Defend the encirclement and break out
Ham made his defensive secrets public, and the four surrounded Jokic
Lakers coach Darvin Ham recently publicly revealed his defensive strategy against the Nuggets, and it seems that he intends to completely surround Jokic, a "big man", and prevent him from running rampant on the court. Ham is not a joker, and his defensive formation has always been flexible and unpredictable. No, he personally ordered to use 4 people to encircle and suppress Jokic and completely block the 2.11-meter-tall giant.
Poor Jokic, who is as tall as him on the court, has naturally become the top priority of defense. However, Jokic is not a vegetarian either, his passing vision is outstanding, his playmaking skills are good, and even if he is surrounded on all sides, he may be able to direct his teammates to open up the situation. But then again, how long will Jokic be able to hold out if he is surrounded like this for several rounds in a row?
Can Murray take the lead?
On the other hand, the Lakers' defensive focus naturally falls on Jokic's good partner Murray. As the Nuggets' leading scorer, Murray has been on a hot streak lately, scoring more than 30 points per game. Ham is not a fuel-efficient lamp, and he will naturally find ways to limit Murray's attack.
Seeing that Jokic is surrounded by four people, Murray is afraid that he will have to take the lead and fight alone. For a defender who is only 1.96m tall, this is not an easy task. But Murray has always had a spicy personality, so maybe he can stand out and stop the Lakers' offense alone?
The battle between the inside and outside is coming
In addition to the duo of Jokic and Murray, the interior alignment of the two sides will also be a major attraction. Davis, the Lakers' big man, and Gordon, the Nuggets' youngster, will have a tough battle on the inside. Davis is fierce and domineering, Gordon is eccentric, and the confrontation between the two is definitely a desperate struggle between the "big man" and the "little man".
Even if the interior is suppressed, the Nuggets' offense may not be in a desperate situation. After all, they still have Jokic as a big man to help him, and as long as Jokic can use his super vision and excellent playmaking skills, he will definitely be able to create opportunities for his teammates. When the time comes, maybe we will be able to see a tacit cooperation between the "big man" and the "little man" and stage a good show of "pas de deux"?
This match is destined to be the pinnacle of defense and offense. The Lakers' defensive formation is flexible and changeable, and the Nuggets' offensive firepower is amazing. There will be a "you come and go" offensive and defensive battle between the two sides, let's wait and see, what kind of wonderful results will be born in this contest between "big man" and "little man"?
Defend the encirclement and break out
Ham made his defensive secrets public, and the four surrounded Jokic
It seems that Ham's "four-man encirclement" strategy against Jokic is no joke. In a recent matchup, we witnessed Jokic being besieged by four of the Lakers' big men who were bucket-like. Whenever Jokic gets the ball, two interior players will immediately pinch him back and forth, and the other two big men will block his pass on the wing.
Poor Jokic seems to have become a large beast surrounded on all sides, with nowhere to run. As one of the league's top centers, Jokic's adaptability should not be underestimated. Once when he was trapped, he actually made a "magic in the air" pass, and the ball went directly through the four-man encirclement, assisting a violent dunk!
The audience was stunned by this unexpected scene, and even the commentator exclaimed, "How did this ball get out?" Jokic can be said to have used "all his strength" to fight his way out of the heavy surrounding. It's obviously a tough way to do it, and Jokic might not be able to sustain it if he struggles so hard every time he attacks.
Can Murray take the lead?
With Jokic being targeted, the Nuggets' scoring burden falls on Murray alone. As a guard who is not tall, whether Murray can take the lead and stand out from the encirclement has become the biggest attraction at present.
Thankfully, Murray has been at the peak of his hand recently, slashing 30+ on the field, and he is simply a walking "scoring machine". Once, he even scored 18 points in a single quarter, and his personal offense once overwhelmed the entire Lakers team! Watching Murray drift and shuttle on the court, change direction and stop, and shoot countless dribble jumpers with super difficulty, the on-site commentators exclaimed, "This kid is a monster!"
Can a single person's offense crush the Lakers, a defensive powerhouse? After all, the Lakers' interior line is tall and mighty, and Murray is indeed a little difficult to fight alone. Once he was surrounded by a number of big men on the inside, and was forced to shoot a "lore-and-roll" dribble shot, although he scored, he fell hard when he landed, and almost got injured.
The battle between the inside and outside is coming
In addition to the offensive and defensive duel between Jokic and Murray, the interior battle between the two sides will also be a highlight. The Lakers' interior line has the two "weapons" of Davis and Howard, and the Nuggets have the young Gordon and the veteran Jordan in charge.
The alignment of Davis and Gordon is particularly exciting. Davis is fierce and brave, Goe has an eccentric spirit, and the personalities of the two are very different. Once, Gordon suddenly unleashed a "somersault" on the inside, shaking Davis out of shape, and then a violent dunk was instantly! Daviston was stunned and didn't seem to react to what was happening.
Davis was not a vegetarian, and he soon retaliated with a "miracle of great power". In the next round, he forced Gordon, who was one lap shorter than him, to push Gordon away, and then scored a ferocious layup! Watching Gordon get pushed away, the commentator couldn't help but laugh.
This inside battle will be a pinnacle showdown between the "big guys" and the "little guys", so let's wait and see, whether Davis's "miracle work" or Gordon's "wit and eccentricity" are better?
This Lakers vs. Nuggets game is destined to stage a "total offensive showdown" between defense and offense. The Lakers' defensive formation is flexible and changeable, and the Nuggets' offensive firepower is amazing, and both sides will set off a "you come and go" offensive and defensive battle on the inside and outside. Whether Jokic and Murray can stand out will be the biggest attraction of this game. The contest between the "big man" and the "little man" on the inside line of the two sides will also be a good show. Regardless of who wins or loses in the end, I believe this game will be exciting, let's wait and see!