4 things the Nuggets must do to sweep the Lakers out of the playoffs again
By Ben Handler
3. Make them pay for Jokic matchup
Nikola Jokic is a walking mismatch everywhere he goes and he is obviously the biggest advantage the Nuggets have in any series. The Lakers like to try and put a smaller player on Jokic, like Rui Hachimura, allowing AD to roam and protect the rim.
The Nuggets need to be purposeful about attacking whatever the Lakers give them. If it’s Rui on the Joker, feed him the ball and let him go to work, using his size to his advantage. Eventually this will lead to LA sending help and that’s when Jokic can pick apart their double teams.
If they try to guard him one on one with Davis, that’s a matchup where Jokic can use his superior strength and wear Davis out in the post. There is no good answer for dealing with Jokic, and just because they throw different looks at him, the Nuggets have to be ready to adjust and be smart about how they attack.
No matter what the matchup is, there will be ways for the Nuggets to take advantage. I have no doubt that Jokic, the basketball genius, and Michael Malone and the Nuggets coaching staff will be able to do that throughout this series. The Lakers will run out of options like everyone else has.