On April 11, Beijing time, the NBA official website predicted the showdown between the Warriors and the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, believing that the Warriors are expected to defeat the Nuggets 4-2 to reach the Western Conference semifinals. Nuggets core Jokic is the number one hottest person in the regular season MVP this season, the Nuggets have relied heavily on him this season, and if the Nuggets want to avoid exiting in the first round, they need role players to stand up and share the pressure for him.
The Warriors and nuggets have played each other four times this season, and the Warriors have a record of 1 win and 3 losses, and the first three games have been lost, but in the most recent, march 11, the Warriors beat the Nuggets 113-102. Curry had 34 points and nine rebounds.
The official website lists 3 major points of interest for this group of duels -
1. When will Curry make a comeback?
Curry has missed the last 11 games with a ligament sprain in his left foot. Coach Steve Kerr said in an interview on April 11 that Curry had a chance to return in the first game, but also may not return in the first game. Cole did not provide more details on Curry's recovery from his injuries.
Theoretically, the Warriors have one more week to add Curry's workload of 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and full-court confrontations. It's unclear how long Curry will take to recover. The Warriors will be scheduling training on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, when we can learn more about Curry's recovery.
2. Can the Nuggets ease Jokic's burden?
The Nuggets are increasingly unlikely to bring back Murray and Michael Potter Jr. in the playoffs. According to previous reports from Chalania, Michael Potter Jr. and Jamal Murray are also unlikely to make a comeback in the playoffs. Coach Malone said on April 11 that the team would continue to let Murray decide for himself when to return to the field, whether it was the playoffs or next season.
So Jokic is still under a lot of pressure. The Warriors were absent because of Wiseman's injury and didn't have many options for center positions. Nuggets Aaron Gordon, Will Button, Monte Morris, Jeff Green and Hyland all had the opportunity to take the pressure off Jokic. They have averaged in double figures this season, in part because Jokic scored for their status with excellent passes after being caught in the bag.
The Warriors' interior line will need to rely on Dream Green and Looney to limit Jokic.
3. How do warriors use their Big Three?
Curry has great hopes of returning in the first round, and even if it is not the first game, there is a chance to return in the following games. However, the Warriors Big Three have not played together in a long time, and only 3 Warriors players have played with the Big Three. Therefore, after the Warriors restore the full roster, role players may need to adjust their role positioning as soon as possible.
In addition to these 3 points of view, the official website expert John Schumann also listed a key data - 16.3. This season, when Jokic was on the court, the Nuggets won the opponent by 8.4 points per 100 rounds, and when Jokic was not on the court, the Nuggets lost 7.9 points per 100 rounds, and the difference between the two cases reached 16.3 points per 100 rounds. This is the largest 100-round point difference between playing and not playing for a team for more than 1,000 minutes this season.
It can be seen that Jokic is too critical for the Nuggets. The official website believes that unless one of the Warriors' three stars performs badly, the Warriors have higher talent and lineup depth than the Nuggets, and the Warriors are expected to win through six games (4-2).