You're right, but what's in the past is in the past. I've never been a believer of Denver and shrugged them off prior to this postseason. When you have one guy that attracts so much attention and then surround him with capable shooting plus defense it bodes well for playoff basketball. MIA can only control tempo and pace so much - it will be Denver who can choke out any momentum just by letting Jokic back down and play face up from the high post. Denver plays better team defense and enjoys the home court. I dont really have that much riding on either team honestly, but I have to give credit to Denver who has looked like the most dominant team in this years playoffs and they will have the best player on the court.
I'm telling you, Miami playing zone defense kept the Celtics to only something like 85 points. Nuggets are preparing for it.....but it's going to be faster than the video looks in real life. Wolfpack defense. Caused Jaylen Brown into 8 turnovers. I
Whether Sengun is more athletic against Jokic is irrelevant. The question is whether he can use that athleticism (either alone or in combination with anything else) against the other bigs in a league. This is not a Sengun vs Jokic battle but a Sengun vs NBA bigs as the offensive focal point and if he can leverage his strengths to join the upper echelon.
Im with you! I really like what Miami has done so far in the playoffs, but they havent matched up with this type of team. They wont control pace vs DEN just no way especially if getting out in transition is what they want to do. Denver closes out great and has length at the wings to disrupt more shots than BOS could. MIA attacked the C's weakness in perimeter defense. Denver doesnt have the same weakness. Bam will have to put in OT vs the Nugs in the paint to change they dynamic. He's good enough to do it, but we'll see how it manifests. MIA playing zone vs DEN would be a bloodbath. No way you back off Jokic and let him diagnose and deliver via all the off-ball movement they promote. Add in Jamal Murray and his ability to blow the top off a defense by himself and the Heat have their work cut out for them. I dont see how MIA just blows them off the court 4-0 or 4-1 - I think they got hot at the right time, but everything regresses to the mean. I almost want MIA to win to reward your passion!
so much stupidity here. BOS was getting pwned by Jimmy and MIA when they were playing small, and winning the minutes when they had Two Bigs. "small-ball MIA" was struggling against Time Lord and his creaky ligaments and 78-year old Horford, but they are gonna clown the 2x MVP and best player of the league. You ppl are dumb!
You acting like the nuggets didn't just beat a team with arguably 2 of the 3 best shooters in the league with Booker and KD. I dunno how Miami is going to stop Denver's offense. If you can't get stops you can't run the fast break. I also see no way to play small against the Nuggets. Jokic would have 50 and 25 if Miami actually went small.
I hear you Nuggets had an easy ride so far. Nuggets shot: 3P% [ seeding total of 27 if they beat Heat; next worst has been 21 ] vs T Wolves 38.9% vs Suns 37.0% vs Faker 40.3% Heat shot: 3P%: vs Bucks 45.0% vs Knicks 30.6% vs Celtics 43.4% That's shades of Cavs vs Warriors when the Cavs won. Denver was 4th in team 3P% in regular season at 37.9 Celtics was 6th in team 3P% in regular season at 37.7 Celtics shot 30.6% from 3 vs the Heat in the 7 game series. Regular season means nothing. Heat beat #1 seed Bucks (the favorites to win it all) #5 seed Knicks #2 seed Celtics (#1 Nuggets)
I hear you [ Nuggets seeding total of 27 if they beat Heat; next worst has been 21 ] Nuggets 3P% in each playoff series vs T Wolves 38.9% vs Suns 37.0% vs Faker 40.3% Heat shot: 3P%: vs Bucks 45.0% vs Knicks 30.6% vs Celtics 43.4% That's shades of Cavs vs Warriors when the Cavs won. Denver was 4th in team 3P% in regular season at 37.9 Celtics was 6th in team 3P% in regular season at 37.7 Celtics shot 30.6% from 3 vs the Heat in the 7 game series. Regular season means nothing. Heat beat #1 seed Bucks (the favorites to win it all) #5 seed Knicks #2 seed Celtics (#1 Nuggets) So show some respect......(just kidding with you) I thought I would be the only one saying Heat Jalen Rose says Heat in 4 Reggie Miller says Heat in 6 Max Keller says Heat in 6 Others JWill says Denver
Just listened to a Robert Horry interview on 610. A few interesting comments/suggestions from the champ... - Sengun is his favorite player on the team - We should trade one of Green or Porter in a package for a veteran, their games are very similar - Draymond Green would be perfect fit for this young team because he would hold everyone accountable and force the tone on defense - Harden shouldn't come back, it would mess with young talent we're building
Draymond unless he’s competing for a title absolutely does not try or care. He would be a DISASTER on a bad/mediocre team. This is ignoring that you’re bringing a scumbag on the team that would make any decent fan turn on the team. I sure as hell would not root for the rockets as long as he was on the team.
Great find @Shark44 - link here: https://www.audacy.com/sportsradio6...y-on-rockets-development-james-harden-reunion
I've learned to just take a more indifferent approach when the teams arent my own. I applaud the passion with which you're ready to die on the Miami hill though my guy hope they win if only for that - I just dont really care that much about the outcome other than watching some fun, exciting basketball. My old set of eyes seems to see a different perspective than you and thats OK. The high volume shooters for DEN are the ones that I focus on more than the 1 or 2 attempt guys bringing down the overall percentages. I'll take the 82 game sample vs the most recent 10+ games. Nuggets "easy ride" is a testament to the team and Im not sure I follow along with some sort of slight as they almost swept MIN, soundly beat PHX with KD, Booker, Paul etc.. and then trounced LAL. MIL lost Giannis early - that was a gift for MIA. New York wasnt scaring anyone. I give the Heat props for pushing the C's out, but even then they allowed a 3 game run and who knows what happens if Tatum doesnt get hurt early in game 7? There's plenty of "what if's" on both sides of the coin and to diminish DEN who has been a top seed all year and has displayed that in the playoffs seems strange, but that's why its called "fanaticism" I'll give you your props if you end up being right and wont go in on you if not.
It's more about old school conventional but yet unconventional game vs Small Ball AAU being the future of the game. Warriors, Boston, Miami with Looney, Ban, Robert Williams being the model I strive for. Jokic can shoot from 3....which I why I say unconventional old school. But if the Sun's had kept things the same and maybe traded CP3 or Ayton and kept Bridges and Cam Johnson they would have gotten past the Nuggets in the second round. Where others were crowning the Suns champs I thought that trade for KD weakened the Sun's too much. You can sit Ayton with no sweat and go small. Nuggets have that dilemma.....sit the MVP because the Heat are winning the transition part of the game and get open 3's before the Nuggets can set up their half court defense or go down with what got you there. Offense is just 1/3 of the game.....Defense and transition compose the rest. I've preached since 14/15 *Bunch of 6'5' to 6'9" players to switch everything. *Mobile center to defend interior as well as perimeter. *Big center that also is a lob threat *Willing screen setter from center/PF * 3&D players throughout the roster. *3 or 4 facilitators with those shooters Denver has put that team together to go small while using Gordon or MPj at center.....but they have to play Jokic less. Thats a problem sitting your franchise player in order to win a championship. Why sit Jokic? Because he is a turtle running the court and the opponents race down their to get a numbers advantage....sets up an open 3. Transition defense. Other thing is, the 280 pound centers tend to only play drop coverage defense....not wanting to pop out and contest the 3. If the offense drives penetrates and draws an extra defender it sets up the extra pass or two for an open 3. Example: drive penetrate....pass to your left (strong side)....player receiving the ball initiates skipping the ball along the perimeter until it eventually gets to that open corner 3-pt shooter or the said player passes over the top directly to that open corner 3. Even though Jokic is in drop coverage he is asked to cover weak side corner 3 as the rest of the players are scrambling to close out on the other shooters along the way. This is why I say that the Heat will have an open 3 on the right corner every possession in the half court as long as Jokic is on the court. I could in theory go one on one guarding Jokic with Bam and Jokic go for 58 points and still win. Trick is keeping the others in check. Because my 3's or threats of 3's in the half court or in transition will produce more than Jokic and his 58 points....especially for the duration of a 7 game series. Two shooters to watch are MPj and Murray. Since Murray facilitates he has someone close to him. I have a player close to MPj.....the others can play a loose zone defense. Make the others best me while forcing Jokic to be predominantly a jump shooter. Despite the Sengun fans here Jokic does miss shots. It's when teams let's Jokic follow up his shot and puts the rebound back up as a layup. I instruct Bam or Kevin Love to contest the Jokic shot but don't leave your feet.....concentrate on the box out after. Initiate the fast break as Jokic is by the rim and it's a win of that numbers game of getting down court before Jokic/Gordon/MPj. That plus some different zones mixed in can keep Jokic under 32 points and Murray under 24 points and the rest in check. Only way Denver wins is by playing Jokic less and matching small ball with small ball. Fighting fire with fire. And Sengun does shoot like Jokic.....so they are crazy but wishful thinking they are the same
