Blue Man Hoop
Fansided

Warriors and Lakers rightfully beat out by sustained excellence

By Peter O'Keefe

DENVER, CO - APRIL 2: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in the second half of a game at Ball Arena on April 2, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 2: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is defended by Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in the second half of a game at Ball Arena on April 2, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Nuggets are off to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, capping off a dominant 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

The first-seed Nuggets closed out the seventh-seed Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company having previously beaten the Golden State Warriors in the second-round to advance to the Conference Finals.

Turbulent seasons for the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers meant they never truly deserved to come out of the Western Conference and reach the NBA Finals.

Although the eight-seed Miami Heat may be saying different in the Eastern Conference, Denver’s advancement to the NBA Finals is a win for those who believe in the important of the regular season.

Having held on to the West’s first-seed since December 20, the Nuggets’ comfortable move through the playoffs to date has simply been an extension of their dominance throughout a 53-29 regular season.

Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic embrace after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic embrace after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Despite holding the first-seed on the back of another astonishing season from Nikola Jokic, and strong bounceback seasons from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. after injury, Denver came into the postseason a little under the radar if such a thing was possible.

Much of the discussion was around the Warriors and Lakers despite their erratic form during the regular season, along with the Phoenix Suns who had acquired Kevin Durant at the trade deadline. Those teams may have had the talent, but they never had the continuity to overcome the sustained and consistent excellence that the Nuggets had produced from the start of the season.

Golden State held a similar roster to that of their championship-winning 2021-22 season, but were plagued by the effects of Draymond Green’s king hit on Jordan Poole in preseason, and then the multiple periods of absence of their two All-Stars from last year – Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins.

The Lakers’ roster was a disaster before the trade deadline, and they pivoted beautifully to reach the Conference Finals when a bottom five place in the standings looked inevitable for such a long time. The Suns were going well enough before making the big move for Durant, and history suggests that such a seismic shift can never procure success in such a short period.

dark. Next. The Top 5 Golden State Warriors with the most to prove next season

In many ways the Nuggets’ campaign to date has mirrored what the Warriors produced last season. A strong team from the outset, not without issue but always led by a humble superstar with the right pieces in place around them. Denver will now have a significant period to prepare before the start of the NBA Finals on June 1.

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