Getty Lakers center Mo Bamba.
The Los Angeles Lakers will still be without backup big man Mo Bamba for the start of their Western Conference Finals series against the Denver Nuggets.
Bamba has been dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him on the sideline since April 28. With Bamba on the shelf, the Lakers will continue to turn to Rui Hachimura, Wenyen Gabriel and Tristan Thompson to provide depth behind Anthony Davis.
With two-time MVP Nikola Jokic on the other side, the Lakers will need all the help they can get to protect the paint. Jokic averaged a triple-double in the Nuggets’ series against the Phoenix Suns, putting up 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists.
“We’re gonna have to mix up pitches. [Anthony Davis] will start on him,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “We have a few different guys that will see action against him. Just try to put your best foot forward every time out. But again, try to do everything we can to do our work early and keep him off-balance.”
Bamba was listed as doubutful for Game 1. However, Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times reported that Bamba is still in Los Angeles for a follow up appointment on Tuesday and will join the team later in the week.
Lakers say Mo Bamba will be OUT tomorrow. His travel plans won’t allow for him to make it on time. He’s still dealing with fallout from ankle stuff, anyways.
Bamba came over in a trade at the deadline from the Orlando Magic. He played in just nine regular season games with the Lakers, averaging 3.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in just under 10 minutes per game.
Nuggets Give Credit to Underdog Lakers
The Nuggets cruised for most of the season atop the standings in the Western Conference. It was a different story for the Lakers. LA started the season 2-10 and struggled to claw above the .500 mark for most of the year. However, a roster shakeup at the deadline proved fruitful, with the Lakers now one of the final two teams left standing in the West.
The Nuggets and Lakers split their season series, with each side winning two game apiece. However, they haven’t seen each other since January. The teams last faced off in the postseason in 2020 inside the bubble. The Lakers won the series and went on to win the title, although Jokic acknowledges this is an entirely different challenege. Only Anthony Davis and LeBron James remain from that title-winning squad.
“We didn’t play with this kind of Lakers [team],” Jokic said. “So this is going to be basically a new team for us. Probably everything is new, everything is different … They’re playing amazing in these playoffs. Since [the trade] deadline, they’re playing really well.”
Lakers Respect What Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Bring to the Table
The Lakers have battled past the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies and are fresh off finishing off the defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games. James knows the matchup with the Nuggets will be their biggest challenege to date, crediting Jokic and guard Jamal Murray for their play.
“They’ve been the No. 1 team in the West for a reason,” James said. “They’ve played exceptional basketball all year. And we’re going in with the utmost respect for their ballclub. They’re very well coached and obviously we know the dynamic of what Joker [Jokic] brings to the game and also Jamal Murray, being back fully healthy. And the rest of those guys.”
The Lakers are the underdogs for a third consecutive series. The Nuggets are -160 to advance to the NBA Finals, while the Lakers come in at +135.