David Chao, MD
2 min read • May 15, 2023
Posted in
After an injury-riddled campaign in 2021-22 with the losses of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets have been the healthiest team all season and thus have the highest SIC score of the remaining teams.
Nikola Jokic has been nearly indestructible since getting into the league and has gelled well with the Murray/Porter combo this season.
Murray dealt with a non-COVID illness last round, but did not miss time and should not be affected going forward.
Concern around Jaylen Brown’s cut on his right hand has dissipated as the Celtics have progressed. Brown has averaged 24.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 54.1% from the field and 47.1% from 3 so far this postseason.
Robert Williams III was a big factor in last season’s playoffs but has looked markedly less explosive after multiple procedures on his left knee.
In roughly the same minutes, his blocks per game dropped from 2.2 last season to 1.3 this season and he’s averaging a point less per game.
Age is not on the Lakers side in this postseason, but 38-year-old LeBron James and 30-year-old Anthony Davis have stayed healthy for the first two rounds.
James has looked less explosive and more methodical while still dealing with the right foot tendon injury that has plagued him since January.
The four-time NBA champion is averaging 37.3 minutes per game this postseason while shooting 49.1% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range.
Davis is averaging 36.9 minutes per game in the first two rounds while shooting 53% from the field with 21.2 points and 14.1 rebounds per game.
The status of Mo Bamba and his ankle injury may be a factor in the series as he has the length and mobility to bother Jokic. Bamba has played sparingly since suffering a left high-ankle sprain in early March. He did log nine minutes in the final game against Memphis but did not see the floor against the Warriors.
Despite the losses of Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo in the opening series against the Bucks, Miami has reached its third Eastern Conference Finals in the past four seasons.
Good news for the Heat, they will likely get Herro back this series even though he underwent surgery on his broken right hand less than a month ago.
The 23-year-old shooting guard averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.9% from the field and 37.8% from 3 during the regular season.
Jimmy Butler’s left ankle sprain on April 30 should be a non-factor in the upcoming series against the Celtics.
The Celtics are the favorite to win the Finals at -105, followed by the Nuggets at +230, the Lakers at +390 and the Heat at +1300, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Boston is -550 to advance past the Heat (+390), while the Nuggets are -165 to beat the Lakers (+140) in the series.
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Written by David Chao, MD
