Lakers News: What LA Big Learned Playing Against Nikola Jokic In WCF

LA's late season pick up held his own against the two-time MVP

The Los Angeles Lakers had an impressive run in the 2022-2023 season, reaching the Western Conference Finals despite a rough start with a 2-10 record. Unfortunately, they were eliminated by the number one seed Denver Nuggets, led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. 

Jokic showcased his dominance by averaging a triple-double in the series against the Lakers and throughout the playoffs, solidifying his claim as the best player in the league.

Although the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets, they put up a valiant effort in all four games. They fell just short in Game Four, but one bright spot was the presence of the NBA champion and late-season addition Tristan Thompson. 

Thompson joined the Lakers for the last month and a half of the season and proved himself against Jokic, holding his own and getting key minutes in the series' last game. His contributions were commendable, demonstrating that he could be a valuable asset to a championship-level team.

Following the end of the Lakers' season, Thompson made appearances on ESPN's NBA show, "NBA Today," which he took part in before joining the purple and gold. Recently, he provided insights on how the Miami Heat should approach guarding a five-time All-Star in the NBA Finals during a preview discussion. 

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Thompson's experience in facing top-tier big men like Jokic gave him a valuable perspective on defensive strategies towards him. Even though Jokic did his thing, Thompson did as good a job as anyone, and his words should not be taken lightly in the piece above. 

The 32-year-old unrestricted free agent can now sign with any team, and after his performance, he has proven to be worthy of a roster spot. We'll see if anyone will be willing to sign him or if the Lakers decide to want to bring him back. 

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