What went wrong on Nuggets’ final defensive possession of Game 2?

Miscommunication appears to be the best answer for why the Denver Nuggets gave Anthony Davis such a great look at the end of Game 2.

With Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA big man Anthony Davis hitting so many jumpers in Game 2, there’s no way that the Denver Nuggets actually wanted Davis to take that 3-point attempt at the end of the game. However, it’s the shot the Lakers were able to get and one that the Nuggets weren’t nearly close enough on the shot contest, despite a tremendous effort from Nikola Jokic.

The biggest issue with that shot AD got though? It could have been avoided.

ESPN’s Jay Williams does a great breakdown on the final possession, pointing out that Mason Plumlee was matched up against Anthony Davis, Jerami Grant was matched up against LeBron James and that both Jokic and Jamal Murray were preventing the ball from getting into the paint.

Unfortunately, while there may have been communication before the inbounds that Plumlee and Grant would switch if there was a screen, a screen was never set and Plumlee still attempted to switch onto LeBron.

As a result of Plumlee failing to lock and trail AD, the latter was able to get a pretty good look from 3. One that obviously fell.

There’s been much speculation about why the defensive possession played out that way for the Nuggets but I would rather listen to Williams, a former player, and a guy like former lockdown defender Tony Allen.

The first initial mistake was Plumlee literally stopping dead in his tracks to cover LeBron, who had neither set a screen or moved. Grant and LeBron were basically glued to each other, so it’s unclear why Plumlee thought the best idea would be to switch.

However, as evidenced by Game 1 — when Plumlee routinely left his man Markieff Morris open from three so that he could defend the paint — it’s obvious that Plumlee’s first thought is to guard the rim rather than the 3-point line. He just finds it more natural for obvious reasons.

Yet, the expectation that Grant would be able to quickly and efficiently unglue himself from the larger and stronger LeBron was foolish on the part of Plumlee.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has caught flak for his lineup and matchup decisions throughout the postseason. In Game 2, his decision to play P.J. Dozier heavy minutes in the fourth quarter was met with confusion and while Dozier played well on both ends, he missed four free-throws late in the fourth that may have prevented Denver from even having to worry about a potential game-winner.

Playing Plumlee on the final possession made a bit of sense if Malone was worried about protecting the paint. Despite the great job that Paul Millsap did against AD throughout the game, Millsap is much shorter than Davis and even if he trailed him successfully, Davis may still have gotten a good look.

If he was willing to rely on the seldom-used Dozier for the last play then the best decision for guarding AD on that play may have been to use the 6’10” Michael Porter Jr. (whose defensive effort and awareness have improved substantially throughout the postseason) or the 7’2″ Bol Bol, who is inexperienced but has the length and defensive ability to impact — possibly even to block — Davis’ three.

In the end, Plumlee and to some degree Malone are to blame for Davis’ game-winner. While there’s often a sentiment not to assess blame, accountability is as key as communication.

Here’s to hoping that the Nuggets can turn the series around in Game 3.