Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes the Denver Nuggets team that won the 2023 NBA championship would defeat the 2026 New York Knicks in a hypothetical playoff series, predicting a 4-2 victory for his former team.
Caldwell-Pope, who played an important role in Denver’s championship run, discussed the similarities between the two teams and explained why he considers the Nuggets superior.
During the conversation, Kiran pointed out that both teams featured talented point guards, versatile big men capable of facilitating the offense, and strong supporting casts.
Kiran: “There is a lot of similarities between those two teams. You have Jamal Murray as your point guard, Jaylen Brunson, a big you can facilitate through, you have your three-point shooter. I see both points but I’m going to take KCP’s side. It’s not the same.”
Caldwell-Pope acknowledged that the teams shared some characteristics but strongly disagreed with comparisons between Nikola Jokic and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The veteran guard praised both centers but made it clear that he considers Jokic the better player and would choose his former teammate in any comparison.
KCP: “We got to the point where you was comparing Jokic and KAT. And that’s when I lost it because there’s no comparison. They both great bigs, but I’m taking Jokic every time. We did have some similarities because Jokic and Jamal didn’t do it by themselves. He had me, he had Michael Porter Jr., he had AG, we had our bench, we had we had all that, just like the New York Knicks. But our team were better. I guarantee you that right there.”
Caldwell-Pope also emphasized that Denver’s championship success was not solely the result of Jokic and Murray’s performances.
He highlighted the contributions of Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, himself, and the team’s bench, arguing that the Nuggets had the necessary depth and complementary players to compete against any opponent.
The 2023 Nuggets finished the regular season with a 53-29 record before winning the Western Conference playoffs and defeating the Miami Heat in five games in the NBA Finals.
Caldwell-Pope was a regular starter throughout that championship run, providing perimeter defense and three-point shooting alongside Denver’s primary offensive players.
When asked to predict the outcome of a hypothetical series against the Knicks, Caldwell-Pope expressed confidence that Denver would need only six games to advance.
Kiran: “If you played them right now, that team, you think it’d be 4-2?”
KCP: “We win 4-2 for sure.”
