The 2023 Western Conference Finals will be a repeat of 2020, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers won 4-1 back then, and Draymond Green is picking them to win again, this time in six games.
“The AD (Anthony Davis), Joker (Nikola Jokic) matchup will be key,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show (starts at the 40:00 mark). “I think Joker being able to pull AD away from the rim is going to be a real thing… The great thing about Joker, though, is you can move him all over the court. You can move him to the high post, you can move him to the block, you can move him to the elbow, you can move him to the middle of the paint, the free throw line area. You can move him around and that, I think, will create some issues for the Lakers’ defense, especially with how they want to play with AD.”
“It’ll be a good series. Ultimately, Denver ready, man. I think Denver is ready, like Denver is taking that next step, they’re doing it, we’re watching it, but I think we’re going to have a rerun of 2020 and I think the Lakers will take it. I got the Lakers, I got the Lakers in 6. Closing out at home in six.”
This should be a terrific series, and it is really hard to pick who will come out on top. Both teams were quite impressive in the Conference Semifinals, with the Lakers knocking out Green’s Golden State Warriors while the Nuggets got the better of Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
The Most Important Battle Of The Nuggets-Lakers Series
As Green says, the battle between Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis will be the most important one in this series. Jokic has been the best offensive big in these playoffs, having averaged 30.7 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 9.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG, while Davis has been the best defensive big, with averages of 21.2 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 3.3 BPG.
Jokic toyed with Deandre Ayton against the Suns, and it was a big reason why the Nuggets won that series. It’ll be a lot harder to dominate against Davis, but if he does manage to, then Denver will be headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
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