Experts’ picks for the Nuggets playoff future and NBA champs

The 2025 NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday, with the wildest West giving us a pack of teams going for the Thunder while the East has a duo of elite units. Will the Denver Nuggets go all the way, and if not, where will their season end? Most prognosticators have Denver bowing out to Oklahoma City in the second round, but what do Denver Sports and 104.3 The Fan’s Nuggets voices have to say?

We asked Nuggets analyst Jake Shapiro, Denver Sports editor James Merilatt, Denver Sports staffer Aniello Piro and host of Dover and Cecil Josh Dover for their expert picks on the playoffs ahead. They make seven picks about the NBA’s postseason, including who they expect to see on top of the mountain at the very end.

How far do the Nuggets go?

Dover: Round two exit. The Nuggets will beat the Clippers in 7 games in Round 1 only to find the young, hungry, and new league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder waiting for them in Round 2. Denver and OKC will also be a seven-game series, with the Nuggets coming up just short on the road
Merilatt: NBA Finals. The current roster is as talented as the one that won a championship two years ago. They simply needed to get everyone rowing in the same direction, which will happen with David Adelman at the helm. Drastic times call for drastic measures, which will be evident when Josh Kroenke’s bold move pays off with a deep playoff run and/or title.
Piro: Second-round exit. While the Denver Nuggets have played pretty well, all things considered, through the final three games of the regular season, I still have questions about the overall longevity of this team in the playoffs. Anything is possible with Nikola Jokić dialed in and playing the way that he has this season, but I still worry about Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.’s consistency. Plus, there are plenty of questions surrounding Denver’s defense and bench depth. Could they make a Finals run? Possibly. Will they? Probably not.
Shapiro: Round two exit. The Nuggets will get past the Clippers just barely, then run into a strong Thunder team. It will not go well for Denver, and people will have legitimate questions about the team’s future after OKC proves a point.

First postseason team to change its coach?

Dover: The Grizzlies. This is basically a race to see who gets eliminated first, and I believe the Grizzlies will be out after the Play-In, so they will get a head start in the hiring process.
Merilatt: Milwaukee was great down the stretch, winning their last eight games to earn the No. 5 seed in the East. But if they get bounced by the Pacers in round one, it could be the end of what will be an ill-fated run for Doc Rivers with the Bucks.
Piro: Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks loaded up this offseason by making trades for Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges. While the Knicks have been solid this season, they are viewed as a pretender in my opinion. James Dolan is an impatient man, and an early playoff exit could see Thibs out of a job.
Shapiro: Memphis is going to ditch its coach when their season ends, but remember the name Tuomas Iisalo because he’ll be a great basketball coach somewhere eventually. Keep an eye on the Knicks, Bucks, Mavericks and Wolves to have very hot seats going into next season.

Which team makes a surprising deep run?

Dover: Lakers and Cavs. The Cavs should not be looked at as a surprise when it comes to their record, BUT they are a Cleveland team, so that will make a deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals or Finals a big surprise. On the West side, I hate to say it, but I think the Lakers can find themselves in the Western Conference Finals!
Merilatt: If they win their Play-In Game, Golden State will be the No. 7 seed and draw Houston in round one. The Rockets are loaded with talent, but they’re still relatively young. The Warriors are the opposite, as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler have all enjoyed a ton of playoff success. That could push Golden State through to the second round, where I could see them giving the winner of the Lakers-Timberwolves series fits.
Piro: I hate to say it, but it could be the Los Angeles Lakers. With Luka Doncic motivated and LeBron James still playing incredible basketball, along with their complimentary pieces, a deep run could be in the Lakers’ future. Hopefully not, though.
Shapiro: Both the Knicks and Lakers find a way into the conference finals. New York has one of the best five-man units in the game, and Jalen Brunson is gonna torch the Celtics as the Knicks bigs pound them inside. Meanwhile, the Lakers will regret not getting a big at the deadline, as their small-ball-only option will prevent them from going further. Still, Los Angeles will make a run on the back of Luka and LeBron’s problem-solving.

WCF Pick

Dover: Thunder over Lakers in six
Merilatt: Nuggets over Lakers in six
Piro: Thunder over Wolves in seven
Shapiro: Thunder over Lakers in five

ECF Pick

Dover: Cavaliers over Celtics in seven
Merilatt: Celtics over Pacers in five
Piro: Cavaliers over Celtics in seven
Shapiro: Cavaliers over Knicks in six

Finals Pick

Dover: Thunder over Cavaliers in six
Merilatt: Nuggets over Celtics in six
Piro: Cavaliers over Thunder in seven
Shapiro: Cavaliers over Thunder in six

Finals MVP

Dover: SGA gets this season’s and Finas’ MVP (team success will lead to several players wanting theirs & it could lead to OKC breaking up before they really get going)
Merilatt: Nikola Jokic
Piro: Donovan Mitchell
Shapiro: Evan Mobley