Five things to watch (with some betting tips) for Lakers vs. Nuggets

It’s not easy to get a feel for this series because, while it is a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference Finals from the bubble, both teams are very different.

Even this season’s games are not helpful. All four regular season meetings between the Lakers and Nuggets occurred before the NBA trade deadline, when the Lakers revamped their roster. Those games are largely useless in predicting what happens starting Tuesday night. While the Lakers had the best record in the West after the All-Star break (16-7) the Nuggets had run away and hid from the rest of the West by that point, took their foot off the gas and coasted in, all while maintaining the No. 1 seed.

There will be some feeling out early in the series and a lot of adjustments.

Here are four things worth watching, plus some betting advice from Vaughn Dalzell of NBC Sports Edge.

The two best big men still playing will go head-to-head for much of this series, and that likely decides it.

Jokić has been a force these playoffs averaging 30.7 points with a 62.6 true shooting percentage, plus 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists a game. As Draymond Green correctly noted on his podcast, if the Lakers let Jokić be a scorer and a facilitator they will lose, they have to limit him. Davis and the Lakers did that in the bubble where Jokić put up numbers — 21.8 points and five assists a game — but it was not enough.

However, there are two reasons it will be hard for the Lakers to repeat that bubble success. First, Jokić is a better player now than three years ago. He is a much more diverse threat.

Second, he has shooters and cutters around him everywhere now. Once the help comes, he will find the open man. Maybe the Lakers are willing to live with that, but don’t confuse these Nuggets