NBA Pick #1: 501 Los Angeles Lakers @ 502 Denver Nuggets
Rating: 2 Units – Regular Play
Pick: 501 Los Angeles Lakers (+5.5)
Price: -110 / 1.91 on Circa Sports
Write Up:
I believe this will be a close game with the Lakers being extremely competitive in it. Even though they got swept by the Nuggets in the WCF last season, the reality is that Denver won those games by 6, 5, 11 (they won 4Q by 9, it was a ball game for most of it) and 2 points. So, it was a very “competitive” sweep.
Onto tonight’s game. Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. was very important in that series but he didn’t play in any preseason game due to injury. He is available for tonight’s game but I doubt that he will be able to have a meaningful impact in it. Bruce Brown, who was the team’s 6th man last season, has left the team in the offseason in a big loss for Denver.
On the other hand, DeAngelo Russell was terrible and was even demoted in the last game of last year’s playoff series. However, he looked very confident in the preseason. The Lakers’ offense will look for transition chances against a slow footed Denver team and the Nuggets’ inability to defend well at the rim should also be explored by the Lakers.
Denver’s starting lineup is indeed amazing but behind them, they have plenty of inexperienced players at the bench. In a spot like tonight’s where adrenaline and the altitude will be factors, the Lakers should get a nice advantage every time Denver’s bench players are on the court. I’m taking the LA team tonight.