SUMMARY
- Rui Hachimura claims that the Nuggets have played together longer than the Los Angeles Lakers.
- The Lakers are not expected to extend this series past 5 games or even avoid a sweep.
A member of the Los Angeles Lakers recently discussed the gap between his team and the Denver Nuggets. Most NBA fans will know that the Lakers and Nuggets have matched up for the second time in a row for a 7 game postseason series. The Nuggets have completely dominated the Lakers over their past matchups and even swept Los Angeles in the Western Conference Finals last year.
While some fans may have defended the Lakers and claimed that last year’s occurrence was nothing more than a fluke, the Nuggets have dispelled those notions with a 3-0 lead and are on the verge of doing the same once again. Rui Hachimura was interviewed and questioned about the key differences between the Lakers and the Nuggets. That said, one might want to know more about what he has to say.
Rui Hachimura opines that the Los Angeles Lakers need more chemistry and continuity
Rui Hachmiura was traded to the Lakers midway through the 2022-2023 NBA season and helped the team make it all the way to the Conference Finals. Despite his innate talent and ability, Hachimura was unable to aid his team in securing a single win against the Nuggets during his career as a member of the Lakers.
In a recent interview, Hachimura claimed that the Lakers simply do not have enough experience when compared to the Nuggets. Since LeBron James and Anthony Davis can be considered more experienced than Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, it is clear that Rui is primarily referring to team chemistry and continuity.
“Clearly, we have to do something better. Of course, we’ve been trying. We’ve been watching a lot of film…We’re adjusting different coverage and all that. But, as a team, in my opinion, we just don’t have enough experience…They’ve been together for like 5 years.”
Rui Hachimura says the Lakers just don’t have enough experience compared to the Nuggets
“Clearly, we have to do something better. Of course, we’ve been trying. We’ve been watching a lot of film…We’re adjusting different coverage and all that. But, as a team, in my opinion, we… pic.twitter.com/tDAdGEqTHS
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 26, 2024
Since the Nuggets have dealt with various factors over the past half a decade such as injuries, it would be unfair to claim that the team has played consistently for many years now. Fans may even claim that Hachimura is simply making excuses in order to justify an early end to the Los Angeles Lakers’ postseason push.
How far can the Lakers push the Nuggets in this series?
Considering that no team has come back from being down 0-3 in the NBA playoffs, it would be unfair to claim that the Los Angeles Lakers possess even a small chance of accomplishing this feat. Especially since the team is currently on an 11-game losing streak to the Nuggets and is coming off a shocking Game 3 loss at home.
Even if the Lakers are able to fend off the Nuggets in Game 4 and extend the series, they will simply not be expected to do the same once again on the road for Game 5. Since being swept by the same team twice in a row could greatly hurt LeBron James’ legacy, the Los Angeles Lakers may fight desperately and win Game 4. However, this series is currently expected to end within 5 games.
