Lakers vs. Nuggets Western Conference Finals roundtable breaking down series

For NBC Sports Bet The Edge, four analysts from the NBC Sports family came together to break down the Western Conference Finals matchup between LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. The analysts were divided, this is no easy series to decide.

The four are Kurt Helin, lead NBA writer for NBC Sports; Jay Croucher, the lead betting analyst for NBC Sports; Vaughn Dalzell a sports betting analyst for NBC Sports; and Drew Dinsick an NFL, NBA, Tennis Handicapper with NBC Sports.

Let’s jump into the discussion.

Jay Croucher: We thought the pandemic was over but it is not, we are back in the bubble with rematches of the 2020 Conference Finals.

Let’s get straight into the Western Conference Finals, Lakers at Nuggets. Kurt, we’ll start with you. This market is trending towards Denver, they are -160 favorites to win the series series now, 5.5 point favorites in Game 1. Do you think they’re a pretty solid favorite, is their status warranted?

Kurt Helin: Yeah. Except this is one of those situations where on paper, in a bubble, when I’m just looking at it, I’m like, ‘Denver should win this.’ They’ve been playing better defense than during the season, and the way their offense is constructed will give the Lakers’ defense real problems. The Lakers don’t have… well, nobody has a good answer for Jokic, but his passing to cutters and having actual having shooters everywhere — unlike the Warriors — causes problems.

My concern is simply this: The Lakers and LeBron James are an organization and a player used to the stage, used to rising to the occasion on the stage, used to finding a well and reserve of strong play — and he did it last series. He had a brilliant Game 6 because they knew they