It’s possible some casual Nuggets fans can’t name Denver’s only 7-footer.
(It’s Johan Petro.)
The Lakers have three, and Nuggets fans surely know two of them. (Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, of course.)
And so, it’s not even December, but the question looms — is Denver’s low post big and brawny enough to suppress the Lakers in a playoff series?
Well, if the past four games are any indication, Denver’s low-post is sizable and reliable against tall and talented posts.
First, there was the win against the Gasol-less Lakers, when Bynum made some baskets, sure, but wasn’t a difference-maker. There was the win against the Raptors, when Chris Bosh (27.7 points per game at the time) scored just 13. There was the weird loss at the Clippers, but even so, Chris Kaman (21.1 points) scored just 13, as well.
Finally, in the most recent win on Saturday, Denver faced Chicago’s Joakim Noah, the league’s leading rebounder, who had 21 against the Nuggets on Nov. 10. Well, Noah finished with just eight in the rematch, and only three in the second half. And, yep, Denver (9-4) won again.
“We went to more switching in the second half, and Kenyon (Martin) is a great quarterback of the defense,” Denver coach George Karl said. “In the last four games, we’ve had pretty serious big-men situations, and (on Saturday) we hold Noah to no offensive rebounds. Our big guys have done a darn good job, and sometimes I don’t think people understand how our big guys contribute.”
