2025 NBA Season

[Baofeng]

Wolves and Nuggets for sure will be interesting as both have that capabilities to win games against each other, twin towers against the Joker, while a one on one match up between Murray and ANT might bring the fire up.

Defensively, I don't see ANT guarding Murray and vice versa, it will be Aaron Gordon's job to stop ANT. But in terms of impact yeah, both are very important for their teams and they really need to have a good game in order for them to win the game.

Will mostly be Gobert against Jokic and so KAT might pose a lot of mismatch, but the thing with KAT is that he has 3 point shooting so for me he will be the big difference in this series and he shouldn't get into foul trouble to help the T'Wolves.

[passwordnow]

The Lakers did good but it's not just enough. Anthony Davis got his one shoulder injured and yet he still able to play and tried his best since it's on his mind that it's gonna be their last match win or lose. His rebounding was also on his one arm only since the other one was injured. That clutch play at the last few seconds when Murray did tried to shoot first but it didn't went it but, you know what's the winning moment there? When the ball and rebound should be for the Lakers but Aaron Gordon got the ball and then passed back to Murray and it went in.
That's the moment when they're able to analyze that the last shot will be theirs and again, Murray did his thing and another highlight for this match when Murray did posterized Lebron. What a way to do that to one of the best in the leagues when you don't really do those plays. Nuggets is on fire and they're going to face Timberwolves and I like this match, we'd see Gobert against Jokic. And unlike Lakers, they won't have any problem with the rebounds and under the ring defense.

[ultrloa]

Wolves and Nuggets for sure will be interesting as both have that capabilities to win games against each other, twin towers against the Joker, while a one on one match up between Murray and ANT might bring the fire up.

Defensively, I don't see ANT guarding Murray and vice versa, it will be Aaron Gordon's job to stop ANT. But in terms of impact yeah, both are very important for their teams and they really need to have a good game in order for them to win the game.

Will mostly be Gobert against Jokic and so KAT might pose a lot of mismatch, but the thing with KAT is that he has 3 point shooting so for me he will be the big difference in this series and he shouldn't get into foul trouble to help the T'Wolves.

Murray is offensive player so maybe he will be in trouble if he will be assigned to defend ANT but maybe there will be a good adjustment made on their rotation since they also need to defend the big guys of Wolves which we know that they are capable to give score if needed and also can be a lethal on defensive ends. For sure that Nuggets will get a big problem of twin towers of Wolves plus they have ANT which can give them a lot of problem on each side of the court. The match up between Wolves and Nuggets is a good one to see since we could able to see some great action knowing that both teams are so match. Also it will be good if Gordon will defend KAT since he can able stop the guy. But let see what will be the adjustment made by Nuggets on this since Wolves is so strong this season.

[Hypnosis00]

Wolves and Nuggets for sure will be interesting as both have that capabilities to win games against each other, twin towers against the Joker, while a one on one match up between Murray and ANT might bring the fire up.

Defensively, I don't see ANT guarding Murray and vice versa, it will be Aaron Gordon's job to stop ANT. But in terms of impact yeah, both are very important for their teams and they really need to have a good game in order for them to win the game.

Will mostly be Gobert against Jokic and so KAT might pose a lot of mismatch, but the thing with KAT is that he has 3 point shooting so for me he will be the big difference in this series and he shouldn't get into foul trouble to help the T'Wolves.

Murray is offensive player so maybe he will be in trouble if he will be assigned to defend ANT but maybe there will be a good adjustment made on their rotation since they also need to defend the big guys of Wolves which we know that they are capable to give score if needed and also can be a lethal on defensive ends. For sure that Nuggets will get a big problem of twin towers of Wolves plus they have ANT which can give them a lot of problem on each side of the court. The match up between Wolves and Nuggets is a good one to see since we could able to see some great action knowing that both teams are so match. Also it will be good if Gordon will defend KAT since he can able stop the guy. But let see what will be the adjustment made by Nuggets on this since Wolves is so strong this season.

I like this match up, it's a new one for the Nuggets but I still like the Nuggets as they  are the defending champion. Jokic cannot be limited here, he can still score and if doubled, he will easily make passes and that will be hard for the Wolves to stop because they are not playing a small ball, the two bigs will be not too fast to rotate. We will see what will happen in game 1 but if I will have to bet on the series, I'll take Nuggets (-1.5) to win the series.

[livingfree]

I like this match up, it's a new one for the Nuggets but I still like the Nuggets as they  are the defending champion. Jokic cannot be limited here, he can still score and if doubled, he will easily make passes and that will be hard for the Wolves to stop because they are not playing a small ball, the two bigs will be not too fast to rotate. We will see what will happen in game 1 but if I will have to bet on the series, I'll take Nuggets (-1.5) to win the series.

Jokic is very flexible, ball handler, sees more of his teammates and looks on who's free from the outside and inside and more of a playmaker. But if he needs to attack, he'd do it.

But I don't want to think that the Timberwolves can't do anything there, they're also strong and we've seen how they've swept the Suns that has notable players as well offensively.

I like to see how both of these teams with their defenses since they're all good in offense and they've got their scoring machines.

[blockman]

^
The Lakers just didn't learn.
That's one heck of a perimeter running shot from Jamal Murray for a game-winner. That's not easy, I could tell. No balance, feet not set, and being in front of a defender. He really mastered basketball to be able to do that.

I wouldn't blame them, they know that it's going to happen and Reaves was there to guard Murray but he's just too slippery. The problem there is that coach Darvin Ham didn't reserved any timeout for the last clutch plays like it's needed for those remaining seconds. And he didn't also used some on 3rd quarter when the momentum was with the Denver Nuggets, he didn't cut them off and let like 6+ points to be made by the Nuggets before he finally called it. If there's one to blame, it's obvious but the game's done and as I've said, no blaming anymore as that won't change the results.

[Questat]

^
The Lakers just didn't learn.
That's one heck of a perimeter running shot from Jamal Murray for a game-winner. That's not easy, I could tell. No balance, feet not set, and being in front of a defender. He really mastered basketball to be able to do that.

I wouldn't blame them, they know that it's going to happen and Reaves was there to guard Murray but he's just too slippery. The problem there is that coach Darvin Ham didn't reserved any timeout for the last clutch plays like it's needed for those remaining seconds. And he didn't also used some on 3rd quarter when the momentum was with the Denver Nuggets, he didn't cut them off and let like 6+ points to be made by the Nuggets before he finally called it. If there's one to blame, it's obvious but the game's done and as I've said, no blaming anymore as that won't change the results.

With still more than 2 minutes left in the game the Lakers have no timeout anymore. The outcome could be different if they still have a timeout as they can design a play for a 3 point shot and the Lakers could win by 1 point. But you are right, what's done is done, Lakers just not as clutch as the Nuggets as they are only good at the start but always fail to finish the game with a win.

And take note, Murray was not even 100% in that game, before the game he was listed as questionable but he did play and was the hero in the game. The  Lakers players just did the right thing, it only differ on the coaching job.

[dwyane36]

Say what you will about the Lakers, they gave it a good run and it was a great game to watch that came down to the wire. I wish they would have had a timeout left at the end so they could have run a proper play to try and get the win, but rules are what they are with the replay challenges. I wouldn’t be surprised if tonight’s outcome doesn’t spur a rule change.

I'd say the Lakers performed well throughout this series. At least they didn't look like underdogs against a tough opponent like the Nuggets. I think their main problem in this series was that they made the same mistakes at the end of all the games, as well as the fact that it was mostly just LeBron and AD trying to do something.
I'm wondering if this will be LeBron's last season or if he will decide to re-sign with the Lakers for one more season.

[Japinat]

Say what you will about the Lakers, they gave it a good run and it was a great game to watch that came down to the wire. I wish they would have had a timeout left at the end so they could have run a proper play to try and get the win, but rules are what they are with the replay challenges. I wouldn’t be surprised if tonight’s outcome doesn’t spur a rule change.

I'd say the Lakers performed well throughout this series. At least they didn't look like underdogs against a tough opponent like the Nuggets. I think their main problem in this series was that they made the same mistakes at the end of all the games, as well as the fact that it was mostly just LeBron and AD trying to do something.
I'm wondering if this will be LeBron's last season or if he will decide to re-sign with the Lakers for one more season.

If Lebron is still chasing for a championship, he should leave the Lakers and look for another team and build a super team again. Best chance for him to get a champion is to really pair with the best in the league, he can't be with the Clippers but I like to see him playing with the Dallas or Golden State, for sure there's a high chance that he can get another championship. Between the two, I think the Warriors will be able to accommodate him if the Warriors will not sign Klay and will trade Wiggins.

[Coin_trader]

If Lebron is still chasing for a championship, he should leave the Lakers and look for another team and build a super team again. Best chance for him to get a champion is to really pair with the best in the league, he can't be with the Clippers but I like to see him playing with the Dallas or Golden State, for sure there's a high chance that he can get another championship. Between the two, I think the Warriors will be able to accommodate him if the Warriors will not sign Klay and will trade Wiggins.

He is not already on peak performance unlike the time when he can still afford building his own superstar. Even himself is already considered as liability on some his games since he can’t carry anymore a team using his own skills.

I believe his best chance to get a championship is to join a team with solid line-up already like what you suggested such as Warriors that only missed a certain role to complete their roster. I believe he can replace Klay Thompson if ever he decided to request a trade already.

[Japinat]

If Lebron is still chasing for a championship, he should leave the Lakers and look for another team and build a super team again. Best chance for him to get a champion is to really pair with the best in the league, he can't be with the Clippers but I like to see him playing with the Dallas or Golden State, for sure there's a high chance that he can get another championship. Between the two, I think the Warriors will be able to accommodate him if the Warriors will not sign Klay and will trade Wiggins.

He is not already on peak performance unlike the time when he can still afford building his own superstar. Even himself is already considered as liability on some his games since he can’t carry anymore a team using his own skills.

I believe his best chance to get a championship is to join a team with solid line-up already like what you suggested such as Warriors that only missed a certain role to complete their roster. I believe he can replace Klay Thompson if ever he decided to request a trade already.

That's true, the best destination for him is the Warriors. I believe Lebron is friends with Draymond, so the chemistry is already guaranteed if Lebron will play. If Lebron will join, he should not act as a leader, Curry should still lead the team and Lebron just have to play his role. With the numbers he is putting consistently, I think he can still be a big contribution to a team, you can expect Lebron to produce at least 20 points per game, unlike Klay and Wiggins who are very inconsistent.

Warriors can keep Paul, I think they need a back up point guard or a main point guard, and as long as Paul is surrounded with great players, he will be more effective.

[Fredomago]

Wolves and Nuggets for sure will be interesting as both have that capabilities to win games against each other, twin towers against the Joker, while a one on one match up between Murray and ANT might bring the fire up.

Defensively, I don't see ANT guarding Murray and vice versa, it will be Aaron Gordon's job to stop ANT. But in terms of impact yeah, both are very important for their teams and they really need to have a good game in order for them to win the game.

Will mostly be Gobert against Jokic and so KAT might pose a lot of mismatch, but the thing with KAT is that he has 3 point shooting so for me he will be the big difference in this series and he shouldn't get into foul trouble to help the T'Wolves.

Well, let see if how Denver will adjust as we know that Gordon is good in defending the scorer and it's not just ANT but KAT also have that capabilities and for sure the design of the offensive attack will be on his side before ANT, taking that advantage inside while Gobert is handling Jokic, I like that matchup though Gobert is not really the center of their offense but defensive wise, he also have that speed to somehow give some headeche for Jokic.

If Lebron is still chasing for a championship, he should leave the Lakers and look for another team and build a super team again. Best chance for him to get a champion is to really pair with the best in the league, he can't be with the Clippers but I like to see him playing with the Dallas or Golden State, for sure there's a high chance that he can get another championship. Between the two, I think the Warriors will be able to accommodate him if the Warriors will not sign Klay and will trade Wiggins.

He is not already on peak performance unlike the time when he can still afford building his own superstar. Even himself is already considered as liability on some his games since he can’t carry anymore a team using his own skills.

I believe his best chance to get a championship is to join a team with solid line-up already like what you suggested such as Warriors that only missed a certain role to complete their roster. I believe he can replace Klay Thompson if ever he decided to request a trade already.

That's true, the best destination for him is the Warriors. I believe Lebron is friends with Draymond, so the chemistry is already guaranteed if Lebron will play. If Lebron will join, he should not act as a leader, Curry should still lead the team and Lebron just have to play his role. With the numbers he is putting consistently, I think he can still be a big contribution to a team, you can expect Lebron to produce at least 20 points per game, unlike Klay and Wiggins who are very inconsistent.

Warriors can keep Paul, I think they need a back up point guard or a main point guard, and as long as Paul is surrounded with great players, he will be more effective.

That might be a big gamble for the Warriors management, taking LeBron will force them to exceed more from their cap and I think LeBron will just slow things if he will be playing with the Warriors, the type of his leadership which he always wanted to hold the ball might not work with quick system that Warriors is implementing, oh well, next season is too far, just enjoy the current playoff and wait for the next rounds.

[Twentyonepaylots]

Say what you will about the Lakers, they gave it a good run and it was a great game to watch that came down to the wire. I wish they would have had a timeout left at the end so they could have run a proper play to try and get the win, but rules are what they are with the replay challenges. I wouldn’t be surprised if tonight’s outcome doesn’t spur a rule change.

I'd say the Lakers performed well throughout this series. At least they didn't look like underdogs against a tough opponent like the Nuggets. I think their main problem in this series was that they made the same mistakes at the end of all the games, as well as the fact that it was mostly just LeBron and AD trying to do something.
I'm wondering if this will be LeBron's last season or if he will decide to re-sign with the Lakers for one more season.

Yes, they really show that they can compete against the defending champs. Comparing their performance last season in the WCF, this first round shows that they can go head-to-head with them, the lead most of the time in this series; they just can't close out games. That's really the problem with the Lakers, even with the regular season. There are some games where they have the lead most of the time, but when the closing minutes come, they can't close it out and lose the game. Coach is one of the reasons why those things happen, and I think that the Lakers should fire Darvin Ham and find a better coach out there. I am not saying that Darvin is that bad as a coach, but I think he is more suitable to coach a rebuilding and developing team than a win-now team. 

As for LeBron, I hope he re-signs with the team and retires as a Laker. He can still play for 2-3 years, and the Lakers can offer him a max contract for three years. I hope with those three years they can win one more chip to solidify his stint as a Laker.

[Twentyonepaylots]

Timberwolves against the Nuggets. That will be fun!

This series will be interesting to watch. The Timberwolves have the blueprint to beat the Nuggets; they have two big men in the paint and a lot of perimeter D guys like Jaden McDaniels. Edwards will do the scoring, and Conley will facilitate the offense. The last time they met was in the first round last season, and the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves in the first round. Both teams have high morale going into the second round, especially the Wolves, as they swept the Suns. This will be a tough matchup for Jokic, as he will be guarded by KAT and Gobert, big men with a lot of lengths. Let's see how this series will be a close one, either game 6 or 7.

[Volgastallion]

Well so Lakers ended up his season and again was a desilusional one, only suported on the Lebron James and Antony Davis performance but never were a team, Denver going to fight for the second ring consecutive, lets see how solid they are, but Jokic on this level can garantized the 50% of this work.

[ChiBitCTy]

I know it's playoff time and all but I wanted to switch the conversation in a slightly different direction just for a brief moment.  We all know we are seeing the end of Lebron James career which is truly saddening (if you can appreciate greatness that is, and this is coming from a Bulls fan).

That said, I know he wants to play with his son, and that his son entered the "portal".  I think anyone who knows anything about basketball knows he son is not good enough to play in the NBA, but could certainly join a squad if his father wants him on one (one he's likely on, of course).  Has there been any sort of consensus if this is definitely going to happen or not yet?  I think it would be foolish and his father would be pushing his son who clearly needs time to maturate.  Thoughts?

[blockman]

^
The Lakers just didn't learn.
That's one heck of a perimeter running shot from Jamal Murray for a game-winner. That's not easy, I could tell. No balance, feet not set, and being in front of a defender. He really mastered basketball to be able to do that.

I wouldn't blame them, they know that it's going to happen and Reaves was there to guard Murray but he's just too slippery. The problem there is that coach Darvin Ham didn't reserved any timeout for the last clutch plays like it's needed for those remaining seconds. And he didn't also used some on 3rd quarter when the momentum was with the Denver Nuggets, he didn't cut them off and let like 6+ points to be made by the Nuggets before he finally called it. If there's one to blame, it's obvious but the game's done and as I've said, no blaming anymore as that won't change the results.

With still more than 2 minutes left in the game the Lakers have no timeout anymore. The outcome could be different if they still have a timeout as they can design a play for a 3 point shot and the Lakers could win by 1 point. But you are right, what's done is done, Lakers just not as clutch as the Nuggets as they are only good at the start but always fail to finish the game with a win.

And take note, Murray was not even 100% in that game, before the game he was listed as questionable but he did play and was the hero in the game. The  Lakers players just did the right thing, it only differ on the coaching job.

Yeah, it will be a different story if Coach Darvin Ham have reserved even 1 timeout for the last remaining minutes of the 4th quarter but he didn't. He misused the timeouts, he didn't used it when it's mostly needed and used it when it's not needed at all. Well, that's how he coaches and we'll see that it the end, the Lakers management will have to decide if they're going to reform the team and do some shuffle for their roster or they'd remain intact with the current roster that they have. Because they actually need some help from a big man.

[OgNasty]

^
The Lakers just didn't learn.
That's one heck of a perimeter running shot from Jamal Murray for a game-winner. That's not easy, I could tell. No balance, feet not set, and being in front of a defender. He really mastered basketball to be able to do that.

I wouldn't blame them, they know that it's going to happen and Reaves was there to guard Murray but he's just too slippery. The problem there is that coach Darvin Ham didn't reserved any timeout for the last clutch plays like it's needed for those remaining seconds. And he didn't also used some on 3rd quarter when the momentum was with the Denver Nuggets, he didn't cut them off and let like 6+ points to be made by the Nuggets before he finally called it. If there's one to blame, it's obvious but the game's done and as I've said, no blaming anymore as that won't change the results.

With still more than 2 minutes left in the game the Lakers have no timeout anymore. The outcome could be different if they still have a timeout as they can design a play for a 3 point shot and the Lakers could win by 1 point. But you are right, what's done is done, Lakers just not as clutch as the Nuggets as they are only good at the start but always fail to finish the game with a win.

And take note, Murray was not even 100% in that game, before the game he was listed as questionable but he did play and was the hero in the game. The  Lakers players just did the right thing, it only differ on the coaching job.

Yeah, it will be a different story if Coach Darvin Ham have reserved even 1 timeout for the last remaining minutes of the 4th quarter but he didn't. He misused the timeouts, he didn't used it when it's mostly needed and used it when it's not needed at all. Well, that's how he coaches and we'll see that it the end, the Lakers management will have to decide if they're going to reform the team and do some shuffle for their roster or they'd remain intact with the current roster that they have. Because they actually need some help from a big man.

It seems like everyone (at least us old heads) is suddenly talking about LeBron, KD, and Steph teaming up.  This is the first time in 20 years we haven't seen one of those names in round 2 of the playoffs and folks like myself aren't ready to give up LeBron for Anthony Edwards just yet.  We want to see one big splash before those 3 big names drop off into irrelevancy.  So while it is just a pipe dream and Durant is already rumored to be considering a reunion in Oklahoma City, I would love nothing more than LeBron and KD signing with the Warriors this summer.  One last shot for them all.

[FanEagle]

Jamal Murray is definitely what made Nuggets win this easily, because we are talking about someone who made Jokic 2 time MVP as well. How? Well simply enough, Jokic can't be a great Center if he had no help at all, he needs some help to be who he is, like we all know him as a great passer right? Who could he pass to if he had terrible teammates? His teammates missing all their shots would make him not be the MVP, but when there are other threats like Murray who plays like this, he ends up getting better looks as well.

Murray definitely played amazingly and I believe that he is going to end up being the Kobe to Jokics Shaq in the future. We are going to see people start talking about Murray like the star he is, but it may take some time because all eyes are on Jokic right now.

[Oasisman]

Jamal Murray is definitely what made Nuggets win this easily, because we are talking about someone who made Jokic 2 time MVP as well. How? Well simply enough, Jokic can't be a great Center if he had no help at all, he needs some help to be who he is, like we all know him as a great passer right? Who could he pass to if he had terrible teammates? His teammates missing all their shots would make him not be the MVP, but when there are other threats like Murray who plays like this, he ends up getting better looks as well.

Murray definitely played amazingly and I believe that he is going to end up being the Kobe to Jokics Shaq in the future. We are going to see people start talking about Murray like the star he is, but it may take some time because all eyes are on Jokic right now.

Nah, Jokic is just simply a great player for a center position, even without Murray on the team the opposing team will have a hard time containing Jokic, thus making his teammates create more open shot opportunities. But I won't discredit on what Murray have done to this team. He is a great player on his own craft as well. In fact I was quite amazed by how he was able to get a good 4th quarter and make a game winner in game 2 despite of the bad shooting night.
Nevertheless, I can say this game between the Lakers and the Nuggets are really close. Though it might be unnoticeably different when you see the series standings, but in each game they play, the game are always close even if the Lakers have always lead at the half and sometimes a solid double digit, but the Nuggets always managed to close that gap.
It's really kind of weird for the Lakers to be losing against the Nuggets 4-1 when they always have the lead at the half and not only that, they always have a solid double digit lead at some point of the game and then the Nuggets will erase that deficit in the 4th quarter easily.