A trio of Nuggets players earned financial rewards when the team advanced to the conference semifinals. Likely Most Valuable Player award winner Nikola Jokic pocketed $500K, while Paul Millsap and Facundo Campazzo added $100K apiece to their bank accounts, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. The bonuses do not impact the team’s cap situation since they were considered likely before the season started, Marks adds.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Michael Porter Jr.‘s Game 6 performance confirms that he’s star material, Sean Keeler of the Denver Post opines. Porter scored 22 points in the opening quarter, which kept the Nuggets within striking distance. Though he only scored four more points the rest of the way, it was another step in his maturation process, Keeler adds. Porter is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
- The Nuggets will be allowed bring in crowds at near full capacity for the second round of the playoffs, according to a team press release. Some seating areas will be unavailable due to NBA safety restrictions but the team can fill the arena to 90.7% capacity. All fans age 3 and older will be required to wear a face mask and complete a health assessment prior to entry.
- Though the Nuggets surprised many people around the league by defeating the Trail Blazers without their starting backcourt, coach Michael Malone said the team has loftier aspirations, Mike Singer of the Denver Post relays. “Our goal coming into the season was not to get out of the first round,” he said. “We have much bigger goals.”
Aaron Gordon and Paul Milsap/Jamychal Green, as well as Monte Morris and Pj Dozier, really help mitigate a lot of Porter jrs shortcomings
With a superstar like Jokic & the coming of MPJ, he already has played at an All-Star level & only will get better, & the 3rd guy Murray, shame ’bout his injury… DEN has to be a top contender to win it all… even without Murray it wouldn’t be shocking if they did!
I am a bit surprised as there seems to be someone who believed POR could beat DEN… I mean if Jokic plays the worst ball of his life & Dame the best of his life, you might have a match up, but… as always Jokic was out of this world with 33/11/5 & 53/43/92 this DEN team is unstoppable, as you can’t leave MPJ alone, he is by far one of the top 5 shooters in the league, & just gettin’ better!
I’d be stupid to argue with success, but I was a bit surprised/disappointed to not see any Javale McGee…maybe because he was a late acquisition and all the injuries they didn’t have enough time to establish him into the rotation. I would think that a lineup with McGee at center where the Nuggets run three point shooters off the 3 point line and use McGee to prevent easy layups could have been effective against Portland. I could imagine going big might help against Phoenix. It seems like Phoenix likes to play small…beyond Ayton they don’t have much size at all. I’m not sure how Phoenix could handle a Nugget lineup of McGee, Jokic, MPjr, Rivers, and Monte. I think Moach, Michael Malone is a great coach and I can’t argue with their success. The Nuggets have become my favorite team to watch the passed few years. They have great heart and a unique style.
Jokic averaged 33 ppg in 35 mpg on 53/42/91 splits in 6 gms.
I’ll speculate that some of that is due to Portland. Either way I think the PHX series will be very interesting.