3 tweaks Michael Malone and Nuggets should make in game 2 to keep edge over Lakers

3. Make Anthony Davis a shooter

This is another one that may be obvious and also is a lot easier said than done. Anthony Davis has been a monster this season around the basket and that was the case in game one. He scored 32 points, 8 of those on free throws and the other 24 on 12 two-point field goals, all coming from the free throw line and in.

Davis is a great inside player but he fancies himself a bit of a perimeter player as well. The Nuggets should lean into that and do what they can to force him into getting into his offense farther away from the basket and settling for more jump shots. 

AD was 0/4 from three-point range in game one and those are shots that Denver should be thrilled with. Basically, any shot from outside the free-throw line for Davis is a win for the Nuggets. The gameplan should be to keep him there as frequently as possible.

As I said, this won’t be easy, but the team can work to push him off his spots on post-ups and try to deny post-entry feeds. Forcing him to catch the ball farther away can allow them to sag off and give him space. Lulling Davis into a sense of security with his midrange and three-point jump shot would be a great outcome.