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5 Things: What Can Change?

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1) Be a multi-dimensional scoring team. 3 guys took 59 out of 79 shots for the Lakers. That’s a very one-dimensional offense for the playoffs and it won’t work against Denver. Maybe against other teams but not this one. Speaking of shots, the Nuggets out attempted us by a whopping +23 (102 -79). As we’ve all said and read turnovers and offensive rebounds were our Achilles Heel…again…last night.

2) Better staggering. Any 2 out of LBJ, AD, Reaves and DLo need to be on the floor at all times. We cannot win the just 1 superstar and 1 star role-player minutes without having 2 of that group out there. Figure it out, coach.

3) Box…out…Aaron…Gordon…for @#$%’s sake!!!! Dude had 6 offensive rebounds and led Denver in +/-. He kills us on the regs. Everyone focuses on how great Jokic and Murray are, and deservedly so, but the other real issue for us is keeping AG off the glass and neutralizing his impact.

4) Don’t force the 3 ball game. It’s not like Denver shot lights out from 3 because they didn’t need to. 15-42 (good for 35.7% is fine and all but we shot a far worse (8-29, bad for 27.6%) and the Nuggets outscored us by +10 PIP and and +7 fastbreak points. Can’t lose all these stat categories and expect to win. Make Denver, especially Jokic, play defense by attacking him from the perimeter. That’s not necessarily all on AD, either.

5) Get Rui involved in someway other than occasionally guarding Jokic. 2-4 in 31 minutes with 3 rebounds and an assist. Our 4th highest paid player needs to generate more, well, anything at all. The team needs to figure out a way for him to generate more offense and rebounding, some of that is on him and his effort/focus but some of that is on us choosing to attack the same way over and over and over again.