michael Malone: Hired June 15, 2015
The road to the Finals began before any current player was on the Nuggets roster. The first step was finding the right coach to lead the team, which Denver did when they hired Michael Malone on June 15, 2015. Inheriting a team that won 30 games the previous season, Malone led the Nuggets to 33 wins in his first season, 40 in his second, 46 in his third and broke into the playoffs with a 54-win season in 2018-19. There are only three active coaches that have been with their teams longer than Malone: the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich (27 seasons, five titles), the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra (15 seasons, four titles) and the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr (nine seasons, four titles).
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The interesting thing about the MPJ pick is that Denver almost make it as they were initially using it as a bargaining chip for a team to take a contract off their hands and reduce salary.How the 2023 NBA Finals rosters were built: Denver Nuggets
Take a closer look at how the Denver Nuggets assembled the roster that led them to their 1st NBA Finals appearance.www.nba.com
How the 2023 NBA Finals rosters were built: Denver Nuggets
Take a closer look at how the Denver Nuggets assembled the roster that led them to their 1st NBA Finals appearance.
The Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history, sitting just four wins away from their first NBA championship after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
The team that will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals was built with a combination of draft picks, free agent signings and trade acquisitions. Below we’ll dive into how each player joined the Nuggets, broken down by acquisition type.
NBA Draft
Nikola Jokic: 41st overall pick, 2014 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 38.9 mpg, 29.9 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 10.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.9 bpg, 53.8% FG, 47.4% on 3-pointers, 1.8 3pg, 78.4% FT, NBA record eight triple-doubles in 15 games
The core of this Nuggets team was built through the draft, beginning with Jokic back in 2014. When Denver used its second-round pick to select the future two-time Kia NBA MVP, Jokic was asleep in Serbia and the selection was revealed on the U.S. broadcast on ESPN’s ticker while a Taco Bell ad played during a commercial break. Fast forward nearly nine years and Jokic has established himself as an all-time great NBA center, breaking records set by Wilt Chamberlain while leading the Nuggets to the Finals.
Jamal Murray: 7th overall pick, 2016 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 39.1 mpg, 27.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.1 apg, 1.7 spg, 48% FG, 39.8% on 3-pointers, 3.1 3pg, 92.5% FT in 15 games
While the Nuggets selected Murray with the seventh overall pick in 2016, they acquired the rights to that pick five years earlier as part of a three-team trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. In addition to the players and Draft picks they received for trading the future Hall of Famer, the Nuggets acquired the right to swap 2016 first-round picks with New York. Following the Draft Lottery, the Knicks (32-50) held the No. 7 pick while the Nuggets (33-49) held the No. 9 pick, so they decided to exercise the pick swap to move into the No. 7 spot where they selected Murray out of Kentucky. It seems fitting that on the same day that Anthony officially announced his retirement, a player acquired in a trade by the team that drafted him back in 2003 helped the Nuggets reach the Finals.
Michael Porter Jr.: 14th overall pick, 2018 NBA Draft
• Playoff stats: 33.7 mpg, 14.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.8 apg, 45.5% FG, 40.8% on 3-pointers, 2.8 3pg, 81% FT in 15 games
Entering the 2018 NBA draft there was no concern about Michael Porter Jr.’s talent translating to the NBA. But there were plenty of concerns about a lower back injury which had required surgery and limited him to just three games at Missouri before he declared for the Draft. Picking at the end of the lottery, the Nuggets watched as Porter Jr. continued to fall. Entering the day with little hope of landing a player of Porter Jr.’s caliber, the Nuggets pounced on the opportunity to bring him to Denver. His third season with the Nuggets was cut short as he needed a third back surgery, but he returned healthy this season and has been a key contributor to this Finals run.
Trades
Aaron Gordon: Trade with Magic on March 25, 2021
• Playoff stats: 35.6 mpg. 13.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 49% FG, 35.1% on 3-pointers, 0.9 3pg, 70.4% FT in 15 games
After making three shrewd Draft picks to acquire Jokic, Murray and Porter, the Nuggets looked for additional pieces to help bolster the roster. At the trade deadline in 2021, the Nuggets pulled the trigger on a trade to acquire Gordon from Orlando along with Gary Clark in exchange for R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris and a 2025 first-round draft pick (top-five protected). While best known for his Slam Dunk contest exploits during his time with the Magic, Gordon has been a full-time starter for the Nuggets since his arrival.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Trade with Wizards on July 6, 2022
• Playoff stats: 33.3 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 48.1% FG, 41.1% on 3-pointers, 2.0 3pg, 86.4% FT in 15 games
The Nuggets acquired Caldwell-Pope (and Ish Smith) from the Wizards for Will Barton and Monte Morris. Denver saw Caldwell-Pope as a strong perimeter fit alongside Jokic and Murray and have been proven correct as he has been a key piece to Denver’s run to the Finals. Caldwell-Pope is the only player on the Nuggets to have won an NBA title as he was part of the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers that won the title in the bubble — knocking out Denver in the conference finals along with way. Three seasons later, Caldwell-Pope helped the Nuggets oust the Lakers in the West Finals.
Free agency
Jeff Green: Signed as free agent on Aug. 11, 2021
• Playoff stats: 18.6 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.7 apg, 37.7% FG, 26.9% on 3-pointers, 84.6% FT in 15 games
The Nuggets signed the veteran forward in August of 2021, making Denver the 11th team that Green has played for in his 15-year career. Green is one of three Nuggets players that have appeared in the NBA Finals as he was part of the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers, who were sweptby the Warriors.
Bruce Brown: Signed as free agent on July 7, 2022
• Playoff stats: 26.5 mpg, 12.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 53.1% FG, 28.9 3P, 0.7 3pg, 89.5% FT in 15 games
Drafted by Detroit in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, Brown spent two seasons with the Pistons before being traded to Brooklyn as part of a three-team deal with the Nets and Clippers. A key part of Brooklyn’s playoff teams in 2021 and ’22, Brown signed with Denver as a free agent last summer, bringing versatility and toughness to the roster. He has been a key contributor off the bench during this playoff run and has a player option for next season.
Coaching
Coach Michael Malone: Hired June 15, 2015
The road to the Finals began before any current player was on the Nuggets roster. The first step was finding the right coach to lead the team, which Denver did when they hired Michael Malone on June 15, 2015. Inheriting a team that won 30 games the previous season, Malone led the Nuggets to 33 wins in his first season, 40 in his second, 46 in his third and broke into the playoffs with a 54-win season in 2018-19. There are only three active coaches that have been with their teams longer than Malone: the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich (27 seasons, five titles), the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra (15 seasons, four titles) and the Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr (nine seasons, four titles).
Nero Christ
Sniper out now on all digital platforms brev
anybody feels like this is gonna be an ugly match up looks wise?
heat have classic unis but denver's shyts are
the mile high city unis are decent but thats about it
shoulda kept the baby blue and yellow
the classic rap bars based on that uniform
heat have classic unis but denver's shyts are
the mile high city unis are decent but thats about it
shoulda kept the baby blue and yellow
the classic rap bars based on that uniform
nightwing2016
All Star
Michael Porter Jr. Finds Meaning After Almost Losing Basketball
Three back surgeries in five years changed everything for Porter Jr. and put his NBA career in jeopardy. But what the former phenom lost in athleticism, he gained in perspective, molding him into the Nuggets’ biggest X factor in pursuit of a ring. “It’s letting go of ego,” Porter Jr. says, “but...
www.theringer.com
Great reading on MPJ great perspective on his journey. He is a surprisingly introspective cat.
He also MAGA.Michael Porter Jr. Finds Meaning After Almost Losing Basketball
Three back surgeries in five years changed everything for Porter Jr. and put his NBA career in jeopardy. But what the former phenom lost in athleticism, he gained in perspective, molding him into the Nuggets’ biggest X factor in pursuit of a ring. “It’s letting go of ego,” Porter Jr. says, “but...www.theringer.com
Great reading on MPJ great perspective on his journey. He is a surprisingly introspective cat.
T.he I.nformant
1st Ballot HOF Teller
Those joints were just aightanybody feels like this is gonna be an ugly match up looks wise?
heat have classic unis but denver's shyts are
the mile high city unis are decent but thats about it
shoulda kept the baby blue and yellow
the classic rap bars based on that uniform
word, I suggest some peeps get into other sports, I'm watching the NBA Finals and tennis with the French Open currently, I'm gonna make an effort to catch more WNBA, MMA, and boxing, even though it's hard for me to follow boxing because it's all over the dam place as far as how or where to watch nowadays so you can follow it smoothly and with more continuity, I like mens and women's boxing, same with MMA.
HAHAHA
EDRICE p*ssy ASS
BETTER EAT ON THE
SWITCHES IN THIS SERIES.
AFTER GOING UP
AGAINST ALL THOSE DEFENSIVE
PLAYERS ON BOSTON
THERE SHOULD BE SOME WEIGHT
LIFTED FROM HIS SHOULDERS
