In some ways, the Western Conference finals includes the old versus the new.
The Los Angeles Lakers have actually won 16 NBA titles, and are led by a set of established superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Denver Nuggets have actually never reached the NBA Finals, however the Herculean tasks of rising stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in these playoffs offer the Nuggets hope for an upset.
Which group will win the series, and why? To respond to that concern, The Athletic asked a league scout, a coach and a front workplace executive to evaluate the matchup and offer predictions. They were approved privacy so they might speak without holding anything back.
Scouts outlook: “After the Lakers lost the very first video game versus Houston, they focused. They said, OK, lets buckle down. And they got really serious, and they played truly well in the next four (games). They simply controlled. So in terms of mindset, the Lakers are not going to be …