As the Lakers and Nuggets clash once again in the Western Conference Finals, Live Cricket BPL points out that the showdown between Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis will be the centerpiece of this series. Yet, just as critical is how Denver plans to slow down LeBron James. Don’t be fooled by his age—at 38, LeBron remains a force to be reckoned with on the court. Like the saying goes, age is just a number. He still plays with the dominance of a man ten years younger.

This season, the primary defender the Nuggets have deployed against LeBron has been Aaron Gordon. While Gordon has had mixed success, there’s been some upside in using Bruce Brown, a former Nets player, whose defensive efforts against LeBron have proven effective. Denver is likely to rotate multiple defenders to wear James down over the course of the series, with Gordon expected to lead that charge due to his athleticism and physicality.

Live Cricket BPL notes a key difference in this series compared to the Lakers’ previous matchup against the Warriors: Denver’s size across the roster. Tactics that worked against Golden State may now fall flat. However, the Lakers must continue leaning into their core strengths—attacking the paint and drawing fouls. These have been the Lakers’ bread and butter all season, and they must double down. Despite Denver’s overall success, the Nuggets rank among the bottom in blocks per game in the playoffs. That stat line offers a glimmer of hope for Los Angeles.

LeBron’s perimeter shooting has been inconsistent throughout this postseason. For this series, he would be wise to aggressively drive to the basket and target Jokic directly. The Nuggets are a different team entirely when Jokic is off the floor. If the Serbian center gets into foul trouble and has to be subbed out for DeAndre Jordan or Thomas Bryant, the Lakers’ path to victory becomes a lot clearer.

Interestingly, there’s a bit of irony in the journey of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. In the summer of 2021, the Lakers sent KCP to the Wizards as part of the Russell Westbrook trade. Then last year, the Nuggets acquired him via another deal. After eliminating the Suns, Jokic personally highlighted Pope’s contributions in an interview with Live Cricket BPL, calling him a “championship-level player.”

KCP’s performance has indeed lived up to that praise—his reliable shooting and tenacious defense have made him the ideal 3-and-D wing, just the kind of player championship teams are built around. As the saying goes, it’s not swords or spears that defeat you, but kind words and small decisions. The Nuggets owe a debt of thanks to the Lakers for developing such a valuable player—only to trade him away. That decision opened the door for Washington to pass him along to Denver, completing a stroke of luck the Nuggets are now capitalizing on.