Who are the biggest X-Factors ahead of the 2023 Nuggets-Lakers Series?

Who are the biggest X-Factors ahead of the 2023 Nuggets-Lakers Series?

This Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers has no shortage of star power. We have LeBron James and Anthony Davis going against Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. As good as these guys are, this series could be decided by the other players on the court. The X-Factors of both teams could tilt the table in their respective team’s favor when all is said and done. 

Let’s have a deeper look into which players will be X-Factors for their respective teams.

Denver Nuggets:

Biggest X-Factor: Michael Porter Jr, F

The third guy on the Nuggets behind Jokic and Murray is Michael Porter Jr. For the Nuggets to have any success he will need to step up more than he did in the Second Round series against the Phoenix Suns. In that series, he averaged just 12.8 points, far lower than his regular season average of 17.4 points. 

Porter clearly does not have to be the primary scorer for the Nuggets, but he needs to carry his load. If he can average 17 or more points and get back to knocking down his three-pointers, then the Nuggets could have a big advantage. 

The reason that Porter getting back to his earlier form is so important for the Nuggets is that it will then space the floor for Jokic and Murray to do what they do. Porter is the Nuggets’ top three-point shooter along with Murray. He has shot 40 percent from three this postseason, but that includes games where he goes 0-for-4 or 2-for-9. 

Against a Lakers team that does not shoot the three-ball very often or very well, Porter knocking down his shots could be a big momentum swinger. For the Nuggets to make it through this series, they will need Porter and other players like Aaron Gordon to step it up and play as they had in the regular season.

Los Angeles Lakers:

Biggest X-Factor: Jarred Vanderbilt, F

This may be an interesting pick for X-Factor with the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves on the Lakers, but I have my reasoning for it. Jarred Vanderbilt has been a big part in the success of the Lakers defensively, however, he has been near non-existent on the offensive end of the court. He had a defensive rating of 112.3 during the 2022-23 regular season, which was above the league average.

Against a team that scores as much as the Nuggets do, having a player like Vanderbilt on the court could be an issue if it is a high-scoring series. The issue is that the Lakers would need to find that balance from Vanderbilt at both ends. Even if he scores 8-10 points, he should be enough to see him continue to play big minutes since he can be a game-changer on defense. 

With his length he is a formidable defender that will likely be tasked with covering the Nuggets’ X-Factor Michael Porter Jr. He also has the advantage of spending the early part of his career playing in Denver. Vanderbilt was drafted by the Nuggets in 2018 and stayed there until 2020, so he has played with and practiced against all the Nuggets stars under head coach Michael Malone. This could be an advantage for the Lakers in stopping the high-powered Nuggets offense.

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