Denver has started to seem inevitable since the Lakers have lost eight straight games versus the Nuggets going back to the previous season. Every game has gone as expected, with LA controlling the score and frequently even holding the lead until the last few minutes, when Denver’s outstanding two-man combo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray takes over offensively and their defence steps up to the plate. “They have our number.” – James LeBron
LeBron’s remark encapsulates everything so well; it feels like LA consistently fails in the same way with any combination of players, coverages, or tactics. The most troubling aspect of this is that, despite LA’s team growth since the beginning of February, their performance in their last two games against Denver was identical to that of the Western Conference Finals sweep they experienced the previous season.
All Los Angeles can realistically hope for at this time is to avoid playing Denver in the playoffs, which they can accomplish by avoiding them in the first or second round and Denver falling short of LA before the Conference Finals. Interestingly, Denver would not get the chance to play the Lakers until the Conference Finals if they were the No. 8 seed, which is the most likely conclusion. Naturally, that only matters if Los Angeles overcomes the top seed in the first round and the victor of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 showdown in the second round, but considering what we witnessed the previous season, it’s not crazy to believe that another run may be in store.
