JJ Redick says there is a way for Lakers to upset Nuggets: "Where can we exploit the margins?"

The Los Angeles Lakers enter their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets as big underdogs. But while the oddsmakers are picking the Nuggets to eliminate the Lakers, former NBA player JJ Redick thinks there are ways for the Purple and Gold to pull off an upset.

"The thing with the Lakers, if you're trying to attack them, is 'How can we get Anthony Davis from the basket?' And whether it's running high pick-and-rolls with whoever he's guarding. We could see some Jamal Murray pick-and-rolls with Aaron Gordon, let's say if they're cross-matched that way. So keeping Anthony Davis in the paint is the number one priority," said Redick.

Lakers must exploit margins

Redick also mentioned that the Nuggets aren't a high-volume three-point shooting team. At 11.7 three-point makes per game, they rank 25th in the league, one spot below the Lakers, who hit 11.8 three-pointers on average.

Denver is also 26th in pace at 97.43, while the Lakers are fourth overall at 101.38. According to JJ, that's where the Lakers need to look for advantages.

"Number two. You got to look for margins here. Where can we exploit the margins? If I'm the Los Angeles Lakers, I need to get LeBron James out in transition. I need transition buckets. The shooters, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, Hachimura, of course, D'Angelo Russell, who's had an incredible season. They have to shoot the ball well. Again Denver good three-point shooting team, not a high-volume three-point shooting team. Can they win the three-point battle there? Fastbreak. Can they win that there?" added JJ.

Finally, Redick says that the Lakers need to continue doing what they have been doing throughout the season: taking the ball to the basket and drawing fouls. L.A. often dominates its opponents in free throw attempts, and doing the same against the defending champions would increase their chances of advancing to the second round.

Nuggets have the Lakers number

The Lakers head to the playoffs having lost eight consecutive games to the Nuggets. These include a regular-season loss last season, a sweep in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, and another sweep in the 2023-24 regular-season series.

With that kind of dominance, Denver's head coach, Mike Malone, says his team is ready for what the Lakers will bring .

"We know them, they know us. We know what to expect," Malone said. "We swept them last year. We swept them this year. They come in playing really well and hungry. They want to flip that script. Our players understand that."

Both teams know each other pretty well, so it is expected that they will be well-prepared to face each other. But Redick does make a good point with his four factors. Executing, however, is easier said than done, so we'll see what happens in Game 1.

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