As in 2020, the season will end on the same final square, with identical posters for the conference finals. In the West, the Lakers of LeBron James find the Nuggets, which they had beaten in five sets, before winning 4-2 against the Heat in the NBA Finals. But three years later, it’s a Denver team with much more certainty that comes up against the Lakers.
“It’s a better team than in 2020” confirmed LeBron James. “Obviously they are more experienced. Every game, every playoff, every showdown allows you to continue to grow as a franchise, as a team, and that’s what they did.”.
It is true that Mike Malone’s men are coming out of a generally controlled regular season where they were first in the Western Conference almost from start to finish. Conversely, the Lakers lived two seasons in one, to finally snatch a 7th place, then a qualification for the “play-in”. In 2020, it was sort of the opposite as LeBron James and his teammates were the number 1 seed, while Denver (3rd) miraculously exited the playoffs against the Jazz and the Clippers after being down 3 -1 each time.
From the “bubble” of Orlando to the heights of Colorado
What also changes is that Nikola Jokic has since won two MVP titles, and that he is not far from being the best player in the playoffs with 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists in 11 games played in this 2023 campaign. is the best player of the season, and that he deserved to achieve the hat-trick.
“The Joker has three more years under his belt. Jamal is back to his usual form after his injury. And the other players play exceptional basketball. It’s a very, very good team. I have the greatest respect for them.” repeat LeBron James.
Game 1 will take place tonight (2:30 a.m.) on the Denver floor. And that too changes, since three years ago, the opposition took place in the “bubble”. “Of course it plays” LeBron responds this way when a journalist asks him if the altitude has an influence. “We get tired much faster, more than usual”.
A journalist then asks him for details about this fatigue. “It’s mostly in the first quarter, and a little bit in the second. But what’s good in the playoffs is that we’re there for a few days, and it’s like going from East to West with the time zone difference. For a few days, it disturbs sleep, but then you adapt. »
