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NBA MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets will visit the AmericanAirlines Arena to face the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
The Nuggets struggled to start the season but look dominant right now after a 9-3 stretch. Meanwhile, health has been the main concern for the Heat, as two of their best players, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, have only played 6 and 10 games, respectively.
The status of both Butler (health and safety protocol) and Herro (neck injury) is day-to-day, and the Miami Heat desperately need them to steer their season in the right direction. The Heat are currently at 6-10 and own the third-worst record of the NBA's Eastern Conference.
In their most recent games, the Denver Nuggets beat the Dallas Mavericks, while the Miami Heat fell to the stacked Brooklyn Nets.
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat Prediction: Combined starting 5
Nikola Jokic has easily been the best player for the Denver Nuggets in the 2020-21 NBA season and is a sure candidate for the NBA MVP award, though it is still too early in the campaign. However, he will have a difficult task against Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo on Wednesday.
In this piece, we will create a combined starting five with the players available on the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat rosters.
Point Guard - Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
Canadian point guard Jamal Murray has been a superstar for the Denver Nuggets since the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and his presence is huge for Michael Malone's team.
He was ejected in the previous game against the Dallas Mavericks for striking Dallas' Tim Hardaway Jr. in the private area.
Still, Murray is the team's second-leading scorer with an average of 19.3 points per game. He also ranks second in the team in assists per game, with 4.3 per appearance.
Shooting Guard - Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
Duncan Robinson put up the Miami Heat's franchise record for three-pointers made last year with 270 converted.
This season, the shooting guard has continued his long-range prowess and remains an essential piece for Erik Spoelstra's puzzle.
Last year, Robinson made 270 threes in 73 appearances (3.7 per game). In the 2020-21 NBA season, he has made 57 threes in 16 appearances for an average of 3.6 per game.
The guard is averaging 14 points per game and has made 45% of his field goals and 42% of his three-pointers.
Small Forward - Michael Porter Jr. (Denver Nuggets)
Michael Porter Jr. had a great start to the 2020-21 NBA season with the Denver Nuggets. However, after just four games in which he averaged 19 points per night, he was sidelined due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.
MPJ missed 10 games after being in the starting lineup in the first four matches. He then returned and took a spot on the Denver Nuggets' bench.
Still, his production has been great, and the Nuggets have won each of their three games since his return.
In the previous game against the Dallas Mavericks, Porter Jr. put up 30 points and eight rebounds off the bench. For the entire season, he is averaging 18 points per game with 55/48/86 shooting splits.
Power Forward - Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
The Miami Heat's best player in the 2020-21 NBA season has been 23-year-old Bam Adebayo. He is a versatile big man who can put up big numbers across the stat sheet.
In the early stages of the 2020-21 NBA season, he is leading the team in points per game (20.7), rebounds per game (9.0), and assists per game (5.4).
In this matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Adebayo will face another versatile big man, Nikola Jokic.
In the recent two-game series that the Miami Heat played against the Brooklyn Nets between January 23rd and January 25th, Adebayo averaged 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and seven assists per game.
Center - Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
The 2020-21 NBA season recently completed its first month, and there's still a long way to go.
However, Serbian center Nikola Jokic is already being tipped as a strong contender for the NBA Most Valuable Player award.
Jokic is, in essence, the Denver Nuggets' point guard. The big man is averaging 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists per game so far. Among NBA players, he ranks fifth in total rebounds and second in total assists.
Jokic also has five Triple-Doubles this year and ranks second in Player Efficiency Rating, with a score of 30.7. He leads the NBA in Win Shares, Box Plus/Minus, and Value over Replacement.
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