Nuggets 'Closest Thing' to 2014 Spurs, Says Analyst
The 2023 NBA playoffs have been full of storylines, drama and excitement for NBA fans, especially in the Western Conference.
A young Memphis Grizzlies team entered their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers expecting to make some noise ... and that they did, but not before being downed by LeBron James in six games to end their playoff hopes.
The same Lakers squad went on to take down the defending champions, knocking off the Golden State Warriors in six, but now find themselves on the brink of being swept by the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets.
Denver has shown a level of dominance this season that has yet to be matched by any team in this year's NBA, but while no 2023 team has found a way to slow down the Nuggets, a certain 2014 team might have been able to.
That year, the San Antonio Spurs won their fifth championship and made a big statement after taking down James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals a year after losing to them in the same series.
"These Nuggets are the closest thing I've seen to the 2014 San Antonio Spurs," Tony Jones of The Athletic said. "Just a machine of poise, shotmaking and efficiency."
Considering the way that the Nuggets have seemingly stopped the James train in its tracks, there isn't any question regarding how the 2014 Spurs would be able to do the same, especially since they did so back then as well to stop the Heat's 3-peat quest, but what makes the 2023 Nuggets and 2014 Spurs similar?
For starters, both teams earned the top seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs finished with a 62-20 record, while the Nuggets finished with a 53-29 record, putting them on par with each other, though the Spurs have the edge record-wise.
Nikola Jokic stands at the center of the Nuggets success, being both a facilitator and scorer on offense, as well as a force on defense.
The 6-11 center was just shy of averaging a triple-double on the year, tallying 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists to go along with his 1.3 steaks and 0.7 blocks per game. He was also in the running for his third straight MVP Award, which garnered him league-wise respect from both players and analysts.
"I truly do believe that Nikola Jokic is the best one-man offense ... in the history of the NBA," ESPN analyst Jay Williams said.
If Jokic is the best one-man offense, however, then a difference is created between Jokic's Nuggets and the 2014 Spurs. San Antonio relied on multiple players, but that didn't make them any less dominant.
"I really enjoyed every moment of 2014," former Spurs point guard Tony Parker said. "I think I realize more how hard it is to win a championship. ... There's a lot of stuff that has to go right to win a [title]."
That season, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Parker all helped the Spurs make things "go right". All three of them averaged nearly 50 percent from the field, averaging 15.1, 12.3 and 16.7 points, respectively. Kawi Leonard added a presence on defense, averaging 1.7 steals per game. Parker and Leonard both earned All-NBA honors, both named to second teams either overall or on defense — as did Jokic this season, named to the NBA's all-second team.
Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray and forward Aaron Gordon also brought big contributions to Denver alongside Jokic. Neither of them earned All-NBA honors, however, both have proven themselves to be reliable during the postseason, Murray especially during the Lakers series.
Both teams had dominant figures, whether it be a one-man show, or a collective effort, though Jokic's dominance when solo only furthers the trajectory of greatness his career seems to be following.
So far this postseason, the Nuggets have a combined record of 11-3, having lost just once to the Timberwolves and twice to the Suns. That record so far is on pace to beat the Spurs' 16-7 record in 2014, where a seven-game series against the Dallas Mavericks racked up three of those losses on its own.
Denver has yet to face a team in seven games, and given their top-10 league ranking in wins, offensive rating and effective shooting percentage, it may avoid doing so altogether, though the Spurs were unable to avoid it.
Time can only tell how far the Nuggets will end up going, though as it seems, a streaking Miami Heat team will be waiting for them should they make it past James and the Lakers.
And if the postseason plays out like it did back in 2014 — with things "going right" for the Nuggets, both the Heat and the rest of the NBA could be in for another dominant Denver performance.
Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are set to face the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals Monday night at 7:30 p.m.
A win will send Denver onto the NBA Finals, which begins Thursday, June 1.
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