As the Denver Nuggets led 1-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals, the Los Angeles Lakers tried to find a new defensive strategy against Nikola Jokic. They put Rui Hachimura on the 6-foot-11 Jokic in the fourth quarter of Game 1, which limited Jokic to just three points on 0-of-2 shooting with two rebounds and two assists while committing two turnovers. This allowed the Lakers to cut a 21-point deficit to three multiple times late in the fourth. However, the Nuggets say they know how to counter this tactic, as they have seen it before when the Minnesota Timberwolves tried a similar strategy in the first round.
Denver head coach Michael Malone said that there is too much being made of the Lakers’ new defensive strategy. He said that they have seen similar tactics from the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Malone added that the team is ready to counter the Lakers if they try to put Hachimura on Jokic again.
The Nuggets have seen everything there is to see on how teams will try to guard Nikola, said Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. He added that it might have surprised them for a little bit in the late second half. However, looking at the film, Porter Jr. doesn’t think that it will be an issue for them. He said that they know how to counter that when they put AD off ball and AD is roaming a little bit, it opens up some stuff on the backside, so they just have to execute.
One potential counter for the Nuggets could be to spread things out with shooters and move Aaron Gordon around. The Nuggets have run on-ball screen actions where Gordon is in the dunker spot 86 times this postseason. The Nuggets have averaged 1.30 points per direct pick, above the postseason league average of 1.01. They scored eight points off four on-ball screens when Jokic was matched up with Davis with Gordon in the dunker position.
However, on the five plays where Gordon was in the dunker spot and Jokic was defended by a smaller player with Davis roaming, the Nuggets did not generate a single point in Game 1. Lakers’ Anthony Davis said he will have to be ready for the challenge of either guarding Jokic or roaming on defense but staying attached to Gordon.
For the Lakers, they will have to try to unlock D’Angelo Russell, who scored just eight points and did not play in the fourth quarter. Nuggets’ Bruce Brown said that one of the team’s goals was “making it tough” on Russell on the defensive end and “just going at him” on the offensive end. Brown added that Russell is not the best defender, but he definitely tries. So just try to attack his feet.
More than anything, the Nuggets are bracing for the Lakers to have a better start to Game 2 after they fell behind 30-14 in the first eight-plus minutes of Game 1. Brown said that they gave the Lakers confidence and let them back in the game. So they are going to have to come out and punch them in the mouth first.
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