3 keys for the Los Angeles Lakers to compete with the Denver Nuggets and answering mailbag questions

When the final buzzer sounded at Crypto.com Arena on May 22, 2023, there was a collective feeling of astonishment and respect at what transpired. The Denver Nuggets had not only come from behind to win the game on the Los Angeles Lakers home floor, but they had finished off a stunning four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James and Anthony Davis wouldn’t be headed to the NBA Finals, but rather, it was the growing duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic advancing. The Nuggets went on to capture the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship weeks later. From the Lakers’ perspective, the series was competitive, as they lost the four games by a combined 24 points, good for a margin of defeat of six points per game. They had a chance in every single fourth quarter, but the Nuggets stayed calm, cool, and collected, closing it out with difficult shot after difficult shot. Regardless, there are no excuses for getting swept, and it was clear that Denver was the better team at the time. Fast forward nearly a year later and the two teams are matching up in the NBA playoffs once again, but this time, they’ll meet in the first round. <a href="https://medium.com/@tbeckmann24/3-keys-for-the-los-angeles-lakers-to-compete-with-the-denver-nuggets-and-answering-mailbag-95c7c42289b8">Read More</a>