DENVER — As the Denver Nuggets prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, one of the team's biggest critics is giving his predictions for the series.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins said the Nuggets will win the best-of-seven series, that begins Thursday, for their first championship in franchise history.
"I have Denver beating the Miami Heat. They are really, really good," Perkins said on ESPN. "Jokic is the best player in the league, I will say that right now. But I will not disrespect the Heat and say they will get swept or will end in five."
"I believe this series will go six or seven. I believe Erik Spoelstra will put a game plan together and again, the Heat have made it this far for a reason. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks and they just knocked off the Boston Celtics, two of the teams that had the best rosters in the league and the best records in the league," Perkins continued. "So I won't disrespect them to that point, but [ESPN's Timothy Legler] is right. The Nuggets should be the favorite and I'm predicting them to bring home a championship this season."
Perkins said beating the Heat will not be easy for the Nuggets.
"Denver hasn't seen a team like the Miami Heat," Perkins said. "We don't give the Miami Heat enough credit for all the misdirection and multiple actions that they run."
After defeating the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the NBA playoffs earlier this month, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was able to impress Perkins, his biggest critic in the national media.
"I’ve been in denial about Jokic and the Nuggets… but I MUST say that they are LEGIT. Carry the hell on…" Perkins tweeted after the Nuggets blew out the Suns to win the series.
In March, Perkins accused Jokic of padding his stats to reach a triple-double. Perkins' comments led to a national sports conversation about stat padding.
Perkins also alleged in March that NBA MVP voters have a racial bias against Black players, leading to another national conversation involving Jokic.
Jokic finished second in MVP voting this season, but one voter left Jokic completely off ballot. That voter was revealed earlier this month to be ESPN analyst Mark Jackson.
During an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Jackson apologized and said leaving Jokic off of his ballot was a mistake.
"I'm not a guy that does it for clicks to be trending," Jackson said. "Absolute mistake made by me."
The best-of-seven NBA Finals begins Thursday when the Nuggets will host Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver.
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