With the two key players of the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, sitting out, the Lakers were surely the beneficiaries. The balance of victory tilted completely towards the Lakers from the start of the game. Even though the Nuggets staged a strong comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring 31 points while holding the Lakers to 15, the Lakers still emerged victorious.
However, despite the win, the Lakers need to reflect on three aspects if they want to achieve a successful revenge. For example, the wing position is extremely weak. Of course, part of the reason is LeBron James' absence due to injury. But he is already 40 years old. Even without considering his future retirement, whenever LeBron James sits out, the Lakers' wing problem becomes so prominent that it can't be ignored.
Currently, the Lakers' lineup tends to let journeyman Jordan Goodwin start. Judging from his contract and salary, his performance is just okay. But as a starter for a playoff - bound team, using Jordan Goodwin like this definitely won't work. In this game, he scored 8 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and had 4 steals, showing his technical features well. However, he went 0 - for - 3 from beyond the arc, which surely restricted the offensive space and put more pressure on his teammates.
Secondly, the Lakers also have significant defensive issues. Logically, the Nuggets were a depleted team in this game, but the Lakers' defense was far from perfect. Especially, they couldn't contain top dunker Aaron Gordon. With the Nuggets' core players out, Aaron Gordon became the main scoring option. He went 9 - for - 14 from the field, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, though he had 4 turnovers. Since joining the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon has always been energetic when playing against the Lakers. In the past two years, he helped the Nuggets eliminate the Lakers. Even this season, in the first two meetings between the two teams, he scored a total of 41 points, posing a huge threat to the Lakers. It's worth noting that Aaron Gordon is not a top - tier star, but his strong mismatch ability makes it difficult for the Lakers to handle him.
Thirdly, several of the Lakers' interior players are one - sided in terms of offense and defense and can hardly balance both. For instance, starting center Jaxson Hayes has a high efficiency in put - backs, but his offensive functions are too limited, and opponents can choose to leave him open. Jared Vanderbilt off the bench is an excellent defender, but he restricts the offensive space on the offensive end. In the playoffs, after being thoroughly studied by opponents, the effectiveness and threat of these interior players are likely to be greatly reduced.
So, even if LeBron James returns, he may solve many of the Lakers' problems, especially relieving the pressure on Lonnie Walker IV. But it's definitely unrealistic to expect the 40 - year - old LeBron James to solve all of the Lakers' problems. Since no team can change their lineup this season, the Lakers' subsequent adjustments will rely entirely on the coaching staff's tactics and internal potential exploration.