![]() That was the best defense I’ve seen him play. He’s playing the best basketball of his life, both offensively and defensively.īooker had stretches of the 2021 NBA Finals when he was going to war defending on the ball against Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton, and oftentimes, got the better of them. Outside of what Jimmy (Buckets) Butler just did in Miami, Booker would be the best overall player in the first round of the playoffs. When it comes to just the best defender to put on Denver’s best perimeter scorer, though, the best choice right now is actually Devin Booker. ![]() Perhaps Okogie slots back in to take Murray. Josh Okogie played 33 minutes in favor of his point-of-attack defense on the guards. ![]() Torrey Craig’s surprise switch into the starting lineup to take the Kawhi Leonard assignment led to a phenomenal four games from him before he faded a bit in Tuesday’s closeout. How Golden State has effectively countered it over the years is putting Draymond Green in the screening spot, allowing an awesome decision-maker and passer to dictate the 4-on-3 possession from there. So Minnesota decides, let’s not let that guy beat us!įor Game 3, the Timberwolves began mixing in coming to the level of the screen, meaning Murray is instantly denied any room once he tries to square back up to the basket off the screen.Īs a basketball fan, you’ve seen this the most over the last decade against the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry. He dropped 40 in Game 7 of the second round. Murray in that first round across four of the seven games had 178 total points and a pair of 50 burgers. The following season, Denver made the Western Conference Finals after back-to-back seven-game series. His debut in 2019 included clutch shot-making in a Game 7 win and two 34-point outings in the second round. The 40 points for Murray was his latest postseason barrage as he is building up a reputation as an elite playoff performer. That means they’ll be anywhere from just inside the free throw line to even deeper, denying the rolling big man and ball-handler positioning inside 10 feet in order to contain the paint. The defender of the ball screen, usually a center, can play in a drop. With a ball screen being set just about every possession in today’s NBA, the defense has a decision on how to defend it. It was important for us to establish that because it accentuates the impossible choice the Nuggets’ first-round opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves, had to deal with when it came to defending Murray and Jokic. The 21st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft netted guard Christian Braun, who is already flashing serious two-way potential. With its taxpayer mid-level exception, it snagged high-impact reserve Bruce Brown. A hard-nosed perimeter defender and knockdown 3-point shooter was a square peg in a square hole to perfectly fill out the rest of the starting five alongside Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Gordon and Jokic.ĭenver was remarkably efficient in the margins with two other moves. Last offseason, the Nuggets paid a hefty price in trustworthy reserve point guard Monte Morris and beloved veteran wing Will Barton to acquire two-guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With Murray back, Jokic has got his running mate, and it’s also a balanced supporting cast working around the duo. The offensive backbone of having the best playmaker in the world put Denver fifth in offensive rating, second in assist percentage and third in true shooting percentage. Nikola Jokic won back-to-back MVPs heading into this season on a candidacy fortified by astronomical statistical campaigns, and this year’s numbers blow those out of the water. More on that later in this preview series. 1 overall seed and absolutely crushed the league for 65 games before a fart of a 7-10 finish in the regular season. While both teams are much different, no more ifs.ĭenver, which will host Phoenix in Game 1 of the second-round series on Saturday, is the best Western Conference team Phoenix has played in the postseason since its return to the playoffs those two years ago. In a wide-open West the Suns would eventually win, the Nuggets went for it at the trade deadline by acquiring Aaron Gordon and were world-beaters for his first two weeks before Murray’s injury. Prior to his ACL tear, Denver became a trendy Finals pick. The Denver Nuggets were swept two years ago but did not have star guard Jamal Murray. Are Suns ready to join Trail Blazers, rest of NBA with a G League franchise?
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