Rejoice, basketball fans! The Western Conference Finals arrived, and brought with them so many fantastic individual matchups. The GOAT debate could be revisited by pundits all over if the Lakers are able to win the series and LeBron James winds up playing a key part in the success of his team finding a way to make it to the finals as a #7 seed.
The Nuggets have the 2X MVP and the greatest All-NBA 2nd Team center in the history of the league. Darvin Ham “joked” that the only way to stop Denver is to kidnap Nikola Jokic, perhaps drawing from the old film Celtic Pride. He had another incredible season, but due to voter fatigue, did not take home a third best player trophy in a row. Joel Embiid shrunk under the playoff pressure, while Jokic helped his team past the best 1-2 scoring tandem in the league in the last round.
ODDS:
SPREAD: DEN -6
MONEYLINE: DEN -240, LAL +198
O/U: 222.5 points
Lakers Seek Quick Start to Series
It has been an incredible NBA playoffs this year, and nobody can dispute that. The first 12 series that have taken place have shown but one single sweep. A lot of close finishes and some blowouts showcasing incredible talent has been seen. In each of the first two rounds, LA was able to dominate their opponent in a series-clinching game 6, showing just how ready they have been for the elimination games.
LeBron played 40+ minutes on three occasions in the Golden State series. To think he is able to handle that much court time after the injuries he has suffered this year and being 38 years of age, is truly incredible. Anthony Davis is holding it down inside. And then guys like Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell have been able to make enough shots for them. Their biggest key to victory is making everybody not named Jokic beat them.
Denver Looks to Play to Home-Court Advantage
Playing in Denver will always give the Nuggets an advantage, as other teams aren’t as used to the altitude. Jokic was unstoppable in each of the first two rounds, with the likes of Rudy Gobert and DeAndre Ayton struggling to stop him from doing exactly what he wanted. As great a defender as Anthony Davis is, the same might be true in that no single player can slow him down. And when the double team comes, he simply gives it to Jamal Murray to let him cook.
The 8-man rotation has worked well here, with Jeff Green, Christian Braun, and Bruce Brown holding it down off the bench. There are some great options that aren’t playing, but it is clear that Mike Malone has figured it out. They’ll have to hope that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a former champ with the Lakers, can help them figure out the blueprint for keeping LeBron and AD from dominating.
Nuggets Grab Game 1
The Nuggets will win the series opener to go out 1-0 in the series. Jokic is about to cook.
FREE PICK: DEN -6.5
