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NBA Shootaround: Nuggets Starting Five, Taurean Prince, James Harden & Bradley Beal

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In this first edition of the NBA Shootaround, I will analyze the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers opening night game. The Nuggets picked up their sixth straight victory in the series as they defeated the Lakers 119-108. I will also examine some injury news regarding the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.

NBA Shootaround: Nuggets Starting Five, Taurean Prince, James Harden & Bradley Beal

Denver’s starters are definitely the best in the league. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are relentless attackers who love to play the two-man game. While the duo do it differently, both are at their best getting into the lane. Jokic bullies his way to the basket, although the Lakers did a better job doubling and walling up in the second half. The two-time NBA MVP is not only relentless in getting into the paint but also on the offensive glass.

Murray loves to use ball screens but is quick and shifty enough to get to the hoop off the dribble. Plus, Murray is an exceptional cutter.

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While Jokic and Murray were key offensively early, the Nuggets defense was suffocating, which was why Denver built a 14-point first-quarter lead and pushed it to as many as 18 in the first half. The Nuggets held the Lakers to 30 percent shooting in the opening quarter due to their physicality and athleticism.

Jokic and Murray also had an answer when the Lakers got close. It wasn’t always their scoring but also their passing. Jokic and Murray combined for 12 points, on 5 of 7 shooting, and six assists in the final quarter as the Nuggets pushed their lead to up 14 in the stanza.

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The Nuggets’ starters outscored the Lakers 97-81. All five players scored in double figures, with Jokic posting a double-double and Michael Porter Jr. recording a double-double.

Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

While Jokic, Murray, and Porter get all the accolades, the Nuggets couldn’t ask for two better complements than Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Gordon, who had arguably the best season of his career last year, put on two pounds of muscle over the summer, and he looked fantastic. The 28-year-old did a little bit of everything and was excellent around the rim. He scored 10 of his 15 points at the edge, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded a block. Gordon added five assists.

More importantly, Gordon and Caldwell-Pope also provided energy and defense. The Nuggets forwards recorded five steals and were a combined +16.  Caldwell-Pope, who has developed into a reliable shooter, contributed a surprising  20 points. Caldwell-Pope only topped 20 points on five occassions last year while averaging less than 11 a game. He made 8 of 12 from the field and 2 of 3 from the 3-point line.

Nuggets Bench

Speaking of athleticism, that is one of the things that the Nuggets second unit brings. Christian Braun,

Zeke Nnaji and Peyton Watson are the youngsters who are going to be the leaders of the unit. Braun is quick to get to the rack and is a good shooter. But he is not a consistent scorer, as that will be left to Reggie Jackson unless the Nuggets make a trade later in the season. Besides a lack of offensive production, the Nugs’ bench is only nine deep, which is not a problem in the playoffs but could be during the regular season.

Jackson is a scorer who can run an offense as he doesn’t turn the ball over. While the 33-year-old guard can still put up big numbers, he is inefficient and has struggled shooting the ball over the last two years.

Taurean Prince Was Fantastic

Taurean Prince’s career has consisted of 3-point shooting, defense, and hustle. That is actually what made the 29-year-old’s Lakers’ debut memorable. He did a little more than that, but that is why the Lakers snatched him on the open market.

Prince is definitely who the Lakers’ needed this offseason. If Prince consistently plays like he did last night, the Lakers will be on course for at least another Western Conference finals appearance.

Prince was 6 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 6 from the 3-point line. While he added three rebounds and a steal, it was more about his activity defensively as he got his hands on several balls.

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It will be interesting to see whether Darvin Ham will keep Prince in the starting lineup when Jarred Vanderbilt is cleared. Vanderbilt picked up a heel injury in the first preseason game and hasn’t returned to game action. He is considered day-to-day, with Thursday, against the Phoenix Suns, being the next chance for him to debut.

LeBron James

Lebron James was fantastic offensively, and the 38-year-old doesn’t look like he will slow down any time soon. He attacked the basket with a vengeance, going coast-to-coast multiple times while finishing through contract on most occassions. James was 6 of 6 at the rim, 3 of 4 from within 10 feet, and 1 of 4 from the 3-point line. He finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and no turnovers. James was also posted a plus-7 plus/minus.

While James was fabulous offensively, his defense left much to be desired. The biggest issue was it looked like he was nonchalant on that end, as he didn’t close out strong. He also didn’t have his hands up against the Nugget shooter, who subsequently knocked down key fourth-quarter baskets.

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Ham is doing the smart thing and limiting LBJ’s minutes. This will theoretically keep James healthier and fresher for a deep playoff run. Ham told reporters, including ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, that the plan for the start of the season is to keep James in the range of 28-to-30 minutes per game.

“It’s easy with him to get caught up in the emotion of the game, and you tend to forget you want to play these long stretches, but for him to be as effective as possible, we have to be mindful of the minute output and how long his stretches are.”

Other Notes

Los Angeles’ defense has a lot to be desired overall, especially interiorly speaking. The Lakers were manhandled by Jokic, specifically Anthony Davis, in the first half. The Lakers did better in the second half as they doubled and walled up in the second half when Jokic got the ball in the post. But still, the Nuggets shot 52% from the field and drained 14 threes at a 41.2% clip. They got 20 fastbreak points and 17 second chance points.

Speaking of Davis, where was he in the second half. After putting up 17 points in the first half, Davis was 0 of 6 from the field, including 0 of 1 from the 3-point line over the second 24 minutes.  Davis also struggled with his shot as he was just 4 of 15 when not at the rim, including 3 of 9 from 10 feet and in.

D’Angelo Russell, who had a strong preseason, struggled with his shot on opening night. Russell was just 4 of 12 from the floor, but that wasn’t the real problem, as he knocked down 2 of 5 from the 3-point line. The issue is that he looked out of control as most of his five shots — all in the paint — appeared to be rushed and just thrown up. Granted, Russell met traffic in most situations, but. In addition, Russell was sloppy with his ball-handling in key situations, finishing with a 7-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

James Harden and Bradley Beal

Philadelphia 76ers’ guard James Harden reported back to the team on Wednesday, as he has been away from the club since October 15. According to Gina Mizzell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Harden was expected to participate in Wednesday’s practice before the 76ers leave for Milwaukee for Thursday’s regular-season opener vs. the Bucks.

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Despite his return to he club, Harden will not travel with the Sixers to Milwaukee or Toronto.  Harden has missed all of preseason and only participated in one 5-on-5 scrimmage. So, Sunday, when the Portland Trail Blazers make the trek to Philadelphia, will be the next time Harden could debut.

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Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal, who was dealing with lower back tightness, was kept out of their 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors for cautionary reasons. But Marc Spears of Andscape is reporting that Beal is expected to make his Suns’ debut on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

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