On April 17, Beijing time, the Lakers defeated the Pelicans and advanced to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the West, and their first-round opponent was the defending champion Nuggets. The official NBA website previews this round of matchups and predicts that the Nuggets will sweep the Lakers again in the first round.
The Lakers have not beaten the Nuggets since December 2022, and they've lost to the opponent eight times in a row in the playoffs. Jokic and Murray against James and Bushy will continue to be the focus of this matchup. Ahead of last season's Western Conference finals, it was widely expected to be a series of intense games, with the Nuggets sweeping the Lakers 4-0. However, the Nuggets only won by 24 points in four games, of which, in the decisive fourth game, the Nuggets narrowly defeated the Lakers by only two points.
Luckily for the Lakers, the Lakers still have some time off to adjust, but their fitness is still at a disadvantage compared to the Nuggets, who have been resting for nearly a week.
The official website reminds everyone not to forget Jamal Murray. While Jokic is the Nuggets' number one superstar, don't underestimate Murray's role when it comes to the playoffs. In last year's Western Conference finals, Murray averaged 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game, breaking the Lakers' guard line. He shot 52.7 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from three-point range and 95 percent from the free-throw line, and he swept the Lakers with a 180 club shooting percentage.
For the Lakers, Russell will be tested again. The stage of last year's Western Conference Finals was Russell's place of shame. He averaged just 6.3 points and 3.5 assists per game and was demoted to the bench in the last game. For the Nuggets, there are also variables, with Bruce Brown and Jeff Green leaving the team in the Western Conference finals, and the Nuggets need Braun and Watson to play more important roles.
According to the official website, this is a series in which three-point shooting may not be as important. The Nuggets still have an 18-15 record when their opponents shoot more three-pointers than their own, and they are the only team in the league to maintain a 50-percent win percentage even when they shoot fewer three-pointers than their opponents.
The Lakers and Nuggets don't have a high percentage of three-point shots, with the Nuggets at 35.2% ranking at the bottom of the league and the Lakers at 35.8% ranking third from the bottom in the league, and the two teams prefer to fight inside the three-point line.
Official website prediction: Nuggets swept the Lakers 4-0
The reason is that in last year's playoffs, Jokic averaged a triple-double against thick eyebrows, and there is no reason to see Jokic decline this year. The Lakers' roster lacks depth and doesn't have as much firepower as the Nuggets. Coupled with the fact that the thick eyebrows are currently injured, overall, the Lakers are still not favored.