Jokic's Third MVP and the Nuggets' Aren't Done Yet!

Discover the secret sauce behind the Denver Nuggets' thrilling comeback and how Nikola Jokic's extraordinary journey to his third MVP win has turned the tides in the playoffs. As the series stands at a knife-edge, we take you through the emotional rollercoaster from the depths of despair to the peaks of triumph, all led by Jokic's masterful plays that seem to have been calculated by a basketball supercomputer. We also tip our hats to legend Moses Malone, whose legacy casts a long shadow and offers us poignant lessons in sportsmanship and excellence. And for those moments where my crystal ball predictions missed their mark, I'm laying it all out on the line, ready to eat humble pie.

Feel the electricity in the air as we gear up for game five of the Nuggets vs. Timberwolves series, where the drama unfolds not just on the court but in the sizzling back-and-forth between Jamal Murray and Anthony Edwards. Aaron Gordon's unexpected surge, Reggie Jackson's resilience, and Justin Holiday's clutch plays have us rethinking the depth of this Nuggets roster. Our crystal ball gazes into the future once again, teasing out the possibilities for the Nuggets' playoff journey, drawing on past glories, and speculating how this team's unique chemistry might just be the winning formula. Strap in for this episode; it's not just a play-by-play, it's the playbook for how champions are made.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

All right, everyone Well, welcome back to Fandom From Afar. What a difference a couple days can make. If you listened to our last episode, we were down bad after the Nuggets got dominated in the first two games, but here we are, a couple days later and the series is tied 2-2 now, and not only that, mr Jokic picked up his third MVP officially. We figured it was going to happen, but it was cool to actually see it happen, and the presentation on TV was a little interesting, with Shaq making it all about himself and how he should have won more MVPs and how he thinks that Shea Gildas, alexander should have won it, and it was super awkward and weird. So thanks, shaq, but Jokic did win it three out of the last four years. He came in second last year. That is just. That's an historic run for a player, and the best part is he's only 29 years old. There is a very good chance that he could be right up there with the best players in the game for the next five years, and especially the way he plays and just how good the team is around him and the fact that the NBA has that new rule where you have to play 65 games, that's automatically going to eliminate a lot of the best players each year, while Jokic just kind of plugs along and puts up historic numbers and he's going to keep getting those MVP votes. So it's exciting. It'll be fun to see where he ends up. But for what he's done now, winning the third puts him in exclusive company.

Speaker 1: 1:53

You've probably seen this by now, but he's now one of nine players to win at least three MVPs and that's just obviously a special, special group. You can't deny that he's one of the greats. Now, obviously, you have Michael Jordan, lebron Kareem and Bill Russell, magic and Bird Wilt Chamberlain, and then there was Moses Malone and Jokic. So A it made me realize I need to go back and really look into Moses Malone, a Jokic, and so I a it made me realize I need to go back and really look into Moses Malone a little bit more. I re. I really just never thought of him as one of the all-time greats. But if you want three MVPs, you were doing something right. So I'm definitely going to try and look up some YouTube highlights and dive into his stats a little bit more, just because there's only nine guys ever that have done that, and so it's pretty special what Jokic has done.

Speaker 1: 2:47

Again, I think I say it almost every episode, but we are just so lucky to get it, to watch him every single night and hopefully we're only about halfway through his career. And it's just this. This kind of stuff never happens to the Denver Nuggets. And so the fact that we got this wonderful, wonderful Serbian man to play for our team and just to dominate it's just so fun and we're going to go into it a little bit more. But he stepped up like he's one of the best players in the league and that is the reason why we are tied two to two against Minnesota and that is the reason why we are tied 2-2 against Minnesota. And so I thought, instead of just talking about the game, we'll kind of tie.

Speaker 1: 3:30

In the last episode, when I was so sad, just so sad, and I thought we would talk about the games 3 and 4 by framing it around the top five things I was wrong about in my last podcast episode. Now I will say, listening back to the episode, I'm glad I did not do it immediately after game two, because then my takes would have been just absolutely ridiculous. But I feel like in the last episode I was sad, I was down, but I had that sliver of faith. I kept saying it's really bad. Now it's very unlikely, but I hope the Nuggets do this. And so there was one little section where I talked about this team, the core of this team, jokic Murray, mpj. They have a toughness to them and it's just so fun to see that they showed it in these last couple of games. It just would have been so sad to see this group go out with a sweep or even only win in one game, and they may or may not win two more games in advance. Timberwolves are still really good and they may win two out of the next three and we'll lose, but at least we put up a fight, and that's what was going to be. So sad is, if the games continued to go as they did in games one and two, that the Nuggets just didn't put up a fight. But that was not the case. These last two games have been awesome and let's dive into it. So top five things that I was wrong about or that have just completely changed. So number one got to start with the three-time MVP. He has been so much more aggressive in control. He was getting flustered in the first two games and games three and four. That was not the case. It's pretty funny.

Speaker 1: 5:38

The term that keeps being thrown around on the podcast I listen to is saying that Jokic is just a supercomputer, meaning games one and two. He was just kind of standing back gathering information so that he could take advantage of certain situations or matchups in games three and four, and it really I can't argue against it. He, he seems to have figured something out and obviously the guys that he's going against are more athletic. They're in the case of uh Carl Anthony towns and uh Rudy Gobert, they're. They're longer than him. Like he, he doesn't have physical advantages except for his skill in his mind, and he seems to have figured something out where these last couple of games he's getting them in the right position, he's finding his teammates, he is scoring pretty much at will. I think some of the moves that he put on those guys last night were just back breakers and so, uh, I think, yeah, we'll just say it, he is a supercomputer. So hopefully that continues and he just keeps gathering all that information and leads us to two more victories.

Speaker 1: 6:57

The number two thing I was completely wrong about, or has completely changed Jamal Murray. We were down on Jamal. He was having his mental breakdown. In game two he looked totally outmatched by the athleticism and something happened in those couple of days between games three and four he got a little bit healthier. He flipped the switch to playoff Jamal, I don't know what it was, but he has looked so much better in these last couple of games and I think part of it not all of it, I think the biggest part is probably him getting a little healthier so he can move around a little bit quicker, have that burst again.

Speaker 1: 7:39

But the Minnesota crowd was booing him every time he touched the ball, starting in warmups in game three, and if you know Jamal Murray, you know he loves that kind of stuff. I think he kind of enjoys being the villain that the other fans hate. Like he'll hit a big shot, he'll put on an amazing move and have a great pass and he's the type of guy that he loves staring out into the crowd and just kind of enjoying the moment. As he knows, he's just made a stadium full of people unhappy and so Minnesota fans, I think we're booing him because he probably should have gotten suspended for a game for throwing the things at the referees in game two. Like I said, I'm shocked that he didn't. But I think the fans are booing because of the fact that he was simply at the game and they wanted to try and get in his head. Little did they know. I think it feeds him and he loved it. He had a great game and they didn't do it as much in game four. I think they kind of learned their lesson game and they didn't do it as much in game four. I think they kind of learned their lesson.

Speaker 1: 8:51

But what I'm keeping my eye on is the cameras kind of caught Anthony Edwards talking trash to Jamal right after the game. The game was kind of over, uh, players were shaking hands, kind of walking off the court, and Anthony Edwards is very much the type that loves talking trash as well, and it hasn't worked out well for guys that talk trash to Jamal Murray in the past. He again, he just he loves it. He is motivated by that extra little edge that just gets him in the right mindset. And so I'm really going to be interested in game five if both Edwards and Murray are kind of going at each other and talking more trash and seeing who can kind of come out on top, because Anthony Edwards has been absolutely amazing as well, and I think he's very similar to Murray in the fact that a little trash talk kind of motivates him to go to another level as well. So I can't wait to see game five. It's going to be just epic.

Speaker 1: 9:50

The number three thing that I was wrong about I believe I actually said the phrase that this just isn't a good matchup for Aaron Gordon. Yeah, pretty much couldn't be more wrong. He looked like a beast again last night. He somehow is shooting like Steph Curry and is just he's. He was a monster on defense last night and he was getting offensive boards and dunking them Like he was in the right spot every single time. Couldn't have been more happy to be wrong. Aaron Gordon the numbers that he put up. Actually I think I saw that that was the first time in NBA history someone had had the numbers that he put up last night and so he was truly special and it was just awesome to see Jokic Murray Gordon just all level up and just kind of show. Hey, they still got that fight in them. Games one and two are long gone and hopefully they can all continue that. Um.

Speaker 1: 11:01

The number four thing I was so, so wrong about is I said the bench has been non-existent. Well, reggie rolled his ankle at the end of game two and all he's done is come out. He only plays about 10 minutes a game in the last couple of games, but when he's in there he has been playing smart, making great passes and then hitting open threes when, uh, when the time comes, and if that's what it takes for for Reggie, like if, if that's all he has to give with that ankle, it's amazing he's. He's doing so much more than I would have expected and his shots just seem to be huge at the exact right time. Uh, speaking of hitting huge shots, justin Holliday all of a sudden emerges from our bench. He doesn't play hardly at all the entire regular season, and now Coach Malone is going to him instead of Peyton Watson, and again, justin Holliday is just hitting all these three pointers at huge times. They seem to be backbreakers whenever Minnesota is making a run. At huge times, they seem to be backbreakers whenever Minnesota is making a run.

Speaker 1: 12:13

Justin Holliday is just wide open in the corner, nails it, and he's actually playing pretty good defense as well. He's a, I think, like a 6'6 wing, but he has over a seven foot wingspan and so he just seems to be bothering whoever he's guarding, even though he's not really known for his defense. And so, man, what a time for him to step up. And it's just nice having those veterans that they didn't play all year and now all of a sudden in the playoffs they're shining.

Speaker 1: 12:39

And then the last guy I got to give a shout-out to the bench is Christian Brown. He's always been a beast on defense. Anthony Edwards kind of had his way with him in games one and two, but in three and four I think he's done the best of anyone on Anthony Edwards. And now obviously Edwards is putting up stats but Christian staying in front of him. Edwards just happened to be hitting some tough shots but uh, christian's doing everything that you could hope for out of him. And then the fact that he had a huge three-pointer I think it was in the fourth quarter Just it was such big timing and I love it when Christian gets pumped up and just kind of screams and flexes to the crowd and stuff. So, justin Holliday, christian Brown, reggie Jackson, just killing it to help me be so wrong about the last podcast and number five, the fifth, most or not important, but I guess biggest thing that I was wrong about is, I was convinced that the Wolves were too physical and too athletic for the Nuggets. They just looked overwhelming in those first two games and, like I said, the Nuggets seemed to have figured something out.

Speaker 1: 13:55

A big part of the game's one and two success for the Wolves were putting pressure on whoever was bringing the ball up the court and we couldn't get into our offense. Often it was Jamal, so he was getting frustrated and just simple little changes. The Nuggets keep switching who they have bringing the ball up the court. They're setting picks to help the guy bring the ball up the court or they're always just kind of keeping a guy right around midcourt to help the ball carrier just bring the ball up. If they're getting a little pressure, it's really made a big difference where we're getting into our offense a lot faster. It's kind of saving energy for the guys that are having to bring the ball to court and we're kind of getting some um spacing out of it where we end up either driving right to the basket or having some guys open for three because we're breaking uh the pressure so quickly. So that's been a huge help. Uh the pressure so quickly, so that's been a huge help.

Speaker 1: 14:56

I think Minnesota could possibly be getting tired a little bit. They don't look quite as quick and athletic as they did in the first two games. Uh, you may have heard me mention that they were so dominant in those first two games it seemed like there was six of them out on the court and it just hasn't felt that way in these past two games. So the Nuggets figured some stuff out. I think. Obviously the Minnesotans played extremely well in those first two games. So when you're playing that well, you're going to have a little bit of extra energy and kind of fly around a little bit more. But the physicalness of the games has not been to what it was at game two. That game's often been described as kind of prison rules. They were just letting Minnesota be super physical with the Nuggets and the Nuggets did not respond well. But three and four have been called a little bit more just like playoff basketball and not so much like the prison yard. So I think that's been helpful. And, yeah, the athleticism has looked back for the Nuggets and has come down a level for the Wolves and that's been advantage Denver.

Speaker 1: 16:02

Now, if you listened to the full episode last time, you may have heard my conspiracy theories of what was going on with the nuggets and obviously some of them were maybe more realistic than others, but I think it's safe to say we we probably know which one was actually true at this point. And that was, of course, the fourth one where I said yokich sent out the minions and they did not get that giant laser beam for him and that's why he was upset and not playing well. Well, I don't know this for a fact, but I'm assuming the minions must have made up for it and got another laser beam, because Jokic is happy again, he's playing well, and I think we solved the mystery so we can move on from those conspiracy theories Now looking forward to the rest. Solved the mystery, so we can move on from those conspiracy theories. Now looking forward to the rest of the series.

Speaker 1: 16:57

It is obviously now a best out of three. The Nuggets get two out of those three games at home, which is a huge advantage. We obviously have won the past two games, which I think if you believe in momentum, then the momentum's on our side. Believe in momentum, then the momentum's on our side. And I think, as Nuggets fans, we have to have hope that we should and probably will win this series, and Minnesota is just such a good team, I think there is a chance that they could win two out of these three. But the way the Nuggets are playing now, you just you got to give it to the guys and think that we have the advantage Now.

Speaker 1: 17:34

This does remind me a lot of the Phoenix series last year. In that case, devin Booker was just playing out of his mind and wasn't missing any shots. So that's very similar to Anthony Edwards this year. And in another similarity it seems like they're kind of a one-man show where they are absolutely playing phenomenal but they just don't quite have the teammates to help them out. And the Nuggets have more of a well-rounded team and are getting the victories. So obviously I hope the next similarity is that the Nuggets win the next two games and we win four to two, just like we beat Phoenix last year. Win the next two games and we win four to two, just like we beat Phoenix last year.

Speaker 1: 18:15

But I think with Minnesota's defense they have a much better chance of winning a game in Denver or in Minnesota, and it going seven. That's probably what I predict will happen. I think the experience that the Nuggets have matters quite a bit. They've been in so many of these big moments, and this is kind of Minnesota's first big playoff run, and so I think the Nuggets will pull it out in seven. I hope that the next time we are podcasting together we will be celebrating the Nuggets making the comeback official and moving on to the next round and we can talk about how they match up with either Dallas or Oklahoma city. So, nuggets fans, I hope you are as happy as I am, just for the fact that the guys put up a fight and now we have a chance to move on and we just showed that. Uh yeah, we're the defending champions for a reason and I'm excited. Jokic MV3.