Another DO OR DIE game for the Nuggets. I copy/paste starting lineups from Tuesday, but as you all know, chances for Harris comeback is growing, he is already before previous game upgraded to questionable. Also, there are some chances that Porter will start instead of Millsap or Dozier instead of Morris.
This series is already epic crazy, but if it goes into game 7 madness will be complete!
Apart from lack of P'N'R and perimeter defense (which can be partly solved by Harris come back), the other big Denver issue about which still nobody talking (but it is obvious for me) is the lack of Jokic full COVID19 recovery. He is physically still not the same man we know the last 2-3 seasons. I will repeat shocking stats, in 8 seeding bubble games and 5 2020 playoff games Jokic just 4 times have more than 7 rebounds (3 of these 4 games were overtime games) and in the playoff, he still didn't have more than 6 assists. Someone would blame his weight loss, but I think it is only helpful to him, and weight has nothing with passes, simple Joker can't be involved in every Nuggets attack like before. So instead of like Tim Duncan, Jokic is used as some kind of Dirk Nowitzki so far. I'm sure it is not another Malone bizarre experiment, but Jokic's current physical reality. On a positive note, Jokic is successful so far in this "pure shooter-center" role with "Larry Bird without defense" numbers 27-8-5 (63%TS%, 47%3p%), and Gobert and Mitchell which suffered coronavirus already in March really look 100% ready, so I guess we can expect fully recovered Joker since the very first game of the next season, and maybe to improve during this playoff if Nuggets survive 1st round.
Jokic forced to not be Jokic, the team's point-center, forced Jamal Murray to be a new team's on-court general, and he is sensational in that new role so far, because it not damaged his basic scoring dutty in the team but improved, so his TS% so far is unreal 69% (including 52%3p%), with monster 31-6-7 numbers.
The other two which should play up to 40 minutes are Grant and MPJ. Grant is our most trustful defenseman in this series, and he improved from bench to starter. MPJ lost his bubble starter status with no reason, as a scapegoat for the team's overall bad defense. If we traded Beasley to Minnesota's Covington, it makes sense to bench Porter this playoff, but that is not the case. Porter is taller than Craig and faster than old Millsap, so defense is not so significantly worse with him on the court like how much our offense is worse without him.
Good luck!
