The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 114-103 in Game 1 of the two team’s NBA Playoffs first-round matchup on Saturday.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell had a rough shooting night against the Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is pinning a lot of the blame for the loss on him, per Green’s podcast ‘The Draymond Green Show.’
Said Green, “The Lakers may be in some trouble, because Bron had a great game, A.D. had a great game, and they never stood a chance at winning the game after the first half. So that’s trouble for the Lakers.
They’re going to need a better D’Angelo Russell, you can’t just say ‘oh man shots [didn’t] go in’ when that’s starting to be a trend in these 16 games. Can’t just say that. Shots got to go in. They need a better Austin Reaves, you on the scouting report now, get in your bag now, gotta play better.
But D’Angelo Russell makes shots, Lakers win games. D’Angelo Russell don’t make shots, Lakers don’t win games. That’s the reason the Lakers were in the position that they were in.”
Green elaborated on the Lakers’ need for Russell to step up and be the third option after a Game 1 performance where he finished with 13 points and went 1 for 9 from 3-point range.
Said Green, “Talking about D’Angelo Russell on the trading block because they needed a better D’Angelo Russell. D’Angelo Russell on the trading block showed up the rest of the season. Guess what it’s no longer 82 [games], it’s 16 now, got to show up.
So D’Angelo Russell play better, Lakers have a chance, D’Angelo Russell don’t play better, Lakers don’t stand a chance.”
Lakers look to bounce back against the Nuggets
A few more made 3-pointers by the Lakers and a general uptick in aggression from Russell, Austin Reaves (one free throw attempt), and Rui Hachimura (four shot attempts) might’ve kept Game 1 competitive into crunch time.
There are ways to mitigate Russell, if he’s not playmaking. The Lakers can cut his minutes, for one. Gabe Vincent and Spencer Dinwiddie are superior defensive options, anyway. The Lakers can also force more Reaves/LeBron pick-and-rolls as well as seek Hachimura out more actively on the baseline.
After Game 1, coach Darvin Ham said the Lakers have plenty of ideas for what to throw at Jokic. Los Angeles primarily used Anthony Davis as the defender, but Hachimura took turns as well.
“We’ll look at it and make our adjustments,” said AD. “Talk among ourselves and just kind of see if we’re helping Rui, if we’re leaving him on an island when he scores and things like that. Then we’ll make the proper adjustments going into Game 2. If that means that I’m on him for the whole game then so be it. But that was the game plan going into tonight.”
Game 2 between the Lakers and Nuggets is set for Monday night.
More must-reads: