Former NBA player and current TNT analyst Kenny Smith appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio‘s show Give and Go on Thursday with Rick Kamla and Antonio Daniels, providing his insights on the playoffs, the Nuggets, and his own experience.
When asked about his pick to win it all, Smith responded, “The most complete team is the Denver Nuggets.” He cited the team’s MVP candidate Nikola Jokić, strong point guard in Jamal Murray, and young yet experienced players such as Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. However, Smith also noted that “getting to the Finals is harder than winning it,” highlighting the importance of experience and lack of fear in the postseason.
“The most complete team is the Denver Nuggets”
???? @TheJetOnTNT explains why he believes the Nuggets are the team to beat #BringItIn #NBAPlayoffs@RickKamlaSports | @adaniels33 pic.twitter.com/BkJWLJ3Rtl
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 12, 2023
Smith drew from his own experience as a player, discussing the importance of facing elimination and not putting too much emotion into each game. “The series doesn’t start until someone’s faced with elimination,” Smith said, adding that his teams never put too much emotion into any game until they were facing elimination. This approach helped Smith and his teams come back from a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs, something that only 5% of teams have accomplished. Smith emphasized the bonds created in the playoffs, saying, “that’s where those bonds that you have, that you create for the rest of your life, because you know that it’s different… it ain’t regular, it ain’t 82.”
As for the current playoffs, Smith admitted that he’s not so sure about his initial pick of the Lakers winning it all. He cited the Lakers’ lack of experience as a team, particularly compared to the Warriors, who have players like Steph Curry and Draymond Green who have been there before together. Smith highlighted the importance of having players who have been there before, both individually and collectively, as it brings a level of composure and confidence that can’t be taught.
As the playoffs continue to bring surprises, it will be interesting to see if Smith’s pick of the Nuggets as the most complete team holds true or if another team will emerge as the champion. Tune into SiriusXM NBA Radio for in-depth coverage of the playoffs and stay up-to-date on the latest surprises as the postseason unfolds.
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