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The LA Lakers aren't ducking smoke despite an eight-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets after setting up a first-round 2024 NBA Playoffs clash against the defending champs. The Lakers could have taken another route and tanked their 7-8 seed play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, LA seems ready to embrace the challenge of flipping the script against Denver. It remains an uphill task, and some have even counted the Lakers out already, rightfully so. The Lakers seem to have exhausted all they had to throw at Denver in eight games, deploying a multitude of lineups, schemes and rotations.
LA did come close on several occasions, though. As LeBron James said after the matchup was confirmed, if both teams play great basketball, it will come down to who executes the final possessions of each game to get over the hump. So far, the Lakers have failed in that aspect, and Denver has run circles around them.
But can that change? Let's find out!
LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets 2024 NBA Playoffs first-round series preview
The LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets were the Western Conference finalists last year. It seemed like a 50-50 contest before last year's series began, but it quickly turned into a lopsided battle. The Lakers didn't have the personnel to tackle Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's dominance.
After replacing Jarred Vanderbilt with Dennis Schroder, they went too short in the series. With only LeBron James and Anthony Davis as their bigger players, LA couldn't provide much resistance, while Schroder wasn't the answer for Murray.
In their three-game season series this year, the Lakers returned with lengthier wings like Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish, with a defensively sound guard like Gabe Vincent. They have added Spencer Dinwiddie, too. The lineups have changed in each game because of injuries/form.
But the last time the teams played, Lakers went with D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis, their most successful lineup, which is coming off an 11-1 run. That five-man group gave Denver arguably the toughest matchup across the eight consecutive losses the Lakers have suffered.
The frontline is good enough to contain Denver's trio of Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. However, the starting guards might struggle against Jamal Murray.
However, that's where Gabe Vincent and Spencer Dinwiddie could be handy for the Lakers. Meanwhile, if Anthony Davis struggles against Nikola Jokic, the Lakers have a serviceable backup big in Jaxson Hayes. They could go with a two-big lineup, paired with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and a defensive guard for matchup purposes.
On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets will have the same starting lineup from last season and for good measure. They have arguably been the most consistent teams in the clutch because of their core's immaculate chemistry.
That has elevated them against nearly every team in the NBA. Denver's starting five has an offensive rating of 125.9 and a defensive rating of 112.3. The 13.6 net rating is the best for any five-man lineup with at least 40 games.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's two-man game has been pivotal in uplifting that group, and it will be their bread and butter for the series as the Lakers haven't had a response for that since last year's playoffs. One concern for the Nuggets is Bruce Brown Jr.'s absence. He was instrumental in limiting D'Angelo Russell in the 2023 conference finals.
If Russell gets hot and Reaves replicates his production from last year, this could be a tightly contested series. Denver will need more out of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jamal Murray, Reggie Jackson and Christian Braun defensively to limit LA's guards from gaining momentum.
LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets depth charts
LA Lakers depth chart
Denver Nuggets depth chart
LA Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets 2024 NBA Playoffs first-round series prediction and odds
The Denver Nuggets are the favorites to win against the LA Lakers. The eight-game winning streak, superior record, consistency and chemistry make it difficult for anybody to pick the Lakers to win this contest.
While last year's conference finals ended with the Nuggets sweeping LA, that could change this year after the Lakers' constructed their roster with positional size for a postseason showdown with Denver. The Lakers also have a healthy LeBron James and a stable rotation comparatively entering this matchup, which wasn't the case last year.
This series could go onto six or seven games inspired by the Lakers' roster fixes.
Here are how the odds are placed for Lakers vs. Nuggets:
LA Lakers vs Denver Nuggets series schedule
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