Denver Nuggets - The Next Level [Game 3 + 4]

[Kenny]

The 2024-2025 Player Review

Here's another end of season review where I give an insight on each player from 1-15 on the squad. How they did during the season, what I think of them and any other miscellanous information.

The Starters

Stan Griffiths

A STANdout player in his Rookie season, Stan's sophomore campaign was that of a role player. His numbers were down across the board, but it was due to the dominance of Borislav Perko and Taylor MacKenzie stepping up as the main scorer. Griffiths had fewer attempts, but managed to score 12 points per game as a result of shooting .617 from the field.

His efforts earned him an All-NBA Second Team selection, which signifies that his selection with the first overall pick has been justified.


Borislav Perko

Two quadruple-double games, a triple-double in season averages, a league leader in 3 categories and the Defensive Player of the Year; Borislav basically did everything to get another MVP trophy, but was denied by Nets' star Nicholas Schneider.

11.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists and 3.4 blocks - those are stats of a game changer.


Dennis Anderson

He only averaged 6.8 points per game in the season, but there's a reason why he's a coach's favourite. Dennis plays great defense, takes charges and is an underrated shot blocker. He's quick enough to stay with point guards and long enough to guard the big men. Anderson had another great season without creating many headlines.


Taylor MacKenzie

T-Mac took his 2024 playoff run and extended it into this season. He averaged 19.9 points and was the league's leader in steals with 2 per game. He was also the best in Denver as far as three point percentage is concerned as well (.352). As the reigning Finals MVP, MacKenzie heads into the 2025 post-season in better shape than he was the previous time around.


James Palmer

With his late season rise, it's hard to believe that Palmer has only played 49 games. After a huge game following his Rookie Challenge MVP, the Nuggets saw enough potential in Palmer to trade away former All-Star Steven Hunt for a pick and an IR filler; so far, Palmer hasn't let anyone down. He averaged 13 points and 4.3 assists per game in his rookie season, which was good enough to see him make the All-Rookie First team, along with two other Denver players.

His shooting consistency needs to be worked on, shooting just .307 from beyond the arc, but he definitely has a bright future ahead of him.

The Bench

Dwight Howard

At age 39, Dwight is still a headache for the opposing team on both ends. Still one of the most physically dominant centres in the league, he could easily play an extra season, which would make him surpass Robert Parish and LeBron James in the years played tally. ONE MORE YEAR!


Derrick Rose

It looked like Rose was set for retirement at the start of the season, missing lots of shots and not getting to the rim like he could in his prime... but he managed to find his range as the season progressed. His value on the bench was another factor in making Steven Hunt expendable.


Julian Chandler

Was a bit of a lost cause at the start of the season, but like Rose, he improved during the season, by taking better shots and attacking the rim. He has incredible athleticism, but lacks range on his shot. Once he develops that, he has the potential to be as good as his hero, Taylor MacKenzie.


Vince MacMahon

The Nuggets experimented a lot with different lineups during the season and the main player affected was Vince MacMahon. In the previous season, he won the 6th man award, but in this one, he missed out on 19 games as Denver were testing the likes of Jim Simon, James Palmer, Derrick Rose and Julian Chandler.

He comes off contract during the off-season and since Rose and Westbrook are probably going to retire, the Nuggets face the possibility of losing three of their point guards.


Jim Simon

On draft night, he was compared to Adam Morrison. It seemed like an unfair comparison, but post-all-star weekend, it was looking fairly accurate. After a dynamic start to the season, Simon's shooting percentages ended up being woeful. He shot 39% from the field, which included a disasterous 21% from beyond the arc.

We saw flashes of brilliance earlier in the season, so we all know what he's capable of. Will Denver stick with him like they did with T-Mac?


Lawrence Griffiths

The other G had a solid rookie season, scoring 6.7 points a game off 60 percent shooting. Offensive efficiency is something he has in common with his brother, but unfortunately, athleticism isn't. I had to wonder at times whether he could even dunk... and he's 6'11!

I think his athleticism will ultimately lower his ceiling, but he'll be a solid rotation centre in an excellent side.


Axel Donnelly

Donnelly was third in a power forward rotation behind Borislav Perko and Stan Griffiths; so it's safe to say that he wasn't going to get a lot of love this season. He generally picked up minutes when either player got in foul trouble or when games got stupidly blown out. He's a better player than that though. He plays a lot bigger than he actually is; he's an excellent rebounder and a surprisingly good post scorer. He just happens to be on the same team of possibly the greatest power forward ever and a rising star.

IR

Liam Leopold

This season had a brief case of Liamsanity, but with his lack of size and strength, he was never really likely to be a part of Denver's already strong centre rotation. Heading into free agency after the completion of the post-season, Leopold's future with the Nuggets is dependent on whether Howard retires or not. Even still, he's likely to be third string centre behind the Griffiths brothers.


Russell Westbrook

In what's probably the last stop in his career, Westbrook has shown signs of rejuvenation with the Nuggets. He had a couple of 20+ point games and his defense made him leap-frog Derrick Rose in the rotation temporarily. It's unlikely that he'll play much in the playoffs, but if all goes well, he should end his career with a second ring.


Sly Mitchell

Never really got much of a chance to showcase his skills. Denver's power forward rotation of Perko, Stan and Donnelly is solid and it's hard to see Mitchell getting any minutes in the playoffs. Will likely head to free agency.

Last edited by Kenny on Sat Jul 21, 2012 3:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

NBA Playoffs 2025: First Round

East








West







(1) Denver Nuggets Vs Portland Trail Blazers (8)



The Nuggets 2025 Playoffs campaign starts with a good old fashioned division rivalry. Before Denver's 21 game winning streak, the Portland Trail Blazers were one of the last teams to beat the number one seed; so don't expect the Blazers to be pushovers in this one.

Can the Blazers cause an upset? Or will they just be a speed bump in Denver's playoff run?


The Teams

Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Stan Griffiths | Borislav Perko | Dennis Anderson | Taylor MacKenzie | James Palmer |

The Bench

| Dwight Howard | Derrick Rose | Julian Chandler | Vince MacMahon | Jim Simon | Lawrence Griffiths | Axel Donnelly |

IR

| Liam Leopold | Russell Westbrook | Sly Mitchell |


Portland Trail Blazers

The Starters

| Garth Bender | Fred Gibson | Dilbert Roy | Bertrand Hofmann | Wyatt Walsh |

The Bench

| Liam Koch | Seal Childress | Charles Thompson | Abraham Francis | Edward White | Joe Fournier | Alan Alsten |

IR

| Wil Schulze | Maxwell Hoffman |


The Keys

Denver Nuggets

Perko is obviously the form player at the moment, however he has formidable support in Taylor MacKenzie. T-Mac is the reigning Finals MVP and there'd be no surprise if he caught fire again.


Portland Trail Blazers

The point guard tandem of Wyatt Walsh and Liam Koch could have a huge impact on this series, as James Palmers appears to be the only real defensive liability in the Nuggets starting lineup. If they can take advantage, this series could be more competitive than most would expect.

Soooo the dude on a 40 win 7th seeded Nets wins MVP over the guy that AVERAGES a triple double on a 68 win team. Funny stuff. I didn't know Stan was that good though.

Perko was robbed, but it looks like the seal has been broken on the quadruple doubles. I'm thinking we might see it happen a couple more times, now that the pressure is off and all.

I'm picking you to sweep the first round, the first step to another Nuggets championship.

BS on Perko not getting MVP. DPOY will have to do, and very nice showcase on that Rookie Team. You'll sweep the 1st round, and Mavs will upset the Hornets!

Soooo the dude on a 40 win 7th seeded Nets wins MVP over the guy that AVERAGES a triple double on a 68 win team. Funny stuff. I didn't know Stan was that good though.

He was also the dude that stopped Denver's winning streak... but I agree, it is pretty funny.

Stan is super efficient.

Perko was robbed, but it looks like the seal has been broken on the quadruple doubles. I'm thinking we might see it happen a couple more times, now that the pressure is off and all.

I'm picking you to sweep the first round, the first step to another Nuggets championship.

It took a while to get a triple-double and that happens all the time now basically. I don't think QD's will happen as regularly, but I wouldn't be surprised to see one pop up every now and then.

Hopefully you're correct about the championship

BS on Perko not getting MVP. DPOY will have to do, and very nice showcase on that Rookie Team. You'll sweep the 1st round, and Mavs will upset the Hornets!

Perko did have another historic season, but hopefully the lack of MVP will mean a Larry O'Brien trophy. I think his record of winning a championship after receiving an MVP is actually pretty poor.

There always seems to be at least one crazy upset in the first round of this game, so we'll see.

NBA Playoffs 2025: First Round

Game 1: Nuggets Win in OT off Stunning Debut



The Nuggets pulled off an incredible 103-100 win in overtime. Trailing 100-97, James Palmer came up with this play to tie it up at 100:

phpBB [video]

On the possession that followed, Fred Gibson drew the foul against Borislav Perko while going for a layup. With the two free throws that could have potentially won the game, Gibson missed them both. Perko grabbed the rebound and called a timeout. With just a few seconds left, James Palmer had the ball for the final play:

phpBB [video]

Palmer ended up with 30 points in his post-season debut, to be Denver's co-leader in scoring alongside Taylor MacKenzie. Vince MacMahon came off the bench and scored 12, while Borislav Perko got his first triple-double of the post-season with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

If it wasn't for a late game choke, Fred Gibson would have won the performer of the game, with huge numbers of 24 points and 20 rebounds. Bertrand Hofmann scored 22, while Wyatt Walsh and Liam Koch once again proved to be an effective point guard tandem, scoring 18 each.

After this win, Denver lead the series 1-0.

---------------------

POR@DEN
(OT)
DEN: 103 (MacKenzie 30, Palmer 30, MacMahon 12)
POR: 100 (Gibson 24, Hofmann 22, Koch 18)

Sprite Performer of the Game: James Palmer 30 points 3 assists 2 steals

Rebounds

DEN: S Griffiths 11
POR: Gibson 20

Assists

DEN: Perko 11
POR: Roy 5

---------------------

Game 2: Nuggets Take 2-0 Lead in Denver



The Denver Nuggets backed up a dramatic game one win with a 96-88 win in game two against the Blazers. It was Taylor MacKenzie and James Palmer once again who did the damage on the offensive end, scoring 26 and 20 respectively. But it was Borislav Perko who was judged to be the best on the court, as he was one rebound astray from his second triple-double of the series. Perko had 14 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 blocks. Stan Griffiths himself was only two assists away from the triple-double club with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, while Dwight Howard provided the impact off the bench with 11.

Wyatt Walsh (24) and Liam Koch (22) did the bulk of the offensive damage for the Blazers, as Fred Gibson had an off night. It was clear that his confidence had taken a hit after missing two crucial free throws in game one, but he still managed 12 points. Bertrand Hofmann was the last of Portland's double digit scorers with 10.

The Nuggets will now head to Portland with a 2-0 series lead.

---------------------

POR@DEN

DEN: 96 (MacKenzie 26, Palmer 20, Perko 14)
POR: 88 (Walsh 24, Koch 22, Gibson 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 14 points 9 rebounds 11 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: S Griffiths 11
POR: Gibson 7

Assists

DEN: Perko 11
POR: Walsh 7

---------------------

Game 3: Denver Blaze Portland



The Nuggets took a 3-0 series lead against the Trail Blazers after comfortably winning game three by 101-82. Taylor MacKenzie was in prime form once again with 28 points, however, it was Stan Griffiths who proved to be the difference maker. Griffiths was a dominant force in the paint, with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Dennis Anderson (15 points) had his best performance of the post-season so far, while Dwight Howard (14) and James Palmer (12) both had minor contributions.

Portland had six players in double figures, but none of them scored 20 or more, with the highest scorer being Liam Koch (17). In fact, the only other player to score over 15 was Bertrand Hofmann, who tallied 16. Wyatt Walsh (12), Charles Thompson (11), Fred Gibson (10) and Dilbert Roy (10) all played a part, but none had the impact needed to top the dynamic Denver offense.

The Blazers will look to save the series in game four.

---------------------

DEN@POR

DEN: 101 (MacKenzie 28, S Griffiths 20, Anderson 15)
POR: 82 (Koch 17, Hofmann 16, Walsh 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Stan Griffiths 20 points 10 rebounds 3 assists

Rebounds

DEN: S Griffiths 10
POR: Gibson 9

Assists

DEN: Perko 15
POR: Walsh 7

---------------------

Game 4: Nuggets Take Out the Broom in Portland



The Denver Nuggets completed the series sweep with a 97-77 win in Portland. The Nuggets were only ahead by one point at the end of the 3rd, but a 20 point quarter by James Palmer sealed the deal for the defending champions. He ended up with 22, as he was once again the co-leader in scoring with Taylor MacKenzie. Stan Griffiths continued his solid form with 14 points and 8 rebounds, while both Dennis Anderson (12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Dwight Howard (10 points, 5 rebounds) had meaningful roles in limited minutes.

For Portland, both Bertrand Hofmann and Wyatt Walsh scored 20 each. Fred Gibson had 14 points and 8 rebounds, while Liam Koch scored 11.

Denver will now face the winner of the series between the Sacramento Kings and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

---------------------

DEN@POR

DEN: 97 (MacKenzie 22, Palmer 22, S Griffiths 14)
POR: 77 (Hofmann 20, Walsh 20, Gibson 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: James Palmer 22 points 2 rebounds 4 assists 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 11
POR: Gibson 8

Assists

DEN: Perko 11
POR: Walsh 8

SWEEEEP!! T-Mac had a pretty smooth series going on. What numbers did he put up during the regular season?

Palmer has been ballin

T-Mac going off, with Palmer playing Hero. Go get that ring!

I think series might have been a lot tougher had you not pulled out game 1. Got your Perko jersey IRL yet?

Called it, sweep. Looks like Game 1 served as a bit of a wake-up call but it certainly got you in gear.

SWEEEEP!! T-Mac had a pretty smooth series going on. What numbers did he put up during the regular season?

He averaged almost 20 points per game. The post-season is definitely his time of year

Palmer has been ballin

He's been pretty awesome so far. Hopefully he can keep it up... he might be a Finals MVP candidate if he can.

T-Mac going off, with Palmer playing Hero. Go get that ring!

It's been a fun scoring tandem. Hopefully it leads to a ring.

I think series might have been a lot tougher had you not pulled out game 1. Got your Perko jersey IRL yet?

Definitely; the mentality would have been a lot different.

And I might get one after I pick up either a Faried or a McGee swingman

Called it, sweep. Looks like Game 1 served as a bit of a wake-up call but it certainly got you in gear.

I really thought I was going to lose that game, but luckily a few things managed to go my way.

NBA Playoffs 2025: Conference Semi Finals

East




West





First Round Results

East

(1) Chicago 4 - 2 Toronto (8)
(4) New York 4 - 0 Milwaukee (5)
(3) Miami 4 - 1 Indiana (6)
(2) Detroit 4 - 2 New Jersey (7)

West

(1) Denver 4 - 0 Portland (8)
(4) Sacramento 4 - 1 Minnesota (5)
(3) New Orleans 4 - 0 Dallas (6)
(7) Houston 4 - 3 Oklahoma City (2)

(1) Denver Nuggets Vs Sacramento Kings (4)



Both Denver and Sacramento had easy runs to the semis, with only one loss between the two; and both teams have a backcourt that's running hot. Here are a few stats to show how the starting guards have performed so far:

Shooting Guard

Taylor MacKenzie: 26.5 ppg
Tom Coles: 21 ppg

Point Guard

Tim Banks: 27.2ppg 8apg
James Palmer: 21ppg 5apg

This series could come down to whichever backcourt goes cold first.


The Teams


Denver Nuggets

The Starters

| Stan Griffiths | Borislav Perko | Dennis Anderson | Taylor MacKenzie | James Palmer |

The Bench

| Dwight Howard | Derrick Rose | Julian Chandler | Vince MacMahon | Jim Simon | Lawrence Griffiths | Axel Donnelly |

IR

| Liam Leopold | Russell Westbrook | Sly Mitchell |



Sacramento Kings

The Starters

| Glenn Cole | Toby Lloyd | Rasheed Dixon | Tom Coles | Tim Banks |

The Bench

| Marcus Feehan | Ernie Barker | Steven King | Noah Homer | Manfred Prince | Alex Feehan | Ernie McDonnell |

IR

| Demitri Richter | Lawrence Ryan | Abram Lyons |



The Keys

Denver Nuggets

Taylor MacKenzie and James Palmer have been the two standout offensive performers, but the key to this one is going to be Borislav Perko. Coles and Banks were able to run riot against the Timberwolves, but Perko's shot blocking presense should make them change their mind on a lot of driving opportunities.


Sacramento Kings

Losing Demitri Richter was huge, since he's a legit 7 footer who can back his way to the basket and step outside for the jumpshot. Without him, the Kings offense is a little one dimensional, so they'll have to rely on their star backcourt to out-shoot the Nuggets in this one.

Could be a tougher series this time around, but I'm predicting it won't go past five games, if indeed you don't pick up another sweep.

Nuggets in 5. Maybe 6. I don't see this team testing you too hard in this series.

Not going past 4 o 5 if you ask me.

Good luck against the Kings. I predict a sweep.

Surprised I haven't missed a page or more's worth of TNL in my absence, but I'm finally caught up. Great job with Perko's second QD, just a shame it had to come against the Rockets. Him not winning MVP is definitely controversial, but the Nuggets winning the championship sure won't be. Good to see you get off to a great start to the playoffs.

Could be a tougher series this time around, but I'm predicting it won't go past five games, if indeed you don't pick up another sweep.

Nuggets in 5. Maybe 6. I don't see this team testing you too hard in this series.

Not going past 4 o 5 if you ask me.

Good luck against the Kings. I predict a sweep.

Probably would be a lot tougher with a fit Demitri Richter. I always find 7 footers who can shoot the ball hard to handle. In saying that though, they've got some great perimeter shooters that can put me off my Borislav Perko block party.

Surprised I haven't missed a page or more's worth of TNL in my absence, but I'm finally caught up. Great job with Perko's second QD, just a shame it had to come against the Rockets. Him not winning MVP is definitely controversial, but the Nuggets winning the championship sure won't be. Good to see you get off to a great start to the playoffs.

I guess my life has been a little busier as well. I'm actually majoring in creative writing, so I do a lot of writing even outside of TNL. This used to be one of my only outlets.

Perko's MVP miss was definitely a shock. I'm not sure what's going on with the award system now. I still want to get that illusive Most Improved trophy.

NBA Playoffs 2025: Conference Semi Finals

Game 1: Nuggets Grab Early Momentum



The Nuggets picked up where they left off in the first round by beating the Kings by 94-83. Stan Griffiths led the wayt with 20 points and 8 rebounds. He was supported by Dwight Howard and Taylor MacKenzie, who both scored 15 points. Vince MacMahon and Borislav Perko also contributed, with 10 points each.

Toby Lloyd was the Kings' best player with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Rasheed Dixon (17) and Tim Banks (12 points, 13 assists) both had solid games, but Denver had the power in numbers, as the Kings 3 double-digit scorers paled in comparison to the Nuggets' 5.

Denver lead the series 1-0.

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SAC@DEN

DEN: 94 (S Griffiths 20, Howard 15, MacKenzie 15)
SAC: 83 (Lloyd 22, Dixon 17, Banks 12)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Stan Griffiths 20 points 8 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: S Griffiths 8
SAC: Lloyd 8

Assists

DEN: Rose 6
SAC: Banks 13

-------------

Game 2: Super Sub Sparks Nuggets



The Nuggets came away with an 85-67 win against the Sacramento Kings in game two. With the usual go-to-men struggling for Denver, Vince MacMahon was the difference in the game on the offensive end. He was the only player on either team to score more than 20, with 21 points. Borislav Perko also picked up some of the slack, with 14 points, along with 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks. Taylor MacKenzie (12) and James Palmer (10) never looked comfortable in the game, but were still able to contribute.

Both Tim Banks and Glenn Cole led the Kings with 10 points. Cole completed his double-double with 10 rebounds. Tom Coles (11) and Manfred Prince (10) provided a little support, but nothing that would see the Kings get close to the Nuggets.

Denver head to Sacramento with a 2-0 lead.

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SAC@DEN

DEN: 85 (MacMahon 21, Perko 14, MacKenzie 12)
SAC: 67 (Banks 16, Cole 16, Coles 10)

Sprite Performer of Game: Borislav Perko 14 points 10 rebounds 7 assists 4 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 10
SAC: Cole 10

Assists

DEN: Perko 7
SAC: Banks 4

-------------

Game 3: Ten Players Score Double Digits in Nuggets Win



An incredible team effort saw the Nuggets win by 121-93 against the Kings in game three. Taylor MacKenzie scored the most points for the Nuggets with 14, as he led a field of 10 players in double digits. Dennis Anderson, Dwight Howard and Julian Chandler all scored 12 each. Vince MacMahon scored 11 and had 5 assists, while Stan Griffiths (9 rebounds), Borislav Perko (10 rebounds, 16 assists), James Palmer (7 assists), Derrick Rose (7 assists), and Jim Simon all scored 10.

Sacramento's points were scored in a more condensed fashion, with Rasheed Dixon getting the most with 26. Tom Coles scored 13, while Steven King and Tim Banks (15 assists) both had 10.

The Nuggets will look to wrap the series up in game 4.

-------------

DEN@SAC

DEN: 121 (MacKenzie 14, Anderson 12, Chandler 12)
SAC: 93 (Dixon 26, Coles 13, Banks 10)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 10 points 10 rebounds 16 assists 2 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: Perko 10
SAC: Dixon 7

Assists

DEN: Perko 16
SAC: Banks 15

-------------

Game 4: Nuggets Perfect Run Continues



The Denver Nuggets completed their second sweep of the playoffs, beating the Sacramento Kings by 89-84 in game 4. After a quiet first three games, both Taylor MacKenzie and James Palmer stepped up for the Nuggets, scoring 26 and 23 respectively. Vince MacMahon continued to provide offensive impact off the bench with 14, while Dwight Howard also had a solid game as a sub, scoring 10.

Tim Banks led the Kings with 24 points and 9 assists, while Toby Lloyd completed his double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rasheed Dixon was the only other double figure scorer for the Kings, with 14 points.

Despite the final score saying it was a 5 point margin, the Kings never looked likely in the game. A late fourth quarter run made the margin look more respectable, but it was a case of too little, too late.

The Nuggets will meet the winner of the Hornets/Rockets series in the Western Conference Finals.

-------------

DEN@SAC

DEN: 89 (MacKenzie 26, Palmer 23, MacMahon 14)
SAC: 84 (Banks 24, Lloyd 19, Dixon 14)

Sprite Performer of the Game: Borislav Perko 6 points 7 rebounds 9 assists 6 blocks 1 steal

Rebounds

DEN: S Griffiths 11
SAC: Lloyd 10

Assists

DEN: Perko 9
SAC: Banks 9

Impressive. At this rate, you may just sweep your way through the postseason.

16-0, I can feel it. Perko stat line's always look so good haha.

It'll be tough, but 16-0 is do-able. Either way, anything short of a title would be devastating.

I knew there wouldn't be much resistance till the Conference Finals. Another sweeeeep