"They can all play and play really well"- Jamal Murray reveals chemistry as the main reason for Heat and the Nuggets to make it to the NBA Finals
As the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets prepare to face off in the NBA Finals, their players will be starting to develop an understanding of their matchups. One of the primary tasks both teams will be hoping to accomplish in the early part of the series is figuring out what makes the other team tick.
According to Jamal Murray, who was speaking to the media on May 31, both teams have found success due to the chemistry within their rosters.
“I think these last two teams remaining have the most chemistry within each other... Drafted or not, they can all play and play really well.”
Jamal Murray on the Nuggets-Heat NBA Finals.
(via @TomerAzarly) https://t.co/ToKIn1L6ZH
"I think these are the two last teams remaining that have the most chemistry within each other," Murray said. "[Kyle] Lowry has been a champion. Jimmy [Butler] has been in the playoffs a ton. I remember we played Jimmy in Minnesota for the eighth seed, I forget what year. I think it was 2018. They can all play, drafted or not. They can all play."
He continued
"They play really well. The handoffs that they do, they put us in a lot of actions. The balls hoppin'. They're unselfish, looking for the shot, looking for the best shot. They use the whole shot clock. I think they're well-rounded, they trust each other, and they've trusted each other a lot throughout the season, and I think that's what set them apart from all the teams in the East that they've faced."
The Denver Nuggets will enter the NBA Finals as the favorites to lift the 2023 NBA Championship, but the Miami Heat should certainly not be taken lightly. Fortunately, it would appear that Jamal Murray and his Nuggets teammates have a good handle on what to expect from Erik Spoelstra's team heading into game one on June 1.
Jimmy Butler wants to retire with the Heat
During a recent interview on ESPN'S SportsCenter with Malika Andrews, Jimmy Butler discussed his previous disdain for the Miami Heat after being drafted by the Chicago Bulls and how his opinion has now shifted, and he expects to be in South Beach until the end of his career.
"When I'm coming into the league, the Heat used to beat the Bulls all the time... Then you fast forward and I'm playing with [Dwyane Wade]... Full circle, it'll be the last jersey that I wear."
Jimmy Butler on hating the Miami Heat early in his career
https://t.co/YB9LggSVNd
“When I’m coming into the league, I mean, the Heat used to beat the Bulls all the time when they had the Big 3, the Heatles, whatever you want to call them," Butler said. "So me getting drafted to the Bulls, we can’t like the Miami Heat. You can’t like D-Wade even though you went to the same school."
He continued
“Then you fast forward, and I’m playing with D-Wade for the Bulls; I’m like, ‘This guy is not a bad guy.’ It was just Thibs that kept just hitting me upside my head. And now, full circle, it’ll be the last jersey that I wear.”
Butler, 33, has been exceptional for the Miami Heat during the postseason, averaging 28.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 50.9% from two-point range and 35.6% from the perimeter.
Now, Jimmy Butler will be hoping that this is the year that he can finally add a championship to his resume while helping the Miami Heat to lift their first championship since 2013.