Hall-of-Fame NBA Coach Shares Harsh Reality for Lakers and Suns

Can the Los Angeles Lakers or Phoenix Suns stop Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic?

While the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have made some solid moves this summer, Hall-of-Fame NBA coach George Karl believes nobody in the Western Conference is stopping Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The Suns and Lakers got better this Summer but no one in the West is gonna take this man and the Nuggets down this year. pic.twitter.com/FrDS1BfPVG

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) September 28, 2023

Karl, who coached the Nuggets from 2004-2013, doesn't see any team in the West taking down Denver. This feels like a safe bet at this point in the offseason, because while teams like Phoenix and LA have made some good moves, none of them feel significant enough to take down Jokic and the Nuggets.

After trading for Kevin Durant at last season's trade deadline, the Suns were supposed to become an unstoppable force. Getting embarrassed by the Nuggets in their elimination game, the Suns hit the offseason realizing just how far they were from the eventual champions. Adding Bradley Beal to the mix in an attempt to catchup with the Nuggets, Phoenix certainly got better, but at the expense of their already limited depth.

Phoenix has replenished some of their depth, but primarily with players unproven in the playoffs, which can become tough to navigate. The Nuggets still have the best player in the NBA along with one of the best supporting casts in the NBA, which leaves them the favorites to come out of the Western Conference again.

Things can always change, but the Nuggets are the favorites out West for a reason.

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