NBA Scout: LeBron James and the Lakers are favored to upset the Nuggets. Have Their Mojo Working
In less than a week, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers went from not guaranteed a postseason position to being picked to shock the reigning champions.
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An NBA scout stated to Josh Robbins and Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Lakers will beat the Denver Nuggets in the opening round because they’ve got their mojo going after the Lakers’ play-in victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.
They had a fantastic last performance of the year. They now have Rui Hachimura in their lineup. The scout stated, Denver is simply not as excellent as it was last year.I believe the Lakers to be quite dangerous. Their level of play is really high. They have confidence in their play.
The Nuggets have beaten the Lakers eight times in a row, including the conference finals sweep the previous season.When Game 1 begins on Saturday in Denver at 8:30 p.m. ET, James, who had 23 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds during Tuesday’s play-in victory, will try to end that run.
According to Robbins and Amick, the scout stated that the Nuggets’ home court advantage will be substantial.The Nuggets finished the regular season with a 33-8 record at Ball Arena, second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics in the NBA in terms of home wins.
However, the scout informed Robbins and Amick that Denver is simply not the same squad as they were in the 2022–2023 season.This is mostly because of the Nuggets’ bench difficulties, which were crucial in the closing moments of Denver’s championship run the previous season.
It’s been said all season long: When it comes to the playoffs, losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green will matter. The scout stated that they are depending on young players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson.
According to Forbes’ Matt Issa, the Nuggets’ primary bench players for the 2023–24 season had no positive point differential at the end of the campaign since Denver made no significant trade deadline acquisitions to improve their backups.
As the Lakers attempt to upset the reigning champions, backup guard Gabe Vincent has returned, strengthening the team’s bench. Gabe Vincent might play a significant role in Los Angeles’ defense.
Last season, while playing for the Miami Heat, Vincent faced the Nuggets in the NBA Finals after recovering from a knee injury at the end of March.
Vincent was regularly matched up with Nuggets guard Jamal Murray throughout that series. Murray averaged 21.4 points and 10.0 assists through five Finals games, leading the Nuggets to victory.
If Vincent and the Lakers hope to capitalize on the personnel vulnerabilities of the Nuggets and pull off the upset, they will need to contain Murray more successfully on Saturday.