Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James and Anthony Davis must attack Denver

The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James have the Denver Nuggets number

The Los Angeles Lakers are on a seven-game win streak, yet it feels as if they just snapped a seven-game losing streak when they beat the Memphis Grizzlies. This is a good thing. Lakers fans should always hold the team’s play and Lake Show Life’s analysis to a high standard.

Because as a wise man once said, iron sharpens iron. And speaking of iron, LeBron James is an ironman, but not like Tony Stark: LeBron has played in 1,292 games in the midst of his 18th season in the NBA. The Lakers are fortunate to have King James for the foreseeable future.

The Lakers are also fortunate that they are better than every other team. When they are at their best, no other team can beat them. The Denver Nuggets learned this in five difficult lessons inside the bubble. At least they got schooled in Disneyworld. Many other teams only get schooled in either Los Angeles or in their respective cities.

With that said, here are three keys for the Los Angeles Lakers winning their seventh straight game and their eighth in nine games against the Denver Nuggets.

Kevin’s first key: LeBron James and Anthony Davis posting up

The Los Angeles Lakers should post up LeBron James and Anthony Davis early and often since no one on Denver can match up with either of them.

LeBron has two inches and at least 70 pounds of muscle on Will Barton, Denver’s team’s starting small forward at 6-6 and 181 pounds. Barton will likely get overpowered like Oklahoma City’s Lou Dort on this possession.

No one else on Denver can defend like Lou Dort in the post. Paul Millsap is too slow to stay in front of LeBron and too short to contest Anthony Davis. Nikola Jokic is too slow and starting shooting guard Gary Harris is too short for both.

Michael Porter Jr and anyone else on Denver are too skinny to withstand LeBron’s and AD’s frequent rampages in the paint.

The Lakers get to the free-throw line on 20.5% of their offensive plays. The Lakers should strive to get to the line 25% of the time against Denver.

Nobody on Denver can matchup with LeBron or AD in single coverage, which is important because Denver Head Coach Mike Malone comes from the Jeff Van Gundy coaching tree. Van Gundy does not believe in double-teaming the post (or in general), neither does Malone.

Look for Lakers coach Frank Vogel to run the offense through both LeBron and AD in the post against Denver.