2019 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs preview

Key Matchup: Nikola Jokic vs. LaMarcus Aldridge

In this writer’s opinion, Nikola Jokic is the best player in this series. LaMarcus Aldridge and his teammate DeMar DeRozan come close, but Jokic is just on a different level when he’s playing at his best. He’s an offensive juggernaut by himself, and when he’s in a groove, he makes the entire team around him all the more dangerous. It will likely be Aldridge’s job to slow him down for much of the game, as the Spurs rarely play their centers an extended amount of minutes.

Aldridge would be wise to try and wear out Jokic on the other end by making him move around the court and banging with him in the post (unless the Nuggets use Paul Millsap on Aldridge on that end of the floor).

Aldridge has to make the Joker work for everything on the offensive end, whether that’s passes to set up his teammates or making every basket a battle for him. Jokic has only ever averaged a maximum of 32.6 minutes per game for a season. The playoffs don’t allow for that kind of luxury.

Jokic is the engine for the Nuggets. They can survive without him because of their depth, but in the playoffs, rotations shorten. He is the straw that stirs their drink, and he’s the main reason they have been so successful this year. Whoever wins this battle could ultimately be the deciding factor in who wins the series.