In the eyes of many, the Nuggets are the favorites to win the championship this season, and they are expected to make it two in a row this season. But looking at the whole history, it has always been very difficult to achieve two consecutive championships. Is there any noticeable change from last season on this Nuggets team? The biggest change is that this Nuggets team has a bench lineup that is not at the same level as last season.
Last season's Nuggets came off the bench with Bruce Brown, who averaged 12 points and four rebounds per game in the Nuggets' playoffs last season. Brown's dynamism on the court, as well as his defensive and rebounding skills, were all big factors in helping the Nuggets win the championship. And this year they don't have a player to pick up on the bench. In today's game against the Lakers, their bench players combined for just five points on 1-of-9 shooting. On the other hand, today's Lakers' bench lineup scored 13 points, and you must know that the Lakers are not a team with particularly strong bench players.
If the Nuggets meet the Timberwolves, the Timberwolves have a very strong bench lineup, and they may suffer a bigger bench scoring drought. So you can see why the Nuggets' starters are playing more than 40 minutes. That's because Malone didn't dare to let the Nuggets' bench play, and the Nuggets bench really couldn't work on both offensive and defensive ends. Strictly speaking, the Nuggets are a team that plays from the starters.
Therefore, if such a Nuggets team has an injury to only one of the starters in the playoffs, it will be a fatal blow to them. And the starting five has to be as consistent as ever, and if any two players don't play well in one game, it's hard for them to win the game, and as the playoffs progress, the starting lineup playing so long a game is a huge test of their physical strength.
Although Jokic has a backdrop, Jokic is not omnipotent. The Western Timberwolves, in particular, may be able to give them a shock when they face them. Because the Timberwolves are the opposite of them, the Timberwolves have a very deep roster, and they have the best sixth man Naz Reid on the bench, and Alexander, who averages 14.7 points per game. and Lee Kaier, who is known for his defense. The Timberwolves' bench lineup can be said to crush the Nuggets in all aspects.
When the two teams really meet, if the Timberwolves can play steadily every ball and not make mistakes. The Nuggets may not be able to beat the current Timberwolves team. So a lot of championship teams can't keep their full roster after winning the championship. The removal of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green after their championship last season was a big blow to them, and the consequences may be slowly revealed in the deeper stages of this year's playoffs.