The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of being swept by the Denver Nuggets after losing Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, 119-108. The Lakers have now lost three straight games and are facing elimination on their home court in Game 4. Here we will look at the four Los Angeles Lakers players who are most to blame for a possible sweep by the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been the biggest stars of the Lakers, but they have not been able to lead the team to victory yet in this series. James is averaging 23.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game in the series, while Davis is averaging 28.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. However, the Lakers have not been able to get enough consistent production from their supporting cast.

The Lakers have just struggled to defend the Nuggets' guards. Jamal Murray, Bruce Brown, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have been able to get to the rim at will. They have also been hitting three-pointers at a high rate. The Lakers have also struggled to rebound the ball. The Nuggets have outrebounded the Lakers in two of three games of the series. They have also gotten second-chance opportunities that have led to points. The Lakers have also not been able to get enough production from their bench. The Nuggets have gotten a lot of production from their bench, and it has been a major difference in the series.

The Lakers are facing an uphill battle in Game 4, but they still have a chance to avoid a sweep. If the Lakers can get a big game from James and Davis, and if they can get some more production from their supporting cast, they could pull off the upset. However, it will be a tough task against a Nuggets team that is playing with a lot of confidence.

There are a number of Lakers players who are to blame for their team's current predicament. Here are four of the people who have been most responsible for the Lakers' struggles in this series.

1. Darvin Ham

Head coach Darvin Ham has made the same costly mistakes in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets. One is that he has started games with a small lineup, which has allowed the Nuggets to dominate inside.

Ham is a rookie NBA head coach, and it shows. He has not really adjusted his game plan to counter the Nuggets' size and strength. In Game 1, the Lakers trailed by 16 points at halftime after starting with a small lineup. They went back to a bigger lineup in the second half and nearly came back, but it was too late.

The same thing happened in Game 2. The Lakers led by 11 points in the third quarter, but they went small again and the Nuggets came back to win. The same scenario happened in Game 3 when LeBron James finished the third quarter with back-to-back triples and Ham went small in the fourth. Instead of D'Angelo Russell, Ham should start Dennis Schroder. Rui Hachimura should also start over Jarred Vanderbilt, who gets few minutes despite being a starter, most likely owing to his offensive deficiencies. Ham should also give Tristan Thompson more minutes. Thompson is a good rebounder and defender, and he can help the Lakers slow down the Nuggets' offense.

2. D'Angelo Russell

D'Angelo Russell has been one of the most disappointing players for the Lakers in the playoffs. Russell is averaging 7.0 points per game in the series, but he has been shooting just 29.6 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three-point range.

3. Dennis Schroder

Dennis Schroder has also been a disappointment for the Lakers in the series. Schroder is averaging 5.0 points per game in the series, but he has been shooting just 35.3 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from three-point range. Schroder has also just been unable to slow Murray down. The Canadian has just owned the German in this matchup.

4. Jarred Vanderbuilt

Jarred Vanderbilt has been a non-factor for the Lakers against the Nuggets. Vanderbilt is averaging 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in the series. He has also been a liability on defense, allowing his opponents to shoot over 50.0 percent from the field when he is guarding them.

Overall, the Lakers need to make some changes if they want to avoid a sweep. They need to find a way to slow down the Nuggets' guards, they need to rebound the ball better, and they need to get more production from their bench. If they can do those things, they will have a chance to win Game 4 and keep their season alive.