Nuggets News NBA: The Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-111.













Denver Nuggets Sweeep Los Angeles Lakers To Win 2023 Western Conference Finals




Brian Bayless Posted on 5/23/2023.


The Los Angeles Lakers absolutely dominated the first half outscoring Denver 34-28 in the first quarter and 39-30 in the second quarter taking a 15 point lead. Los Angeles led 73-58 at halfitme. The problem is that game four of the 2023 Western Conference Finals is two halves not one.


Denver came out guns blazing in the second half. It got to the point where the Lakers only led by 3 with five minutes left in the third quarter. Denver went on a 20-8 run in the first seven minutes of the third quarter, cutting the Lakers fifteen point lead to down to three points. Los Angeles had an 81-78 lead with about five minutes. That was too challenging to sustain. Denver ended up taking a 94-89 lead heading into the fourth quarter.


Los Angeles made a valiant attempt to battle back. This game was even tied late in the fourth quarter at 111-111. Denver got the last basket in game 4. That's all this contest came down to.


Denver was just the better team in game 1. Game 2 was a golden opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers to even this series at 1-1. Honestly, if the Lakers stuck to controlling the tempo and not letting LeBron shoot three point shots in the fourth quarter, they may have won. Los Angeles had a chance to win game 3 at home, but as that game progressed Denver showed they were the superior team. That's been the story for the majority of this series.


The Denver Nuggets have the starting five you want from a championship team. Nikola Jokic is as top two center in the NBA and arguably the best center in the Western Conference. He emerged as Denver's leader by 2017 after being a second round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft during a freaking Taco Bell commercial. Jamal Murray was a shooting guard coming out of Kentucky in the 2016 NBA Draft, but he showed the versatility to play both point guard and shooting guard coming back from an injury in the 2021 NBA Playoffs that kept him out most of last year. Denver's 2016 first round pick finally lived up to his superstar potential because Murray was a guy who was capable of being a blue chip prospect. Denver Nuggets small forward Michael Porter Jr. was once one of the top recruits in High School basketball as the top recruit in 2018 before reclassifing to the 2017 High School Basketball recruiting class. He's been an asset this season, staying healthy, showing why Denver was smart to spend a 2018 first round pick on him after dealing with injuries at Missouri during his freshman season. Denver Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon was a beast at Arizona. Orlando failed to unlock the potential of the fourth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, yet Gordon showed flashes of recapturing the superstar he was at Arizona at different points with Denver this season. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, was a top ten pick 10 years ago in the 2013 NBA Draft. He's shown he can be the final puzzle piece to the Denver Nuggets first NBA Finals team in franchise history.


Denver has two superstars in Jokic and Murray. Two star players who finally played up to their All Star potential coming out of college in MPJ and Gordon. You can make an argument that those two have potential to be superstars, but I think that's a stretch. Heck even Kentavius Caldwell-Pope looked good. Everyone in Denver's starting five averaged 13 points a game and looked incredible. Jokic went off with a triple double with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. Jamal Murray had 25 points continuing to dominate from long range as a three point shooter. Aaron Gordon had 22 points recapturing those flashes of All Star potential he displayed at Arizona. Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and 10 assists. Kentavius Caldwell-Pope scored 13 points.


Denver has all five starters locked up for the 2023 NBA Finals, next season, and the season after that if Kentavius Caldwell-Pope doesn't exercise his player option after next season before the 2024-2025 NBA Season. It would be premature to crown Denver the NBA's next dynasty, yet the pieces are there. The sky is the limit for the Denver Nuggets if this starting five can manage to stay healthy over the next two seasons.


Los Angeles Lakers power forwrd LeBron James had 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists at the age of the 38-years-old. The man that tortured my Toronto Raptors for many years leading up to the Raptors 2019 NBA Title played his ass off and it still wasn't enough to avoid getting swept by the Denver Nuggets.


Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis 21 points and 14 assists. Anthony Davis played well in game 4 despite frustrating Lakers fans with his constant lapses and inconsistency throughout this series. LeBron and Davis need to be back in Los Angeles next season.


Los Angeles Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder had 13 points and had the most assists outside of LeBron James after the Lakers replaced Russell Westbrook with Schroder of all point guards at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline. Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Ryan Reaves had 17 points showing he can be a star. Rui Hachimura showed potential to be a star at Gonzaga. He was not a super star or a blue chip prospect, but he showed flashes of all star potential at Gonzaga. The Lakers decision to ship three second round picks and Kendrick Nunn only to get a final quality starter in the starting five paid off to the point where Los Angeles got to the Western Conference Finals.


The Lakers had a chance to win game 4 with Jokic having four fouls early in the fourth quarter. Instead of charging at Jokic, the Lakers relied on their mid range and long range game hoping to score enough points to keep up with the Nuggets. Had the Lakers tried to get Jokic up to his fifth foul, maybe the Lakers win. Both teams were terrible off the bench with the Lakers outscoring Denver 10-8 off the bench.


This series was different from 2020. Both teams had good starting fives in 2020, but Los Angeles was just a little bit more experienced than Denver. Also, Los Angeles had three star players in Kuzma, James, and Davis while Denver only had one superstar in Jokic and an emerging superstar in Murray that was a star player who had yet to reach his ceiling. This time around, Denver's one superstar from 2020 was playing at an MVP level like the face of the NBA. Seriously, Jokic reminded me of Bill Walton in Portland during the Trail Blazers 1977 NBA Finals run except Joker is dropping way more points than Walton in a league that is now a score first league with a heavy emphasis on three point shots. Jokic has two regular season MVP's compared to Walton's one in a more competive era of the NBA so you can make the argument that Jokic is better if Denver wins the 2023 NBA Finals. Murray is now a super star coming off his injury from the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Murray was always an elite shooter, but when Denver moved their shooting guard over to pont guard he really improved his versatility as a combo guard while developing more as a passer at point guard. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., two highly touted forwards played like the highly touted players with All Star potential that they were in college. The Los Angeles Lakers on the other hand only had two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.


LeBron was the only consistent superstar for the Lakers in this series and even LeBron had imperfections in this series like shooting an excessive amount of three point shots in game 2. Both teams had good starting fives, but Denver had much more star power in their lineup compared 2020. That's the biggest reason Denver won this series and swept the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.


The good news for the Lakers is that LeBron and Davis are back. Ryan Reaves and Rui Hatchimura are restricted Free Agents. The Lakers have to upgrade at point guard either through Free Agency, a blockbuster trade, or with the seventeenth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. If the Lakers can execute a trade for Porltand Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, this team could be a threat next season. The Lakers had an incredible season going from 2-10 to the 2023 Western Conference Finals as a seven seed.


Whoever wins the Eastern Conference will have their hands full with the 2023 Western Conference Champions because with home court and the best lineup left because this Denver Nuggets feels like a bigger shoe in than the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 33. Miami lacks a power forward to complete their starting five despite the dominant play of small forward Jimmy Butler. Also, Boston just doesn't seem as intense without former head coach Ime Ukodah, who got fired from the Celtics for his alleged affair that actually took place with an intern on the Boston Celtics. Ime Ukodah is now taking over for a Houston Rockets team that picks fourth in the 2023 NBA Draft.






Denver could rule the Western Conference for up to two more seasons assuming this starting five stays healthy like I stated earlier. Right now the only Western Conference Teams with the starting fives to challenge Denver are Golden State and Sacramento. The Clippers are the third team with a good starting five, but I don't trust Tyronn Lue as their head coach. Lue cannot seem to defeat the Phoenix Suns or Kevin Durant whether its losing to the Suns or the Warriors in the NBA Finals during his time in Cleveland.


I feel like Lue is bound to lose the locker room at some point. You can put Lakers into the top 4 for next season too if they upgrade a point guard and keep their remaining starters for next season. Phoenix needs a power forward and cannot panic by trading center DeAndre Ayton after firing head coach Monty Williams. Even though there's a chance Phoenix gets back to the second round, there's also the chance they take a step back. Minnesota needs a small forward to round out their starting five, but even if they did enough to get a top four seed and won a playoff series it still wouldn't matter. Minnesota is too undisciplined to beat Denver, Golden State, or Sacramento if those are the top three in the Western Conference next season.


I like the Lakers, Clippers, Suns, and Timberwolves can be playoff teams. All four of those teams have question marks heading into next season in order to be considered a top 4 team in the West, but none of those teams have made a power play move. The New Orleans Pelicans can be a dark horse if Zion Williamson stays healthy, but at this point I have my doubts about that. One team that I think could make a push into the play in tournament next year is the Houston Rockets under Ime Ukodah. San Antonio could also be a potential suprise team next year with the addition of Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio having five starters that average over 10 points a game thanks to winning the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. Greg Popovich never officially retired. None of those six teams I mentioned beats a fully healthy Denver squad playing this good in 2024.


Right now Golden State and Sacramento would be my two major challengers with maybe the Lakers entering that conversation with an upgrade at point guard. With Ja Morant's suspension, I'm selling like a mother on Memphis. Dallas loses both Wood and Irving to Free Agency, so I'm selling on Dallas too.


Milwaukee needs a new head coach and possibly a new center if Brook Lopez leaves. Miami needs a power forward, but I like their head coach and other starters compliment Butler. Boston has a good starting five, but Joe Muzzulla is a massive downgrade from Ime Ukodah at head coach as he doesn't coach with the same energy as Ukodah. Cleveland couldn't win a playoff series with a good starting five and now loses small forward Caris LeVert who happens to be the worst player in Cleveland's starting five. Philadelphia needs a power forward and fired their head coach Doc Rivers. Atlanta was the only other team outside of Boston, Milwaukee, and Cleveland with a quality starting five. The Knicks don't have a center and every butt hurt Knicks fan wants to trade Julius Randle and blow up the damn team including, but not limited to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Atlanta is probably going to make a trade to improve their starting five next season with John Collins coming off his worst season at power forward. None of these teams appear to be legitimate challengers to Denver and of that group, I'd take Atlanta as surprising as that sounds since their head coach led Utah Jazz to the one seed when Donovan Mitchell was there two years ago.


Enjoy this right now Denver Nuggets fans. Denver fans as well as Jokic fans earned this. There's a good chance Denver could go back-to-back if their starters avoid injuries next season. Having all five starters under contract until 2025 essentially gives the Denver Nuggets a three year window starting this year to establish themselves as the team of the 2020's decade. In the 1990's you had the Chicago Bulls as the NBA's team of the decade. In the 2000's you had the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2010's belonged to Golden State partially due to Kevin Durant's decision to join forces with Curry. The 2020's will be fun to watch as the Lakers, Bucks, and Warriors each have one title this decade. For speculation purposes, I'm saying there's a chance the Denver Nuggets end up becoming the team of the 2020's decade.







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