If there is an upcoming playoff matchup that fans couldn’t be more ecstatic to see, it is the 2022-23 Western Conference Finals rematch between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. Speaking on the tantalizing matchup just days before it commences, Gilbert Arenas reveals how LeBron James and the rest can actually take down the defending champions, despite being the underdogs in this series.
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On the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, former three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas broke down what the Lakers squad needed to do to come away victorious in this first-round series, saying the following on the matter.
“Their playbook in the last 3 minutes is only two people. (Nikola) Jokic is going to make plays for himself and others or (Jamal)Murray is going to make plays for himself or others. Everybody else who touches that ball is either gonna shoot it or pass it back. Los Angeles Lakers, you can’t have rogue basketball in the last 3 minutes because they are playing at a 95% efficient clip.”
Arenas brought up one Lakers’ statistic that had them as the best team in the league with 3 minutes or less left on the clock. However, despite being the best team in that regard, the Denver Nuggets still had their number. Agent Zero mentioned that the Denver Nuggets played efficient basketball in the final minutes of just about every game this season. The team focused on plays being run through Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray specifically, something that brought them great success during the last postseason as well.
This allowed the Nuggets to either create more plays for their two leading scorers by constantly having the ball run through them or create a play that would end up with Jokic or Murray finishing the play. So, according to Arenas, the only way the Los Angeles Lakers could defeat the Denver Nuggets is by running plays for or through their own ‘Big Three’ as well. The retired NBA man heavily emphasized the fact that the Lakers squad cannot be running a rogue offense on the floor, especially in the last three minutes of the game.
Arenas further emphasized that if they hope to get the best of this Denver Nuggets squad, the plays need to be specifically run through Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and D’Angelo Russell. According to him, Los Angeles has the star power required to take down this efficient Nuggets team. But if their star players do not take matters into their own hands then the chances of LA coming out on top is beyond scarce.
D’Angelo Russell has been shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. Anthony Davis’ efficiency in the paint and the mid-range is reflected in his 55.6 field goal percentage and LeBron James has been in his zone, shooting above 40% from three and above 50% from the field, per Statmuse.
Granted that players like Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves have been consistent for the team, according to Arenas, if the Lakers hope to win this series, the team needs to heed Gilbert Arenas’s advice and look to go to its big three in the biggest moments. If the other players can avoid ‘going rogue’ from this plan, perhaps Los Angeles has a chance after all.
