The Denver Nuggets met the Lakers yet again this past postseason. Last year, the two teams clashed in the Conference Finals with the Nuggets winning in five games and ultimately securing the title. This year, LeBron James and company played their best basketball but couldn’t outlast the Nuggets in the first round, especially when it mattered the most. While this series resulted in a sweep, the Lakers were much closer to winning the first round and the numbers might just surprise you. In a candid revelation, KCP shared Denver’s status going into the postseason.

Nikola Jokic and company were competing with the Wolves and the Thunder for the first seed as the regular season was about to end. All these teams were quite strong, meaning any of them could have cleared the first round. However, topping the West is a significant achievement that teams strive for, and this objective might have exhausted the Nuggets heading into the playoffs. Typically, the core of the squad rests as they approach their last few games, but it wasn’t the same for the Nuggets.

“It was a three-way tie for the first. I feel like that’s where we spent most of the, you know, how like towards the playoff guys get their rest but I feel like that’s what we spent most of, you know, our energy and like time. Trying to get that first place… And then like we get to the playoffs, we have no gas, you know, we felt like the Lakers should’ve beat us. Like we was down every game.”, said KCP on Draymond’s podcast. Now, Jamal Murray was the one who decided the fate of the series as the Canadian drained two game-winners. On the other hand, the Lakers were comparatively a better team, however, only till the third quarter of each contest.

For instance, the Lakers were in the lead for over 150 minutes throughout the series, significantly more than the Nuggets, who led for just 50 minutes. The Lakers were up by as many as 20 points at one point. Clearly, the Lakers were in control of each game they played. As KCP mentions, the Lakers had a legitimate chance to qualify for the second round, but the Nuggets were just better closers. What else can we draw from this particular series?

Can LeBron James hope for a title run with the Lakers?

The biggest takeaway from the first-round series was the lack of shooting consistency from the Lakers. Who is their primary shooter? The Lakers have D-Lo and Reaves taking care of the outside shots. Both players struggled to maintain their consistency in the playoffs, which was quite unfortunate. While Reaves is a reliable future asset, the Lakers need an experienced candidate for the shooting guard position. The front office tried their best but missed out on four major free agents, including Klay Thompson.

Nevertheless, they bagged a useful first-round pick, who, if consistent, can be a huge problem from outside the arc. Dalton Knecht and Reaves seem to be their only reliable shooting backcourt ahead of the next season. Additionally, the coaching staff has completely changed. Fan-favorite JJ Redick will be in charge of directing plays and is expected to make a considerable impact on how the Lakers’ offense is structured. It will be interesting to see the new-look Lakers next season as they try out yet another experiment.

What are your thoughts on KCP’s words? Do you think the Lakers would’ve gotten past the Nuggets if they had another All-Star caliber player? Let us know in the comments.

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