“He’s playing Spoelstra” - Former NBA star in awe of Nikola Jokic’s heroics in Finals
Nikola Jokic has been a juggernaut throughout the postseason but has somehow found a new gear during the NBA Finals. On June 9, the former MVP registered a double-double as the Denver Nuggets registered their third win over the Miami Heat.
Following the game, former NBA guard Jamal Crawford discussed the level that Nikola Jokic is currently playing at.
"He's so good. He's not even playing against the Miami Heat players," Crawford said. "He's playing against Spoelstra. His mind is playing against Spoelstra. 'Oh you wanna do that? Ok I have a counter for that.' He's playing a whole different game."
Throughout the first four games of the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic is averaging 30.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 8 assists per game while shooting 55% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range.
Yet, it's not Jokic's scoring that has been the most impressive part of his game. Rather, it has been the way the veteran big man has looked to control the flow of the game with his passing and movement.
"I think I've seen it. I just haven't seen it in a 6-foot-eleven, seven-foot body. It's Magic [Johnson] - he wasn't score first," Kenny Smit said during the same postgame broadcast.
"He does what Magic did. He dismantles your whole defense. You play zone. You play whatever, and he shoots the three. And LeBron [James] the same. A younger LeBron at certain times would dismantle your defense."
As such, it should come as no surprise that the Denver Nuggets are now just one victory away from being crowned as the 2023 NBA Champions.
Nikola Jokic's brilliance has the Miami Heat one loss away from elimination
Despite a fairytale run to the NBA Finals, which saw the Miami Heat defeat two Eastern Conference powerhouses in the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, they sit one game away from elimination.
Without a marquee superstar, Erik Spoelsta's team has been based on elite-level execution and a team-first mentality. While Jimmy Butler has once again emerged as an offensive force, it's clear that he's currently outgunned when facing this Denver Nuggets squad.
Unlike Mike Malone's team, Erik Spoelstra is working with multiple undrafted talents who have all played exceptional basketball during the postseason. Yet, the NBA Finals is where talent shines through, and unfortunately for Miami, Denver's rotation is deeper and boasts a diverse array of skill sets.
Following their June 9 loss, the Miami Heat are one game away from falling short at the final hurdle. They also stumbled during the 2020 NBA Finals, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. With an aging roster and money committed to veterans on the decline (such as Kyle Lowry), this run could be the Miami Heat's best chance of winning a championship with their current core.
So, while it's unlikely we see Miami become active during the offseason, it does appear that their hopes of raising another championship banner are all but over. The trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon have simply been too much of a hurdle for the Heat to overcome.