3 advantages the Los Angeles Lakers have over the Denver Nuggets
By Jason Reed
2. The Los Angeles Lakers’ bench unit is miles better than the Denver Nuggets’
The Los Angeles Lakers are primed to have one of, if not the, best second units in the entire league and they are miles ahead of the Denver Nuggets. While it is more complex than the two team’s 6-10s just straight up matching up, the Lakers can do so much more with their bench unit than the Nuggets.
Denver’s bench unit is likely going to be led by Michael Porter Jr and consists of Monte Morris (a decent sharpshooter), international rookie Facundo Campazzo, JaMychal Green and Isaiah Hartenstein.
It is bad. The Nuggets don’t just have a worse second unit than the Lakers, but their second unit is one of the worst among the playoff teams. When the playoffs come around and the rotations shrink to seven they will be better off, but it is still not a great outlook.
It certainly still doesn’t come close to the Lakers. Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell will lead the second unit and both, at worst, will be just as impactful as Porter this season.
Kyle Kuzma is better than the Nuggets’ second-best bench player, Alex Caruso is elite defensively and Markieff Morris is versatile and is a decent stretch three and D power forward.
I would take any player in the Lakers’ second unit over anyone not named Michael Porter from the Nuggets’ bench.