"That's how I learned to play basketball"- Nikola Jokic says Denver is dangerous as teams find it hard to figure them out
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets debuted in the NBA Finals with a 104-93 win over the Miami Heat at home during Thursday's Game 1. Denver again relied on contributing as a team to script another win. They had five players in double digits.
Jokic only took 12 of the team's 79 attempts as he continued torching the opposing team's defense with his playmaking ability, trusting his teammates to make plays too. This brand of basketball the Nuggets have played so far has made it difficult to guard them. Jokic reflected on the Nuggets' selfless style of play, saying:
"That's how I learned to play basketball and I think it's really hard to guard when you don't know who is going to attack and how to defend when everybody's moving."
Jokic's teammates have also looked to create better opportunities for each other. The team is in sync, and their offense is orchestrated as well as anyone in the league due to their selfless approach. Denver has done an excellent job of creating the advantage of mismatches and allowing others to thrive when needed.
In Game 1, they ran most of their plays through Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray, who exploited the gaps well in the Miami Heat's defense. Nikola Jokic only had three attempts at halftime, while Gordon had nine and Murray had 12. They shot the ball at 77.8% and 66.7% at that stage. Jokic had 10 assists at the break.
The Denver Nuggets finished with 29 team assists, with Jokic and Murray combining for 24 of those.
Nikola Jokic and Nuggets overcome the Heat's zone defense with their selfless offense
The Denver Nuggets used their passing ability and Nikola Jokic's dominance in the post to break the Miami Heat's zone defense, which has been their go-to defensive scheme. Jokic's vision and ability to find angles due to his size make him a lethal threat on the block.
Zone defense is NOT the answer against Nikola Jokic. https://t.co/rjzIAmYHyu
Bam Adebayo's lack of size compared to Jokic made it difficult to guard him one-on-one. Sending doubles didn't work either, as Jokic had no issues finding a perimeter shooter wide-open. The Nuggets also thrived in non-Jokic minutes against the zone.
Their constant movement countered the efficiency of that scheme. Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic's two-man game was also something the Heat couldn't counter. The variety in their pick-and-roll actions gives their offense an even more dynamic look than it already has.
Can you tell me how Jokic found this pass?
#BringItIn https://t.co/hd0ejGo7J9
Insert cutters like Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green and shooting threats like Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the Nuggets' offense seemed well-equipped to counter the zone and play off of Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets did get stagnant against the zone down the stretch, but they got to their spots more often than not.