The 13 Biggest Questions of the NBA’s First Round

Do the new Lakers have a shot against the Nuggets? Can the Pacers beat the Giannis-less Bucks? And how will the Clippers deal with Luka? @MichaelVPina previews the first round:https://t.co/pYt1zm2UHV

— The Ringer (@ringer) April 19, 2024

Can the Los Angeles Lakers’ new players make a difference?

We pretty much already know that dominant efforts from LeBron James and Anthony Davis aren’t good enough to topple Denver, a team that swept them last postseason and they haven’t beaten since 2022. (How long ago was that? Russell Westbrook had a triple-double!)

But compared to last year’s roster, the Lakers now have a much more sensible rotation, with Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jaxson Hayes in the mix. There’s a little more size and a lot more shooting.

Since March 1, no team had a higher true shooting percentage and the Lakers’ offensive rating when LeBron and AD shared the court was 120.0, which is far and away the most efficient stretch those two have ever enjoyed together. Almost everyone in Ham’s rotation has shot the crap out of the ball since then, converting at the rim and behind the arc at a rate that’s second to none.

The Nuggets have the best player in the series and lack any major weaknesses, leaving Los Angeles without much hope. But if that heat wave continues, with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Vincent holding up even a little bit on defense, this series will be more competitive than the 2023 Western Conference finals, when Jarred Vanderbilt killed L.A.’s spacing before Ham benched him in Game 4. This time around, none of L.A.’s offensive possessions will be four-on-five.