Western Conference Finals

[Who]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

A big difference from 2020 to 2023 is LAL no longer has all those big bodies to throw at Jokic. No Dwight Howard. No JaVale McGee. No longer able to use A Davis as a free safety / double teamer which gave them one 7 foot 250lb guy hitting Jokic and a 2nd 7 footer running at Jokic trying to double up on him.

This LAL team is much smaller than back in 2020 and will have a much tougher time defending Jokic.

[gouki88]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

A big difference from 2020 to 2023 is LAL no longer has all those big bodies to throw at Jokic. No Dwight Howard. No JaVale McGee. No longer able to use A Davis as a free safety / double teamer which gave them one 7 foot 250lb guy hitting Jokic and a 2nd 7 footer running at Jokic trying to double up on him.

This LAL team is much smaller than back in 2020 and will have a much tougher time defending Jokic.

+ the Nugs are healthy, and have added some really solid pieces like Brown. The Nuggets are a much better team and LA is worse

[cman88]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

Lakers talent on that 2020 squad was alot better than this years also though. Anthony davis is bi-polar offensively and you are relying on austin reeves/schroder/Reaves to perform every night.

[SHAQATTACK]

I never want LA to win a anything .,in any sport , especially basketball.  I hope Denver wins , but I have little faith. Bron is built for series playoffs.

But , if I was a betting man   I’d go with Bron.  Timeless in playoff appearances,  when he gets this far , he is hard to deny.  He stops the fooling around and gets serious and takes chances with his body  , pushing his body to the max .  Where mostly he looks 75-90% effort…..he ll be going for it.

Nothing means more to Bron than another banner.  He ll be in a no prisoner s mode. .

[Who]

AD has not had the same success guarding Jokic. (Note: When guarded by Davis on 119 possessions during the regular season, Jokic made 16 of his 25 shots — including 15 of his 18 inside the three-point arc — with only three turnovers.)

That is from an LA Times article talking about the series

https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2023-05-15/lakers-nuggets-scouting-report-western-conference-finals-playoff-series

[gouki88]

AD has not had the same success guarding Jokic. (Note: When guarded by Davis on 119 possessions during the regular season, Jokic made 16 of his 25 shots — including 15 of his 18 inside the three-point arc — with only three turnovers.)

That is from an LA Times article talking about the series

https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2023-05-15/lakers-nuggets-scouting-report-western-conference-finals-playoff-series

Makes sense. Jokic is a genius, immensely powerful, and has a feathery touch inside. Hard to deal with for AD, who doesn’t like physicality too much

[Surferdad]

I never want LA to win a anything .,in any sport , especially basketball.  I hope Denver wins , but I have little faith. Bron is built for series playoffs.

But , if I was a betting man   I’d go with Bron.  Timeless in playoff appearances,  when he gets this far , he is hard to deny.  He stops the fooling around and gets serious and takes chances with his body  , pushing his body to the max .  Where mostly he looks 75-90% effort…..he ll be going for it.

Nothing means more to Bron than another banner.  He ll be in a no prisoner s mode. .

This is pretty much true. The only caveat is that he is not the same on defense anymore.

[Moranis]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

Lakers talent on that 2020 squad was alot better than this years also though. Anthony davis is bi-polar offensively and you are relying on austin reeves/schroder/Reaves to perform every night.

Rondo was the 3rd best player on that 2020 team. He'd be what 6th or 7th best on this one.  2020 had better size and a younger Lebron and Jokic is better today, so the result may be different, but this Lakers team absolutely has much better talent 3-10 than they did in 2020.

[hwangjini_1]

for what it is worth, this season the celtics are 1-1 with denver. against the lakers the celtics are 2-0, but both wins were in overtime.

i prefer to see the celtics beat denver. why?

1. lakers not making the finals is more humiliating
2. lakers not making the finals means they have ZERO chance of winning a championship, and i like that number
3. i think the celtics will match up better against denver and will have an "easier" series on the way to #18. and i love low stress games and series. 
4. did i mention that i love the lakers having ZERO chance of winning the championship?

[radiohead]

for what it is worth, this season the celtics are 1-1 with denver. against the lakers the celtics are 2-0, but both wins were in overtime.

i prefer to see the celtics beat denver. why?

1. lakers not making the finals is more humiliating
2. lakers not making the finals means they have ZERO chance of winning a championship, and i like that number
3. i think the celtics will match up better against denver and will have an "easier" series on the way to #18. and i love low stress games and series. 
4. did i mention that i love the lakers having ZERO chance of winning the championship?

This basically summarizes how i feel as well. I remember that win against Denver was a blow out.

[gouki88]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

Lakers talent on that 2020 squad was alot better than this years also though. Anthony davis is bi-polar offensively and you are relying on austin reeves/schroder/Reaves to perform every night.

Rondo was the 3rd best player on that 2020 team. He'd be what 6th or 7th best on this one.  2020 had better size and a younger Lebron and Jokic is better today, so the result may be different, but this Lakers team absolutely has much better talent 3-10 than they did in 2020.

I would rate that Rondo similarly to Reaves. All a step below Russell, but I think KCP, Kuzma, McGee and Howard are all better than Schroder, Vanderbilt, Walker and Hachimura. Plus, that group matches up with Denver better with all the size it can batter Jokic with.

Unless you're randomly really high on the likes of Schroder (wonder what you said about him whilst he was here), Lonnie Walker, Rui Hachimura and their other flawed and mediocre bench pieces

[celticsclay]

I'm picking Denver in 6

BUT I also feel Denver has to start this series 2-0. If LAL splits the first two, they have the advantage. LAL is 7-0 at home this postseason (including play-in game). Denver could take a game on the road, but I doubt they can take more than that. Of course, they can simply protect their HCA to win the series. Going up 2-0 would put a lot of pressure on the Lakers.

I don't think this is a "paper tiger" Nuggets team like previous years. Jokic has much better help and a better team around him than previous years. Murray's been awesome and Jokic has been playing like the true  best player in the postseason

Lakers were able to get the split in the first two games of their last two series. I think they'll be able to get the split here (Nuggets to lose Game 1), defend home-court and go up 3-1. Denver will be under pressure.

Tho the difference between 2020 bubble and this meeting is...they played at a neutral site. Now they're playing in Denver's actual home which is high altitude. Wonder how well LeBron and AD fare in this environment.

Lakers talent on that 2020 squad was alot better than this years also though. Anthony davis is bi-polar offensively and you are relying on austin reeves/schroder/Reaves to perform every night.

Rondo was the 3rd best player on that 2020 team. He'd be what 6th or 7th best on this one.  2020 had better size and a younger Lebron and Jokic is better today, so the result may be different, but this Lakers team absolutely has much better talent 3-10 than they did in 2020.

I would rate that Rondo similarly to Reaves. All a step below Russell, but I think KCP, Kuzma, McGee and Howard are all better than Schroder, Vanderbilt, Walker and Hachimura. Plus, that group matches up with Denver better with all the size it can batter Jokic with.

Unless you're randomly really high on the likes of Schroder (wonder what you said about him whilst he was here), Lonnie Walker, Rui Hachimura and their other flawed and mediocre bench pieces

Again find myself agreeing with you. The big bodies the Lakers had in the bubble are huge for a matchup against jokic. Dwight Howard was an exhausting guy to keep off the offensive boards and even at his advanced age in the bubble he was still a solid defender for a guy like jokic. Then we are getting to the weird overrating of a few role players. Before last series everyone was hyping up vanderbilt for his alleged ability to lock down curry. By the end of the series he was basically out of the rotation culminating with 3 minutes in game 6. Someone mentioned beasely had a bunch of 20 point games. He has 30 points total so far in the playoffs with a few dnpcd. I’m not saying the lakers have no chance but there is no need to be ridiculous about their role players. It’s like an opponents board talking up hauser. The key will be Anthony Davis and how he defends jokic/how much it impacts his offense. I also think it will be interesting to see how Davis and Lebron look in altitude as they both were very wiped at points in the earlier series. I also am going to the game tonight so I will be rooting hard for nuggets (dream would be to go to a finals game here against Celtics).

[celticsclay]

for what it is worth, this season the celtics are 1-1 with denver. against the lakers the celtics are 2-0, but both wins were in overtime.

i prefer to see the celtics beat denver. why?

1. lakers not making the finals is more humiliating
2. lakers not making the finals means they have ZERO chance of winning a championship, and i like that number
3. i think the celtics will match up better against denver and will have an "easier" series on the way to #18. and i love low stress games and series. 
4. did i mention that i love the lakers having ZERO chance of winning the championship?

Yes all of this!

[RodyTur10]

Before the playoffs started the expected finals was Celtics - Nuggets and despite a few surprises that's still the way it's heading. Of course it would be easier to play the Lakers in a finals, but to be the best you've got to beat the best.

If in some way the Celtics blows it against the Heat, I'm rooting hard for Jokic. I find it ridiculous how the legacy of players is rated by rings, but Jokic deserves to win a championship for his amazing play and to be recognized as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

[Who]

Is Hachimura any better than Jeff Green?
What does he do that Jeff Green doesn't do?

They look pretty much the same player to me.