The phenomenon of downgrading Denver was exemplified by ESPN, which has been actively rooting against the Nuggets for ratings reasons. But it extends beyond the network essentially hosting the championship (the games are being broadcast on its sibling affiliate, ABC) to all manner of mega-trolls masquerading as experts.
Kendrick Perkins and Nick Wright, we're talking about you.
Big Perk, as he's known, spent around a decade and a half in the league, with his 2003-2011 stint as a member of the Boston Celtics, with whom he won a championship in 2008, by far his most distinguished period. So he comes by his East Coast bias naturally, but since joining ESPN following the 2018 end of his playing career, he's gained a reputation for blunt, nuance-free takes in which he attempts to be purposefully provocative — as when he accused Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic of "stat-padding" in order to enhance his odds of taking home a third consecutive Most Valuable Player award.
This assertion was moronic, in part because Jokic didn't give a tenth of a damn if he was named MVP again, while Perkins's fave, Philadelphia 76er Joel Embiid, has been more or less begging for the bauble year after year, and deep down, Perkins seems to know it. On an episode of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption that aired prior to the game, he called Jokic the best player in the world right now — but then quickly predicted that the Heat would triumph in the series opener because of leader Jimmy Butler's prowess in the playoffs and the fact that Miami has taken openers on the road three times during its current post-season run.
Another salient truth — Denver hasn't lost at home since the playoffs started — didn't enter into Perkins's analysis, but that's no surprise. He picked Denver to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers, too.
Wright, for his part, has made ripping Jokic a big part of his brand on FS1, Fox Sports's answer to ESPN. He's called him the weakest MVP since Steve Nash, and takes advantage of every opportunity to suggest that his awesome skill set is made of Tinker Toys.
Problem is, Jokic keeps proving Wright wrong — and he did so again last night. He eschewed shooting for most of the contest, choosing instead to slice up the Heat's vaunted defense with seeing-eye passes on par with those once hurled by Magic Johnson. He wound up with one of the quietest triple doubles ever — 27 points, ten rebounds and fourteen assists — by consciously putting his teammates in the spotlight. This approach resulted in an incredibly balanced attack marked by Jamal Murray's 26 points, plus sixteen from Aaron Gordon and fourteen from Michael Porter Jr.
Yes, the Nuggets gave the Heat hope in the fourth quarter, allowing Butler and company to halve Denver's 22-point lead by the buzzer. But there was never a sense that the Nugs would actually lose.
Future games likely won't be this easy. But Denver clearly looked like the best team, and everyone from former Nuggets coach George Karl to casual fans let Perkins, Wright and PTI's Michael Wilbon (another Nuggets doubter, although he's picked them to win) hear all about it.
Count down twenty memorable examples below:
Number 20:
Man… You just keep missing on the Nuggets Perk. That’s alright though… I’m sure you’ll have something to say when they win in 5.
— Tyler Barone (@tbonebarone) June 2, 2023
Number 19:
The usual National Suspects picked the Heat Skip, Perk and Nick Wright. Perk and Nick disrespectfully in 6.
— J.T T.E (@TalkSports303) June 2, 2023
You can’t fix size let alone skilled size Denver has size but it’s skilled size. As the series goes on that becomes a factor. Heat made runs but Denver didn’t panic.
Number 18:
Nick Wright is praying to God the Nuggets don't win. https://t.co/wgsgAwxuqF
— Stik The Tall Guy (@Dante_Diable54) June 2, 2023
Number 17:
This you perk? Haha you know damn well the @nuggets gonna spank MIA the rest of the series. pic.twitter.com/MGWg6zoTdE
— Orlando “Main Man” Munoz (@Listen303) June 2, 2023
Number 16:
Perk probably thinks Lakers are still making adjustments and are about to sweep the Nuggets. Dude hasn’t been right once about any of these series https://t.co/ajIAeQOTLu
— Dejan D (mostly not parody) (@dejandabetic) June 2, 2023
Number 15:
Nuggets in 5 Big Perk, Spoel is good, but this run I think is over! I’m done here Big Perk, carry the hell on!
— Mike Koelker (@mkoelker24) June 2, 2023
Number 14:
Nick Wright tomorrow: The Nuggets won on the scoreboard, but the Heat ultimately won this game with what they figured out in the 4th. A moral victory for them, moral loss for the Nuggets. I'm not scared. Heat will win in 5 games, I guarantee. Guar. An. Tee.
— ItsEmillz NuggetsInFinals (@officialemillz) June 2, 2023
Number 13:
ESPN saying AAron Gordon isn’t feared for his defense just shows me they don’t watch the Nuggets. Horrible coverage by uneducated entertainers.
— colinb (@cbrady173) June 2, 2023
Number 12:
wow, nuggets would win after they’ve gone 8-0 in the playoffs this year?? who would have thought of but that great analysis perk https://t.co/BTh2QOhD6F
— wisdom (@eluewisdom_) June 2, 2023
Number 11:
not this again. Listen the nuggets are going to sweep miami
— Jeff perkins (@SaucemanJ13) June 2, 2023
Number 10:
Nick Wright be all over Twitter if Nuggets had lost tonight. They didn’t and Jokic brilliant again so the notorious Jokic hater is crickets tonight. #MileHighBasketball
— LightningB97 (@Lightningb97) June 2, 2023
Number 9:
@getnickwright where you at bitch?? No tweets about the game last night?! God damn moron Jokic and the Nuggets have put you in your place all year and continue to do so. You and Perkins are the dumbest people on TV
— Stokes1244 (@Stokes1244) June 2, 2023
Number 8:
Nick Wright falls to 0-5 predicting the outcome of Nuggets games in the last month
— Bird Enthusiast (my day is ruined) (@dishwashersport) June 2, 2023
Number 7:
Lol. Mike Wilbon looks PISSED Nuggets are winning
— Kyle Scoble (@Scobey_Snaxx) June 2, 2023
Number 6:
#Jokic #Joker #Nuggets #Heat #76ers #Perkins #NBA #Finals I wonder how DUMB Perkins feels now. Literally does he want to disappear and come back six months from now? He caused one of the most embarrassing mistakes in the history of this league, thats what he'll be remembered for.
— Paco Paella (@PacoPaella) June 2, 2023
Number 5:
@espn That’s because it’s blatantly obvious the “National Media” only covers NY and LA. With a possible exception of the NFL, coverage of everything else between the coasts is ignored. Of course they have no clue what Nuggets B-Ball is! They never truly report on it! https://t.co/JyUk9tAyea
— PermaBannedSteve🇷🇺 (@SteveTheBanned) June 2, 2023
Number 4:
Another nuggets W. Another perk, Wright, and skip L.
— No_look_Jok (@nolookjok) June 2, 2023
Gotta love it.
Number 3:
Please tell me you’re trolling. I’ve seen people make insane assumptions and lazy narratives simply by looking at stats (Nick Wright) lol But this is a whole different level of delusion. lol
— Minkus Binkus (@BinkusM) June 2, 2023
The Nuggets dominated this entire game.
Number 2:
Wilbon being forced to say nice things about the Nuggets is peak comedy
— Chris Watson (@cwatsonpierceTV) June 2, 2023
Number 1:
How do you think Nick Wright feels about his wonderful Miami Heat and his beloved Playoff Jimmy now? He's finding out the Nuggets aren't the Celtics.
— Chris Hanover (@CHanover) June 2, 2023
