NBA: How each non-LA playoff team can win the Western Conference

How the Denver Nuggets can win the West

The MVP must play like the MVP

Nikola Jokic is undoubtedly the MVP of the League and will be the main focus for any other Western Conference playoff opponents. Jokic has a well-balanced attack and skill set which forces teams to really pick their poison how they’re going to guard him. However, most of the better defensive teams have opted to try to take away Jokic’s true strength – his passing.

Teams like Utah and the Lakers have decided sag (slightly) off Jokic when he has the ball in order to take away passing lanes, open shooters and back cuts. By eliminating those early offensive actions from Jokic, it forces Jokic him to beat teams more with his scoring.

Now, let me be clear – Jokic is an elite scorer. This defensive strategy is a “best of two evils” approach but is a logical choice. Teams are more willing to let Jokic score 35 points with only four assists, instead of letting Jokic score 25 points and torch them with 12 assists.

Jokic has shown ability to score 30-or-40 in a game, but asking him to do that in a 7-game series without Jamal Murray as the might be tough. But if he’s can – that will spell doom for opponents.

Denver must develop a new identity with defense

Denver has really been playing with the “defense-optional” mantra all season. They have elite scorers all over the floor and can get buckets in bunches, but they have not clamped down on defense for most of the season.

With the unfortunate news of Jamal Murray missing the playoffs, the Nuggets will be forced to shift their rotations and team identity – which may mean they need to defend more. A mix of Aaron Gordon, Paul Millsap, Michael Porter Jr, Facundo Campazzo, and Monte Morris on the floor has an interesting blend of athleticism and aggressive perimeter defense that (if they gel) could generate more stops and transition opportunities.

While the Nuggets may not have lost their realistic Finals shot with Murray’s injury, Denver still has the League MVP and an incredibly deep and talented rotation. With an uptick in defense, perhaps this team could rally for another deep playoff run.