For most of the world, 2020 is a reminder of a painful and overly long wasted year, what with the rapid spread of COVID-19 forcing lockdowns all over the globe and effectively changing life as we know it. But fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, at the very least, have something to fondly look back towards during that year, as that was when the Purple and Gold won its 17th championship in franchise history, tying the Boston Celtics for most championships won in the NBA. Before then, we will be making a few predictions for Game 1.
Part of the Lakers' run to the 2020 NBA championship was overcoming the Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray-led Denver Nuggets. In September 2020, the Nuggets simply did not have the defensive prowess to keep up with the Lakers, as LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined to make their lives a living nightmare.
Almost three years later, and the Nuggets are now a much better and much more cohesive unit with more defensive capabilities. It's not too often that a team quiets both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in a must-win game, but the Nuggets defense, led by unheralded players such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Aaron Gordon, and Bruce Brown, was able to cover so much ground.
Meanwhile, the Lakers do not have the same depth they did in 2020, particularly in the frontcourt. As one would recall, Dwight Howard had a huge series back in 2020. Now, the Lakers use LeBron James as their backup center. That may mean death against Nikola Jokic.
Still, it will be very interesting to see how the Lakers navigate their most difficult test yet in the 2023 NBA playoffs. One thing's for sure: similar to the first two rounds, they will be very motivated to grab Game 1 to effectively set the tone for the next step in their hunt for banner eighteen.
Here are three bold predictions for the Lakers' Western Conference Finals opener against the Nuggets.
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Tristan Thompson plays non-garbage time minutes
As mentioned earlier, the Lakers were able to hold Nikola Jokic to a less-than-stellar series back in 2020, thanks in large part to the presence of Dwight Howard. After Jokic demolished the Los Angeles Clippers from all over the court in the previous round, the Lakers were able to hold their own and limit the damage the soon-to-be two-time MVP would inflict, limiting him to 22-7-5 on 53 percent shooting from the field — hardly the game-changing numbers he posts on a nightly basis these days.
The presence of Howard, beyond limiting Jokic on the glass, also gave Anthony Davis a reprieve from having to guard the Nuggets star center all the time. It made Davis more of a help-defender extraordinaire, especially with Paul Millsap not being much of an offensive factor in the series.
Now, not only do the Nuggets have five dangerous offensive threats, the Lakers will now be playing Davis heavy minutes at the five, especially with Mo Bamba injured and Wenyen Gabriel not really playing any minutes unless it's necessary (garbage time or extreme big man foul trouble).
With the Lakers' 2020 winning recipe in mind, why shouldn't the Lakers try out some non-garbage time minutes for Tristan Thompson in Game 1, especially if it could spare Davis the trouble of having to guard Jokic for all of his minutes on the court?
It definitely won't be the first time that a head coach tries out something new with the series in its infancy.
Lakers hold Nikola Jokic to less than 50 percent shooting from the field
Nikola Jokic, against the Phoenix Suns, was on a warpath; the Nuggets' best player demolished any and all opposition, averaging an eye-popping 34.4 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists on 59.4 percent shooting from the field, which is simply incredible.
It's not quite clear what the Lakers should do to limit Jokic. Jokic's physicality will prevent the Lakers from ever going small, and his touch from everywhere on the court makes him such a nightmare to defend, even for someone as gifted on that end of the floor as Anthony Davis.
Still, it's not impossible for Jokic to have a bad game (he did have an 8-29 game in the first round, and he shot 9-21 in Game 1 against the Suns). Nevertheless, it will take a team effort for the Lakers to slow down the best performer in the 2023 postseason thus far.
Anthony Davis is Game 1's best player
It's no secret that the Lakers' hopes of defeating the Nuggets — and by extension, their championship hopes — hinge on the play of Anthony Davis. LeBron James, as incredible a player he remains at age 38, cannot do it all by himself anymore, and Davis, back in 2020, put together the best stretch of his career to lead the Lakers to eternal glory.
In Game 1, Davis will set the tone for the Purple and Gold, similar to the way he did against the Nuggets in 2020, when he scored 37 points on 12-21 shooting from the field to lead the Lakers to a Game 1 victory.