The Los Angeles Lakers’ season is already bordering on miraculous. They have overcome a 2-10 start and legions of doomsayers to reach the Western Conference finals. They have gotten there after dispatching the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the previous round.
They will be in for a challenge, as they will face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, a team that features two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and a deep, talented cast, especially on the offensive end.
Job 1 for the Lakers will be containing Jokic, and if they cannot stop him from scoring points in bunches, they at least need to limit his assists to stymie the rest of Denver’s attack.
So far in the playoffs, and for much of the regular season, head coach Darvin Ham has elected to go small when Anthony Davis is resting. It has resulted not only in lineups that had the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Wenyen Gabriel at the 5, but also in several lineups with LeBron James or even Rui Hachimura playing that spot.
Maybe L.A. can get away with that type of lineup in small spurts versus the Nuggets, but it will likely need size more often than not to neutralize Jokic when Davis isn’t on the court.
Could this be the time for Ham to make a change in his bench rotation?
The Lakers have two capable backup centers with size sitting on the bench
So far in the postseason, Mo Bamba, a seven-footer the Lakers acquired from the Orlando Magic for Patrick Beverley in February, hasn’t played other than in garbage time. He has been hampered by an ankle ailment, but he believes he should be able to play later in this series — if Ham calls his name.
He will not be available for Game 1 on Tuesday, but he will reportedly fly to Denver to try to be available for Game 2.
Mo Bamba was not with the Lakers for Monday's practice in Denver, according to the team. He has a follow-up appointment on his left ankle in L.A. on Tuesday and will fly to Denver after that. He's going to be listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 15, 2023
At about 230 pounds, Bamba is lean rather than a wide-body, but he is a shot-blocker, and he at least has the height to possibly make Jokic work in the paint.
In addition, Bamba is a good 3-point shooter, which would make Jokic have to come out on the perimeter to close out on him, opening the lane for other Lakers players.
There is also Tristan Thompson, a veteran big man the team picked up toward the end of the regular season. Like Bamba, he has only appeared in a few minutes of garbage time in the playoffs.
But his experience of playing in four NBA Finals, as well as his 6-foot-9, 254-pound frame, could help L.A. contain Jokic and control the boards.
Ham hinted Thompson or Bamba could get some run in this series, alluding to the role Dwight Howard played as a backup center when the two teams played in the 2020 Western Conference finals.
Darvin Ham says the Lakers have “a couple guys,” on their roster who can play a Dwight Howard type of role in this series, and bring the physicality against Nikola Jokic that Howard brought in the 2020 playoffs. He didn’t name who those guys are.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 15, 2023
Another reason L.A. may need an extended rotation in this series
Traditionally, NBA teams go to an eight-man rotation in the playoffs. However, one of the challenges that comes with playing the Nuggets in a best-of-seven is dealing with the altitude of the Mile High City.
That altitude can make even the most well-conditioned athletes tire early in a game when their bodies start screaming for precious oxygen.
Both the Lakers and Nuggets want to play fast and get baskets either on the fast break or in early offense as much as possible, so getting everyone enough rest often enough will be a key for Ham. It will especially be important for the 38-year-old James, who is averaging 37.3 minutes a game in the playoffs.
Expect guard Lonnie Walker IV, who was the hero of Game 4 versus Golden State, to get playing time, as well as possibly Gabriel and even Troy Brown Jr., a forward who has gotten only spot duty lately.
