. Every time Jokic played the Blazers this season, the Nuggets have won. In his three appearances, Denver’s All-Star center averaged almost 26 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. His matchup against Enes Kanter has the potential to sway the entire series. Itap not just his ability to toy with his defender in the post; itap his penchant for cutting through the teeth of an opponentap defense with his passing. Even when he struggled in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Spurs, Jokic was such a gravitational force that it freed up looks for his teammates. Another huge series wouldn’t be surprising.
Damian Lillard. Portland’s franchise point guard is the most talented player in the series, but has done a tremendous job locking him down in their battles this season. What the Nuggets can’t account for, though, is Lillard’s motivation. He and C.J. McCollum have openly talked about how much last season’s embarrassment vs. New Orleans affected them. Portland didn’t beat the Thunder in the regular season, yet they thoroughly handled them last round. There was something about Lillard in the first round where he was seemingly unwilling to engage in anything that detracted from his team’s focus. That steely demeanor — and the belief it instills in his teammates — should be the biggest concern for the Nuggets.
3-point shooting. The Blazers led all teams in the first round after connecting on better than 40 percent of their 3-point attempts. At 12.8 makes per game, it was nearly double what the Spurs did against the Nuggets. Instead of taking a flood of midrange jumpers like the Spurs, the Blazers will try and beat the Nuggets from beyond the arc. In the regular season, the Nuggets held opponents to 34 percent shooting from the 3-point line, the second-best mark in the league. Something’s got to give.
