Loading...
The LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets will clash tomorrow in Denver to begin their first-round series. This Western Conference showdown features a Clippers team that rode an eight-game winning streak to secure the fifth seed. Meanwhile, the Nuggets, like the Clippers, finished 50-32 and celebrated that by firing their head coach and general manager; a bold strategy!
Let’s dive into this matchup while recapping both teams’ seasons and making a game pick for tomorrow night.
The Clippers are on a massive roll right now with their aforementioned eight-game winning streak, but they’re also 18-3 since March 5th. As one of the hottest teams in the NBA, they’ve ridden the combination of James Harden, a career season from Norman Powell and the return of Kawhi Leonard in January. All three players average at least 21.5 points per game and have done a lot of heavy lifting for the Clippers on the offensive side of the ball.
On the defensive end is where the Clippers shine as they’ve allowed the third-fewest points allowed per possession, finished third in defensive rating and are also first in defensive rebounding rate. The Clippers, like the Nuggets, can also be volatile thanks to the always-lingering injury threat on Leonard, plus Harden’s dubious history in the playoffs. Still, with that scoring trio, Ivica Zubac, an on-ball guard in Kris Dunn, plus veteran bench pieces like Ben Simmons, Nic Batum, and others, the Clippers have the collective postseason experience, plus their hot streak, to make some noise.
We’ve mentioned they fired general manager Calvin Booth and head coach Mike Malone a week before the regular season finished, but interim coach Davis Adelman has his work cut out for him this postseason. At least Nikola Jokic is still amazing and put together one of the finest seasons in NBA history with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game en route to the Nuggets being the fourth-best team in the league in offensive efficiency.
After Jokic, the Nuggets have some quality pieces like Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun and other bench pieces, but the Nuggets feel much more fragile than in seasons past. They have not been as stout on the defensive end, their bench has been spotty with players like Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, DeAndre Jordan, and others lacking consistency to make you feel good about giving players a spell.
With the upcoming Game 1 showdown between the Clippers and Nuggets, it’s going to hinge on how well the Clippers defend Jokic and what they throw at him. Whether it’s Zubac, swarming him with wing players or a combination of both, they’re going to have to find a way to accomplish that to stay in the series. Especially with Denver having a home-court advantage.
Look for the Clippers to do enough to keep things close and to spread things out with their shooters enough to get contributions and wither the Nuggets down. Jokic will always get his, but if he can’t facilitate offense or create his own to the degree he has, that’s going to put this series in the Clippers’ favor.
Kevin has been writing about sports since 2015 with a primary focus on fantasy football. His work has been featured on outlets like Matthew Berry's Fantasy Life, FantasyPros, Sports Illustrated, RotoBaller, Fantasy Alarm, and numerous other fantasy websites. As a native New Yorker now living in the Midwest, Kevin counts the Green Bay Packers, New York Yankees and Syracuse Orange as his favorite teams.