As I finished watching the fifth game of the Western Conference semifinals matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night, I felt – for the first time all season – that my Lakers might actually have some competition in the West. As I watched the last six minutes of the fourth quarter, I began to realize just how deep and talented the Nuggets are.
With point guard Chauncey Billups leading one of the most explosive offenses in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see how they fair in the next round. Billups, who will be playing in the conference finals for the seventh straight year (six of which were with Detroit in the Eastern Conference), has been lights out this postseason. Before Wednesday’s game he was averaging 22.1 points, 7.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He’s taken a team that hasn’t been able to get out of the first round with only Carmelo Anthony, and has turned them into a spectacular offensive unit that wins games in style.
That’s not to downplay the role of Carmelo, who has quietly led Denver in scoring throughout the playoffs with 27 points per game. He is the face of the Nuggets’ franchise and now that he has one of the strongest supporting casts in the NBA, he just might be able to get the Nuggets over the hump. Anthony has all-star power forward Kenyon Martin playing like the K-Mart of old, and while his numbers might be down, Martin has provided a much-needed defensive spark for a team that gives up over 100 points per contest.
While on the topic of defensive sparks, I’ll focus on Chris Andersen for a moment. Most fans probably would not know who he is on paper, but in person Chris “Birdman” Andersen puts on a show unlike any other in the NBA. Birdman can do two things: dunk and block shots. Period. His presence is always felt on the court, whether that’s a good thing or not, I’m not really sure.
The one-named wonder, Nene, also has been a consistent player on the inside for the Nuggets. He’s averaged 12.5 points and a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per game this postseason. He and Laker center Pau Gasol should be an interesting matchup in the Western Conference finals.
The fifth, and often forgotten, starter for Denver squad is former Duke Blue Devil Dahntay Jones. Jones is known for his defensive prowess during his limited playing time, and will likely draw the short straw on guarding Kobe Bryant during the next round. Sorry Dahntay.
While J.R. Smith and Anthony Carter will both be sharing minutes behind Billups, Smith has proven to be a strong offensive threat. He hit five three pointers in game five of the New Orleans series, and has shot 24-59 from deep in the playoffs. Smith is one of the more intriguing players on the Nugget roster in my opinion, due to his long-range shooting ability and his overall athleticism.
Now, don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say here. I obviously think that the Lakers are going to take the West. I’m just a fan of the game and I think the Nuggets vs. Lakers series is going to be one of the best ones we’ve seen so far this postseason – aside from the Chicago and Boston first round chaos. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
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