The Denver Nuggets faced a disappointing end to their last season. After celebrating an NBA Championship the previous year, they were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. According to former Nugget Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets’ playoff run should have ended in the first round at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.
In a conversation with Draymond Green on “The Draymond Green Show,” Caldwell-Pope shared his perspective on the series. “Towards the playoffs, guys get their rest, but I feel like that’s where we spent most of our energy at times, trying to get that first place [spot in the West],” he explained. “Playing catch-up. And then, we get to the playoffs, we have no gas. We felt like the Lakers should’ve beat us. We were down every game—at least 10 to, like, 20-something… Taking that energy and using it there. It was a lot that went into that season, no doubt.”
The Nuggets, with a 57-25 record, finished their last 10 games with a 6-4 run, securing the second seed in the West, while the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the top spot. This set up a first-round matchup against the Lakers, a team they had previously swept in the Western Conference Finals during their championship season.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on why the Denver Nuggets struggled in the playoffs:
“We had no gas. We felt like the Lakers should have beat us. We was down every game”
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Caldwell-Pope’s assertion may surprise some, but he highlighted the Lakers’ strong performance throughout the series and their potential to cause an upset. The series saw the Lakers consistently holding significant leads, only to lose them due to several factors. Key issues included head coach Darvin Ham’s lack of adjustments and poor late-game execution, as well as subpar performances from players other than LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
James and Davis delivered impressive stats in the series. James averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists (a playoff career-high), and 2.4 steals. Davis contributed with 27.8 points, a playoff career-high 15.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. However, the Lakers’ supporting cast struggled, with Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell underperforming and key injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent impacting the team’s depth.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who left Denver in the offseason, signed a three-year, $66 million deal with the Orlando Magic. His departure marks a new chapter for him, while the Nuggets and Lakers reflect on a series that could have ended differently.
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