As the LA Lakers secure the 7th seed in the Western Conference, questions arise about their ability to perform against stronger units like the Denver Nuggets. However, amidst these uncertainties, Mark Jackson not only identified who the key player would be for the Purple and Gold to do well in the playoffs but also pointed out the daunting task of facing LeBron James in the business end, particularly considering how he has made an impact on all fronts - averaging 29.0 points, 10.8 assists, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.6 steals over the past five games.
"This version of LeBron James is extra tough to defend because he's getting guys involved. He's controlling the entire pace. This is when he's at his best, and in the playoff situation, playing playoff basketball… orchestrating the plays. To me, the key is Anthony Davis," Jackson said. "Anthony Davis plays at a high level, stays healthy, I wouldn't want to face them."
LA Lakers face their biggest hurdle in the first round
After beating the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 on the road, the Lakers might have reached the playoffs, but the game would have had a different outcome had Zion Williamson not picked up an injury, post erasing an 18-point third-quarter deficit. Safe to say, such slip-ups can't be tolerated against the defending champions in the first round.
Denver not only holds a psychological edge over the 2020 NBA Champs, having won each of their last 8 games against them, but they've also followed a similar formula to attain victories in most of those games. While the Lakers compete hard for the first 38-40 minutes, the Nuggets get defensive stops and make the Lakers pay by scoring on the other end in clutch time.
The fact that they outscored the Lakers by 15 points in 11 clutch minutes in the 2023 WC Finals and by 17 points in 7 clutch minutes in the 2023-24 regular season series justifies just that.
On a brighter note, for the Lakers - their most opportune moment to face the Nuggets would be early in the playoffs, where they can play with less pressure. This scenario is particularly important when considering how the Lakers need to hand an upset on the defending champ's home court, as Jokic & Co. have been dominant all season long securing wins in 33 out of 41 games.
LeBron is wary of the threat against the Nuggets
In alignment with Jackson's analysis, LeBron James also revealed that he is aware that the Lakers' ability to defeat the Nuggets relies heavily on Anthony Davis performing at his peak and, more importantly, for the entire team to be at full health.
With the Lakers now seemingly boasting a fully healthy roster, including Gabe Vincent's return to action, the four-time MVP emphasized the importance of the team playing mistake-free basketball if they want to reach the second round of the playoffs.
"We have to play mistake-free basketball. Make it tough on them. They're going to try to make it tough on us, obviously," James said after securing the win against the Pelicans. "But if we can play as great of a game as we can play, and they're going to play as great of a game as they play, it's going come down to one or two possessions."
While there's no denying that the Nuggets have a camaraderie between their players as compared to the Lakers, the latter has the chance to unsettle them after facing them this early in the playoffs. If LeBron & Co. can win the series opener in Denver, they can surely open the door to vulnerabilities and expose Malone's team like never before.
Related: "We want all the smoke and we ain't ducking no fades" - Darvin Ham boldly declares the Lakers aren't afraid to face the Nuggets
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