How the Lakers nearly stole Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with one defensive adjustment

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The Los Angeles Lakers made a bold declaration on their very first defensive possession of the Western Conference finals. After Anthony Davis spent the first two rounds reasserting himself as the NBA’s best defensive player, the expectation entering his matchup against the Denver Nuggets was a mano-a-mano showdown with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Yet on Jokic’s first post touch, the Lakers made it clear that they did not want Davis defending Jokic alone, and sent Dennis Schroder in to double him.

It was a startling admission of vulnerability so early in a playoff series, but it was warranted considering their histories with one another. Since Davis joined the Lakers in 2019, Jokic has shot 23 of 39 against him from the floor, according to NBA.com matchup data. It was much of the same in their lone playoff matchup, when Jokic made nine of his 16 looks against Davis.

If that last batch of numbers looks small to you, remember, the Lakers largely used Dwight Howard to defend Jokic in the 2020 Western Conference finals. Davis vs. Jokic is always a matchup the Lakers have tried to avoid when possible. When Jokic did get Davis one-on-one, he dominated.

Davis is likely the NBA’s best rim-protector. He is a remarkably versatile defender. But he has never been at his best facing off with an opposing star big man in the post. That’s part of why Davis spent most of the first round guarding Xavier Tillman instead of Jaren Jackson Jr. The trouble coming into this matchup with Denver is that Dwight Howard is currently playing in Taiwan. The Lakers can’t just slide Davis down to power forward and insert one of their surplus big men. Davis is the only true center on the roster who actually plays. That forced Darvin Ham to get creative.

Enter Rui Hachimura. In many respects, Hachimura is a poor defender. He averaged less than 17 minutes per game against the Warriors because Ham knew he couldn’t chase Golden State’s shooters through screens. But the Denver matchup is far more favorable. Jokic, for all of his craft and skill, largely moves downhill….

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/how-the-lakers-nearly-stole-game-1-of-the-western-conference-finals-with-one-defensive-adjustment/

Author : Sam Quinn

Publish date : 2023-05-17 05:29:52

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