Germantas Kneita

There has been a clear trend so far in this series. If Nikola Jokic attempts at least 20 field goals, the Nuggets win. As a result, I expect the hosts to go to him early and often. He has been incredibly consistent scoring the ball too, not dropping below 50% from the field in any of the 4 games so far. What makes him so dangerous is that he has an array of ways in which he can do his scoring, whether it’s backing someone down, getting a floater off the dribble or stretching the floor and scoring from deep. The Clippers have not figured out how to slow Jokic down yet and that should not change in Game 5. If the reigning MVP stays aggressive in looking for his shots, he should be well on his way to a 30-point performance.

As the series has gone on, it seems like Bogdan Bogdanovic has gained more faith from the coaching staff. His 19 minutes in Game 4 was a high for him this series. In those minutes, the Clippers outscored the Nuggets by 22, so do not be surprised to see his minutes continue to rise. That should give him more than enough time to use one of the most effective weapons in his arsenal, his three-point shooting. While he has knocked down just 1 of his 7 attempts this series, he was a 36.3% shooter on the season from beyond the arc.

It feels like a matter of time before Bogdanovic rediscovers his touch from out there. The Nuggets have been one of the worst teams at defending the perimeter this postseason, allowing the Clippers to make 39% of their attempts. Look for Bogdanovic to chip in with his contribution here in Game 5.

Jokic has been consistently contributing with rebounds and assists in this series too. In fact, he has managed 2 triple-doubles in the series already. He also came just a rebound shy in one game and 2 assists shy in another. Ivica Zubac is exactly the type of big that allows Jokic to have great contribution on the glass himself. The Croatian hardly spaces the floor, leaving Jokic well-placed to battle in the paint and collect defensive rebounds. After a 21-rebound performance in Game 4, do not expect a major drop-off. The last outing was also the first in which he did not get double-digit assists this series, but with his usage likely remaining sky-high tonight, he should continue flirting with double-digits in this category too.