Series Start: 4/17/2010 10:30 pm EST
Series Format: 2-2-1-1-1
The Denver Nuggets are hoping that their top front line player, Kenyon Martin, is able to go against the Utah Jazz. Suffering from a knee injury, Martin hasn’t played more than 24 minutes in a long time.
In fact, he only played about 19 minutes in the Nuggets’ final regular season game, a 123 to 101 loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets will desperately need Martin in order to beat the Utah Jazz in their 1st round playoff series. The Jazz’s front line is exceptional and is going to give the Nuggets fits as it is. Without Martin at 100%, the Nuggets could be in trouble in this series even though the Nuggets won the regular season series 3 to 1.
NBA Playoffs Series Preview: #4 Denver Nuggets (53-29) vs. #5 Utah Jazz (53-29)
Offense: The Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony averages 28 points per game. He’s a big reason that Denver sports the 3rd ranked offense in the NBA. Denver produces 106.5 points per game on average. They love to run and gun with point-guard Chauncey Billups tossing the rock to either Anthony or forward Kenyon Martin. J.R. Smith off the bench can light up the scoreboard as well. He averages 15.4 points per game.
Utah’s offense isn’t made up of slouches, though. The Jazz’s offense is ranked 4th in the league. They put up over 104 points per game. The Jazz, like Denver, can score with Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Paul Milsap or Mehmet Okur. In other words, they have more than just one guy who can put the ball through the hoop.
Edge: Even
Defense: Utah’s defense isn’t too bad. It’s not ranked in the Top 10 but it’s not too bad allowing roughly 99 points per game. Utah prefers to speed a game up so they don’t mind giving up a couple of baskets in order to do that.
Denver, like Utah, adheres to the same philosophy. The Nuggets love the up and down game. Their defense allows 102 points against it per game. The Nuggets enjoy a quick paced contest and will try to outscore teams instead of buckling down and playing D.f
Like on the offensive end, neither team really has an edge on the defensive end.
Edge: Even
Intangibles: Both teams have players that can come off of the bench, Denver has Chris Andersen and J.R. Smith and Utah has Kyle Korver and C.J. Miles, that can score and defend.
But the Jazz have Jerry Sloan at the helm while Denver will have to settle with Adrian Dantley who is filling in for the cancer stricken George Karl. That’s a huge blow to the Nuggets because Sloan is a master coach while Dantley is just starting to learn his trade.
Edge: Jazz
Prediction: Utah Jazz in 6
The Jazz lost the regular season series to Denver but I believe they turn the tables on their rivals in this playoffs series.
Utah can match Denver player to player save for Carmelo and Carmelo has been banged up. Not only that, but Jerry Sloan will figure out a way to keep Carmelo from going nuts on the court. Also, Utah is just the more well-rounded team and has fewer injuries to deal with now that Mehmet Okur is finally fully healed.
Utah will find a way to win the series. They’re the NBA pick to do it in 6 games.
by D.S. Williamson
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