Boy, what a rough few days it has been… after shocking the NBA with a season opening win against the seemingly stacked Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets dropped their next two games in blowout fashion at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves and on the road to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Aching for a new era of competitiveness and the obligation of restoring faith to fans, the Nuggets will look to capitalize on the Lakers struggles and leave Los Angeles tonight with a win.

The end of an era

PHOTO: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times

“I freaking suck”. The words that came out of Laker legend Kobe Bryant‘s mouth were felt in my heart a little more than they probably should have for a Nuggets fan. I mean this is a guy who has been an idol for me as long back as I can remember, both on and off the court. This is a guy who has inspired an entire generation just from his sheer will, determination and hard work. Who doesn’t get pumped when they hear a story of Kobe’s insane work ethic? This is a guy who I watched give his entire life to basketball only to find that she’s a fickle mistress with a short attention span. This is a feeling not even Michael Jordan fans are familiar with; their deity would never be caught dead saying those words.

The Nuggets must capitalize on Kobe’s farewell tour and it all comes down to Danilo Gallinari continuing his aggressive play. Bryant has been starting at the small forward position this year in order to accommodate the development of Lakers youngsters Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell. Gallinari should be able to take advantage of Kobe’s tendency to gamble on both defense and offense by exploiting his ball watching and willingness to take tough shots.

How soon they forget

PHOTO: Jennifer Pottheiser

From the beginning of their basketball careers all the way to just the January before the draft, Emmanuel Mudiay was considered both a consensus top three pick and the undisputed best guard in the draft. Just a mere year removed from the national spotlight, of which Mudiay spent honing his skills in China under the tutelage of ex-NBA players, has caused many to forget about the young phenom and switch their sights to Russell.

Averaging just 9 points per game and a mere 1.7 assists compared to Mudiay’s 12.7 points and 5.3 assists, Russell may have some Lakers fans secretly daydreaming of a reality where they had drafted Mudiay instead. Maybe if he were more of a “true point guard,” according to Lakers head coach Byron Scott. If true point guard doesn’t describe Emmanuel Mudiay, I don’t know what does.

Ironically, Mudiay (38.5 percent from beyond the arc) has also been shooting better from range than Russell (26.7 percent) — who was highly regarded coming into the draft as a lights out shooter from Ohio State. One could say that it’s a result of opponents daring Mudiay to shoot while smothering Russell, but the kind of threes Mudiay takes are ones that have no regard for the defender:

Look for Mudiay to continue making his case for rookie of the year and let’s hope he does to the Lakers what Karl-Anthony Towns did to the Nuggets.

A monster amidst the shadows… 

PHOTO: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

In the darkness that has been the Lakers season, a beast lurks. Caged-in his rookie year due to a broken right leg suffered in the Lakers first game of the 2014-15 season, Lakers young big man Julius Randle has been working hard eagerly awaiting his chance to break free and make his mark in the league. He’s not wasting any time this season.

“He’s going to be tough in this league. He puts the ball on the floor like no other PF”. Strong words from NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk got his first taste of the young power forward as Randle dominated the Dallas Mavericks front court to the tune of 22 points (9-17 shooting), 15 rebounds and 4 steals on Nov. 1st.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss4tMc6p818

The Nuggets big men will have their work cut out for them, especially considering they will be short-handed with both Nikola Jokic and Joffrey Lauvergne questionable for the game with back injuries. Perhaps from carrying the Nuggets offense against Oklahoma City?

Line-ups

Denver Nuggets:

Injury report: Jusuf Nurkic (rehabbing from patella tendon surgery in his left knee), Wilson Chandler (right hip strain), Joffrey Lauvergne (low back tightness/soreness) and Nikola Jokic (low back strain).

Mudiay should be able to abuse Russell’s lack of defensive ability. He’s already done it multiple times in the past. Look for Mudiay to take this match-up personal, serving as the perfect launching pad to bounce back from two tough outings.

Gary Harris will have plenty of work to do on the defensive end once again as he takes on Clarkson, possibly the Lakers current best scorer – on a team with Bryant and Lou Williams, that’s quite the compliment.

Gallinari had a very rough night in Oklahoma City, but continues to be aggressive on offense. At times Gallo stagnates the offense a little too much, but on a team depleted of scorers that’s not the worst problem to have. Especially if he has one of those “on” nights we all know Gallo is capable of.

Kenneth Faried will have a chance to showcase his improved defense as he gets the task of handling Randle. Faried curiously played just 14 minutes against the Thunder, but will definitely be asked to shoulder much more of the load with Joffrey and Jokic’s availability in doubt.

I really have no idea what the Nuggets will do without Lauvergne. Does J.J. Hickson go from Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision to starter? Let’s hope not… Do the Nuggets come out of the gate playing small ball with a line-up of Will Barton, Gallinari and Faried? Roy Hibbert’s size likely prevents Michael Malone from going ultra small, but it could certainly work in the Nuggets favor by exploiting the difference in speed. I’ll go with the conservative guess that Arthur will slide into the center position giving the Nuggets a good blend of size and defense.

Los Angeles Lakers:

Injury report: Larry Nance Jr. (broken nose), Brandon Bass (corneal abrasion).

Russell has been struggling to find his rhythm three games into his rookie season and will need a good game eventually to keep the haters at bay. Regressing to the mean means that Russell is due for an efficient shooting night soon, let’s hope it isn’t against the Nuggets.

Clarkson will look to improve on an impressive rookie season and is looking like an absolute steal for the Lakers after being selected 46th overall in the 2014 draft. Clarkson makes his bread driving into the paint, so the Nuggets will be in for a long night if they can’t keep him away from the rim.

Bryant has been playing terribly, taking the impossible shots we’re used to seeing, but no longer converting them at an acceptable rate. He is the key to the Nuggets victory. If the Lakers are smart, they will hide Kobe on defense by putting him on Harris, with Clarkson guarding Gallinari. Fortunately their coach is Byron Scott and we can’t be sure he’ll make the right decision.

Randle is going to have a field day. There is no one on Denver’s roster currently that can keep up with his combination of size, strength and speed. Count on Malone to base his entire defensive strategy on slowing Randle down with hard and soft double teams, daring the rest of the Lakers squad to beat them.

Hibbert can also give the Nuggets problems driving to the rim and will be a nuisance on the boards against a team whose tallest player on the night will be 6-foot-11-inch Gallinari. Expect the Lakers to get an annoying abundance of offensive boards and second chance points. Mudiay will need to have an answer for Laker defenders letting him drive and anticipating the kick out pass for easy steals — a problem he’s already had a problem with on teams lacking a dedicated rim protector like Hibbert.