X’s & O’s Observations From Game 1
Gibson Pyper, Half Court Hoops

Can anyone actually stop Nikola Jokic?
Mat Issa, The Step Back

Finals Film Study: Jamal Murray & Nikola Jokic flourish in the pick-and-roll during Game 1
John Schuhmann, NBA.com

What do the Heat need to do ?
Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports

It’s well-trod ground by this point that there really aren’t any great answers for Jokić, the rare talent capable of dominating a game whether he’s taking three shots in a half or scoring 12 points in a quarter. Miami cycled through plenty of options on the two-time MVP in Game 1; none of them worked particularly well.

When Adebayo fronted Jokić in the post, the Nuggets drove right at it, taking advantage of the lack of rim protection behind the play to get layups. When Miami doubled Jokić on the block, he calmly pivoted away and threw darts to open shooters in the corners. When the Heat switched the Jokić-Jamal Murray pick-and-roll, he either took their smaller defenders to the weight room to draw fouls or sprayed the ball to open shooters. When they didn’t switch, he took the pocket pass and finished at the cup. When Bam dropped, Murray attacked the space, drew two to the ball and kicked it back out to his 47.5% 3-point-shooting center for a spot-up splash. It looked, throughout Game 1, like an unsolvable riddle.

If the Heat can’t stop Jokić — and again, at this point, it sure seems like nobody can — then they’ll at least need to do a better job of controlling what they can control. They’ve got to clean up the top-locking coverage that opened up back-cuts early and eliminate miscommunications that resulted in open jumpers. If they’re going to switch when Jokić is on the floor, they have to at all costs avoid the most damaging ones that put the Lilliputians in harm’s way, force help and give the big fella carte blanche to spread the love to his shooters.

…Miami can play better; so can Denver, though. So whatever Spoelstra and his assistants spend their time in “the cave” cooking up, Butler, Adebayo and the rest of the Heat roster had better prepare themselves to withstand an even better version of the Nuggets than they saw Thursday.

“Scheme is not going to save us,” Spoelstra said. “It’s going to be the toughness and resolve, collective resolve. That’s us at our finest — when we rally around each other and commit to doing incredibly tough things.”

Jokic Has the Heat in the Palm of His Hand
Rob Mahoney, The Ringer

The Nuggets are too big and too powerful
Joe Mullinax, SBNation

Why the midrange game could be key
Law Murray, The Athletic

Aaron Gordon: “I’m not here for the credit. I’m here for the wins”
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post

Jokic-Murray 2-man game, Miami’s zone, and more observations before Game 2
Joe Wolfond, The Score

Can the Heat use more zone defense in Game 2?
Antonio Dias, All U Can Heat

Heat Game 2 adjustments
Stephen Noh, Sporting News

Butler And The Heat Can’t Play Into The Nuggets’ Hands Like They Did Game 1
Jackson Frank, DIME

NBA scout explains how several Heat players have changed perception and potential salary
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald

Film Study: Michael Porter Jr. is becoming a championship level player on defense
Ryan Blackburn, Mile High Sports

Michael Porter Jr. is an underappreciated part of the Nuggets’ success
Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today

Michael Malone, long before coaching the Nuggets in the NBA Finals, was a fiery point guard at Loyola Maryland
Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun

Q & A: Kevin Love
Sam Amick, The Athletic

Serbian connection: Nikola Jovic wants to learn all he can from Nikola Jokic
Shaun Powell, NBA.com

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DET: How the Pistons closed the deal with Monty Williams
Mike Curtis, Detroit News

GSW: Warriors Are Changing. Here’s Hoping the “Warriors Way” Endures
Howard Beck, GQ

MIN: Naz Reid’s Ball-Handling Brilliance
Jake Paynting, Howls And Growls

PHO: 5 things to know about Suns hiring Frank Vogel as head coach
Gerald Bourguet, GoPHNX

PHO: What Frank Vogel’s hire means to the Suns
Doug Haller, The Athletic

SAC: Vezenkov could thrive in Sacramento’s offense
Brenden Nunes, Kings Herald

The man behind keeping the 7-foot-5 Victor Wembanyama healthy
Jeremy Woo, ESPN

Scouting report: Keyonte George
Christopher Kline, The Step Back

Guide to the NBA Draft Withdrawal Deadline
Adam Spinella, The Box And One

Keisei Tominaga scouting report
Stephen Noh, Sporting News

Updated Mock Draft
Jonathan Givony/Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated

FROM THE ARCHIVES: 4 Years Ago Today



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