Why Draymond Green believes Lakers will prevail vs. Nuggets in West finals
How Draymond believes Lakers-Nuggets series will play out originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Draymond Green is confident that one team has the upper hand in the Western Conference finals series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
Which one? Well, allow him to break it down for you.
The Warriors forward released a new episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show," on Saturday after Golden State's season-ending loss to the Lakers in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals and shared what he believes will be the key matchup to watch for in the upcoming series.
"The [Anthony Davis]-[Nikola Jokić] matchup will be key. I think Joker being able to pull AD away from the rim is going to be a real thing," Green said.
"The great thing about Joker, though, is that you can move him all over the court. You can move him to the high post, you can move him to the block, you can move him to the elbow, you can move him to the middle of the paint, the free throw line area. You can move him around and that, I think, will create some issues for the Lakers' defense, especially with how they want to play with AD."
In Green's opinion, the Nuggets have the necessary size to pull Davis out from the paint, an area where he made the Warriors pay in the semifinal round, but doesn't believe Denver has enough playmakers, outside of guard Jamal Murray, who can drive to the rim and score.
The key for the Lakers, according to Green, will be to limit one aspect of Jokić's offensive capabilities.
"It is going to be on the Lakers to either stop Joker from passing or stop him from scoring," Green explained. "The easier one to do is stop him from getting assists. You can't allow him to get both. He gets both, you lose. It's very simple.
Green is very high on the Nuggets, who he believes look ready to compete for an NBA championship. However ... he anticipates the No. 7 seed Lakers taking down the Nuggets and advancing to the NBA Finals for a rematch with the Miami Heat.
"It'll be a good series," Green added. "Ultimately, Denver is ready, man. I think Denver is ready, like Denver is taking that next step, they're doing it, we're watching it ... but I think we're going to have a rerun of 2020. And I think the Lakers will take it. I got the Lakers and I got the Lakers in six. Closing out at home in six."
RELATED: Why these Warriors couldn't measure up to '22 champions
Los Angeles and Miami faced off in the Finals three years ago, in the bubble during the COVID-19-shortened 2019-20 season, with the Lakers beating the Heat in six games and securing the franchise's 17th championship.
Regardless of how this conference championship shakes out, the Lakers-Nuggets series should be exciting for Green and basketball fans alike.
