Los Angeles Lakers: Denver’s 4 adjustments for Game 2

The Los Angeles Lakers need to counter the Denver Nuggets’ adjustments.

Can the Denver Nuggets rally to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2? Adjustments will need to be made for Denver to stand a chance. What can they do to stay in this series? 

Denver coach Mike Malone brought up the foul disparity in the second quarter in his postgame press conference. Malone has a valid point. The Lakers pulled away in part because they got Denver into foul trouble.

The Los Angeles Lakers did get the majority of the 50/50 calls. There is, however, one unwritten rule in basketball officiating: the more aggressive team always gets the calls. Even if there was not a foul disparity in the second quarter, the Lakers still would have won handily.

Anthony Davis had 37 points. LeBron James added 15 points and 12 assists. Two other Lakers, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard, had mesmerizing turn-the-clock performances coming off the bench. Howard even started the second half.

Rondo’s great pass to Dwight Howard was one of many countless alley-oops. Credit Howard’s teammate, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for setting a tremendous back screen on Jokic to free up the artist sometimes known as Superman.

Howard hasn’t jumped like this since he was on the Atlanta Celtics, his AAU team. Rondo’s passing and court vision is as brilliant as ever.

It is a wrap if Playoff Rondo and Superman are still in the building. Denver stands no chance against Playoff Rondo, vintage Howard, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis – not to mention when everyone else hits shots and plays lockdown defense.

If not, Denver can make some adjustments to stand a chance. Special shoutout to our Denver Nuggets sister page at FanSided, Nugg Love, for outlining 3 adjustments to make for Game 2. 

I’ll add a fourth one because the Lakers always have to one up the competition! Here is what Denver can do and how those adjustments would affect the Lakers.