LeBron James' Blunt Assessment About Lakers Chances Against Nuggets
As the Lakers have dropped 8 straight against the Nuggets dating back to last season, Denver has begun to feel inevitable.
Each game has followed the same script, with LA keeping it close, often even having the lead, until the final few minutes of the game, when Denver's elite two-man game from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic takes over offensively, with their defense stepping up dominantly.
"They have our number." - LeBron James
LeBron's comment sums it up perfectly, as it seems that no matter what combination of players, coverages, or schemes, LA routinely falls short in an identical manner.
The concerning part of this above all else is how LA has been surging as a team since the start of February, yet their last two games against Denver looked no different than what we saw in last season's Western Conference Finals sweep.
At this point, all LA can really hope for is that they can avoid a playoff matchup with Denver, doing so via not facing them in the first or second round, with Denver losing before the Conference Finals.
Intriguingly, if the Lakers are the No. 8 seed (most probable outcome), and Denver is the 2nd or 3rd seed, they wouldn't have the opportunity to face them until the Conference Finals.
Of course, that only becomes relevant if LA defeats the No. 1 seed in the first round, and the winner of the No. 4/No. 5 matchup in the second round, but it's not outrageous to think that another run could be in store based on what we saw last season.
