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The Denver Nuggets have finally discovered their NBA Finals opponents in the Miami Heat. The Nuggets swept the LA Lakers in the conference finals, while the Heat took seven games to beat the Boston Celtics, despite taking a 3-0 lead.
The Celtics were the favorites to win after tying the series 3-3 with Game 7 at home, but they failed to capitalize on their homecourt advantage in the series decider.
Credit to the Heat, they kept the pressure on from the get-go and never allowed their opponents to come back into the contest. Their fairytale run continued to the finals as they became only the second eighth seed after the 1998-99 New York Knicks to win the conference title.
5 Reasons Why Denver Nuggets can prevail against Miami Heat
The Denver Nuggets are the third team this postseason to enter as the favorites before a series against the Miami Heat. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics stood no chance against the Heat, but Denver seems too clinical to succumb to that pressure.
They have been arguably the most well-coached and consistent teams throughout the season, especially in the playoffs. They are 100% healthy and have a roster with pieces that fit entirely perfectly well.
The Heat have proved their doubters wrong at every stage, but the Nuggets don't seem to have a significant deficiency compared to Miami's Eastern Conference opponents.
On that note, we look at five reasons why the Nuggets will likely prevail against Jimmy Butler and company.
#1. Extended rest
The Denver Nuggets enter the 2023 NBA Finals well-rested with an extended break compared to the Miami Heat. The Nuggets closed the LA Lakers in a series sweep win, giving themselves 10 days to recover and prepare for the finals. The Heat, meanwhile, will only have three days after playing a gruesome series against the Boston Celtics that lasted seven games.
The Heat don't have much time to get acclimated to the altitude in Denver, which could take a toll on the team. They are already shorthanded with a key starter in Tyler Herro sidelined for at least the first two games and Victor Oladipo, who is out for the series.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler has also slowed down a bit after taking a few knocks against the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. Butler has missed one game, too, in the second round. Gabe Vincent is another starter to miss a game due to injury. He sustained an ankle sprain against the Celtics, missing Game 5.
#2. Most efficient offense against zone defense
The Miami Heat have one of the best defenses in the NBA playoffs. They have relied on their 2-3 zone defense, which teams have consistently found difficult to beat. The Denver Nuggets have a much more versatile offense to navigate that obstacle.
Nikola Jokic has been unstoppable with his offensive package this postseason and the ideal answer against the Heat's zone. Jokic's ability to score and play make could be crucial against the Heat's most efficient defensive coverage. With no one matching his size on Miami's roster, the Heat will find it difficult to counter that.
Bam Adebayo has played above his size, but Jokic is a different threat than most. He isn't one-dimensional, so Adebayo will have his task cut out. Denver also has legitimate shooters on the perimeter and excellent cutters, so doubling Jokic in the post wouldn't be ideal, either.
#3. Legitimate one-two punch
Unlike their previous opponents, the Miami Heat will have to deal with a legitimate one-two punch against the Denver Nuggets. The Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks didn't have a consistent threat outside Giannis Antetokonmpo and Jalen Brunson, respectively.
The Celtics had that with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but the latter looked out of sorts throughout the series and didn't have an answer to the Heat's zone defense.
The Nuggets arguably have the best one-two punch in the league offensively with Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. The former is coming off a series where he averaged 32.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists, while the latter tallied 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists.
The duo absolutely destroyed the LA Lakers with their pick-and-roll. Jokic's versatility makes it difficult to guard them in that action. Murray, at 6'4," and Jokic, at 6'11," will have a size advantage against their primary defenders.
#4. Reliable shooting
The Denver Nuggets have one of the most reliable jump-shooting teams in the playoffs. They rank second behind the Miami Heat in 3-point efficiency at 38.6% on 31.4 attempts per game. The Nuggets are also highly efficient inside the arc. They are shooting 49.0% overall, the second-highest in the playoffs behind the Phoenix Suns, who were at 49.6%.
The Miami Heat were able to use their zone to close out the shooters against their Eastern Conference opponents, preventing them from getting easy looks from the 3-point line. However, as mentioned above, Nikola Jokic's passing ability changes that for the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic has shot the lights out, converting 47.4% of his shots from deep, while Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Michael Porter Jr. are also shooting 40% or better from 3-point range.
#5. Ability to make adjustments
The Denver Nuggets' versatility on offense helps them make significant adjustments every game. The LA Lakers thought they had the Nuggets figured out, but Denver quickly found other ways to be impactful. The Lakers were good at adjustments, especially defensively, but the Nuggets still outplayed them.
Granted, the Miami Heat have one of the best and most experienced coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra, but their lack of size and length could hamper their ability to execute their plans. Michael Malone has been just as efficient, if not better, coaching the Denver Nuggets this playoff run, and with the depth and versatility on his roster, Denver could execute their plans better.
