Preview: Cavs Welcome Home Richard Jefferson Along With Denver Nuggets Saturday

CLEVELAND, Ohio- The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday and will welcome in a former teammate. That’s right, Richard Jefferson is returning home to the place where he’s forever known as a champion.

Jefferson is not going to play much tonight, if at all. But he’s expected to get a nice ovation from the crowd at The Q at some point in the evening.

With that, let’s focus on the court for the biggest key to victory: Shutting down Nikola Jokic.

Watching Denver is very intriguing, as Jokic is the glue that keeps it together. Jokic not only scores from the post but also stretches the floor. He rebounds at an efficient rate and creates second chances. And when all else fails, he’s not afraid to distribute the basketball. When everything is clicking for “The Joker”, the Nuggets show why they’re a playoff team this season.

Tonight will be a tough task for Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. on both sides of the floor. It’d be almost ideal for Nance Jr. to defend Jokic due to his size and versatility. Nance Jr. is a quicker defender and can get out to the three-point line a lot faster. It’ll be interesting to see how Ty Lue adapts as the game progresses.

If Jokic gets shut down, it’ll make things harder on Jamal Murray and Gary Harris. The talented backcourt can create their own shots but definitely benefit from the ever-evolving stretch center.