The Denver Nuggets are the reigning NBA world champions, and they earned the title this past season in part by sweeping the born-again Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
Though an empty finish for Los Angeles, it was oddly encouraging.
After struggling for much of the season to tread water while several games under .500, multiple midseason trades transformed the team into a title contender, and that’s where it finds itself.
There are 29 teams looking up at the Nuggets, and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham agrees with most people that Nikola Jokic and company will be heavyweights for at least a few more years. Yet, Ham also seems to feel his team can win it all this season, and he talked about what it will take to beat Denver during an interview with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein.
Via Sportskeeda:
“I just think we gotta fight fire with fire. The big thing about Denver is you can’t turn the ball over, you have to finish at the rim, you gotta get to the free throw line and make free throws. But you can not have any, what we call self-inflicted wounds, you can’t beat yourself, they’re tough.
“We’ll see because their core is young. They’re set up to make a run for plenty more years.”
The Lakers certainly seem to have a roster that can knock off the Nuggets, and that roster could be even stronger this fall, winter and spring than it was late last season.
Ham fires back at Nuggets head coach Michael Malone
During the Nuggets’ championship parade, Michael Malone, their head coach, had a personal swag fest, as he seemed to strut around like a peacock that had chugged 10 energy drinks.
He was introduced at the parade as the “Lakers’ daddy,” a comment that drew the ire of Lakers fans.
Ham had something to say to Haynes and Stein about the hubristic Malone.
Via Sportskeeda:
“Oh wow, bring up ‘Money Mike,’ the Lakers’ daddy, right? That’s what they call him now, the Lakers’ Daddy. … God bless his soul. This (expletive) ain’t over. God bless his soul.”
Los Angeles will have plenty of motivation to topple the world champs once the season starts.
