The Los Angeles Lakers are only hours away from their first playoff game against their arch nemesis the Denver Nuggets. Although Los Angeles had a lot of opportunity to get a read on Denver’s game this season, the results are a clean sweep mirroring the conference finals last year. So, how can the Lake show match up to the seemingly undefeatable Nuggets? The Answer lies in their big man Anthony Davis.

Ex-Warriors head coach Mark Jackson had some bold words for the 6’10 center in the ‘Night Mode’ podcast. “Anthony Davis, your numbers have been very good, but let’s talk about the facts. You’re both first-ballot Hall of Famers. Let’s talk about the facts from last year,” said Jackson.

He further challenged AD to survive Nikola Jokic, one of the all time greats, against whom the power forward has fallen multiple times. “If we are to survive and move forward, I’m asking you to win that matchup.” While Coach Jackson did put the harsh truth of Davis’ failure last year he does accept that Lakers can win.

In the end, the Ex Warriors coach gives the Big Man a pep talk, “I’m asking a Hall of Famer to outplay another Hall of Famer. This is the ideal matchup for you. We’re going to go to you, we’re going to milk it, and we want you to be aggressive offensively and then be the AD that dominates on the defensive end. It’s not asking much for you to come out of this series as the best big man in this series.”

Anthony Davis vs. The Nuggets an Analysis

Davis averaged 22.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in the last 6 games he played against Denver. This is exactly the kind of performance that is needed to triumph over the Nuggets in the series. However, Jokic single-handedly leads in three statistical categories including points (26.4),  assists (9), and steals (1.37).

The key to stopping the Nuggets lies in stifling their ball movement, a task that requires staunch defense from the Lakers. AD’s reputation for dominance on both ends of the floor, particularly defensively, makes him essential in guarding the Joker with utmost intensity. Offensively, the Lakers boast ample firepower with players like D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James. So if Davis takes the match-up seriously the Lakers might pull off the upset.