Beyond Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray: NBA Insider Exposes the Real Threat to Lakers

After jumping the hurdle of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to face yet another challenge apart from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray on the court. The Lakers have earned a playoff rematch with the Denver Nuggets after sweeping the Pelicans off the court. However, according to NBA journalist Jovan Buha, the tread is not smooth for the Lakers ahead as a sonic snag will be landing them in trouble for their next playoff match on April 20th.

In his reaction to the Lakers-Pelican Play-In on his YouTube channel, Jovan Buha revealed that it was a “pretty dead crowd” at the Smoothie King Center that escalated through the fourth quarter after Zion’s dunking. Continuing his comment, Buha added about the environment the Lakers will face at their Denver game as it will be 10 times more challenging than the Pelicans’. The NBA insider shared, “They’ve got their DJ who is yelling and playing music throughout the game.”

The noise disturbance will not be the only obstacle for the Lakers to get off with. The 5280-mile-high altitude of Denver is something that teams are still having difficulty to crack off. Discussing the height advantage in Denver, Buha commented, “That’s gonna be one of the toughest places to play in the NBA.”

That’s why the Nuggets operate the game with a run-and-gun style that keeps the opponents on edge. In their last game, the Nuggets scored 66 points in the first half, while the Lakers managed 60.

How will the Lakers tackle Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray?

If the Lakers somehow get off the Nuggets’ DJ and their fast-paced game, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will be there to go head-to-head against Anthony Davis and LeBron James, respectively. Last season, both of these teams played highly competitive games in the Western Conference finals. But, the Nuggets managed to make a clean sweep as the Lakers fell short by two points in Game 4.

Joker has produced even better results this season, averaging 29.3 against the Lakers. In last year’s series, the Serb averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists in the thrilling games against the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron somehow managed to slow down Joker in last year’s playoffs, anticipating his passes and throws. However, despite all of that Nuggets ensured their victory.

Apart from Jokic, Jamal Murray is another player who torched all the hopes of the Lakers last year. The Nuggets’ guard averaged 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, matching Serb’s performance. The only hope that saved the Lakers from the wrath of Murray was defensive guard Gabe Vincent, who restricted Murray to 21 points in the Finals Heat. But Vincent does not have a key spot on the roster, so watching how he will be utilized in the upcoming series against the Nuggets is still up in the air.

Considering the Lakers’ options against the Nuggets, they have no response for their fast play. However, LeBron James and Co. might match the pace in Denver with their powerhouse players, Hachimura and Russell. It will be interesting to watch how the Lakers get ahold of their strategy with all of the noise and thin air against the best player in the league and break their 8-game losing streak against them.