2023 NBA Finals, Game 2: Heat @ Nuggets, 6/4 @ 8:00pm

[DayofMourning]

Lets go mining tonight boys. For some fresh, dank nugs.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Nuggets haven’t lost all playoffs at home, they’re due

[greg4012]

Spoiler:

Am i Crazy thinking HighSmith and even Jovic need to get real minutes here?

We need all the size and shooting we can get in this match up, going supersmall won't work long term here, worth a gamble for a few minutes

Need to find an answer for Aaron Gordon. Would like to see how Highsmith matches up with him and if so to start him and play him big minutes. Have to at least get on even terms with Denver in terms of matchups

Did we already adjust for this after the first half of game 1? In the second half, I barely saw anymore easy seal offs in the paint to exploit the size mismatches that happened earlier in the game. Did Miami make more of an emphasis of switching out of mismatches off ball?

I know +/- from a single game is pretty noisy, but I do find it curious that the 2 smallest guys in our rotation were the only 2 guys that didn't have a negative +/- from game 1 (Lowry at +2 and Gabe at 0). Could that be a signal that we're better off forcing them to adjust to our playstyle rather than trying to play their game?

Regardless, I'm hoping we see some Kevin Love in game 2 in hopes that he can give us some positive offensive possessions and stay hidden enough on defense while having a stretch with more size on the floor. Highsmith has definitely earned more minutes as he is well equipped to badger Murray while still keeping more functional size on the floor to not get exploited on mismatches created through screens and switching.

The tricky part is that it's important for our offensive system to get good minutes from our quick-trigger movement shooters (mostly Duncan and Strus). After last game, they need to be on a shorter leash.

As expected, Coup is already all over this giving some more clarity:

There isn’t much that mattered more in Game 1 than the way Denver started things off.

It’s one thing to watch film and know exactly how the Nuggets, league leaders in paint passes leading directly to paint scores, operate. It’s another thing entirely to experience it, and the first quarter was undoubtedly an experience.

Averaging 11.6 paint passes leading to paint shots per 100 possessions in the playoffs, Denver had seven of those in the opening period alone, finishing with 16 – up against just eight for Miami despite all their cutting success. The primary beneficiary was, of course, Aaron Gordon, attempting seven paint shots for 12 points. As with most things in Game 1, it was both concerning but not quite as bad as it looked.

Those matchups are the thing, though. The reason Gordon got those early touches against Miami smaller defenders, in all three of the clips above, was due to crossmatches caused in transition. Denver scoring just nine fast-break points is a win for the HEAT, but Miami was often so concerned with getting back that with Gordon running the floor, the matchups picked up early worked against them.

“We had to adjust to their physicality early, especially myself,” Gabe Vincent said. “They had a couple lay-ups on me early that we had to adjust to.”

Just as Miami adjusted after getting shredded in the paint in the first half of Game 1’s against both New York and Boston, this issue was cleaned up. Denver scored 32 in the paint in the first half and just 14 in the second – a little more than that given free-throws earned down low – and Gordon took just one shot, a late-clock turnaround jumper, after the break. Miami switched less – Malone noted in his presser that Miami was switching more early on – communicated in transition to find the right matchups, and most of those early-possession mismatches dried up.

Damage mitigated, in that area at least. But the HEAT will have to be ever cognizant of who is getting stuck with who and where. With New York and Boston they could just get back to their floor-shrinking identity and counter exactly what their opponent relies on. Denver’s ability to go over the top to exploit any mismatch, rarely hunting defenders from 25-feet out, makes this series a different animal.

Read on Twitter

[wade44]

Spoiler:

Need to find an answer for Aaron Gordon. Would like to see how Highsmith matches up with him and if so to start him and play him big minutes. Have to at least get on even terms with Denver in terms of matchups

Did we already adjust for this after the first half of game 1? In the second half, I barely saw anymore easy seal offs in the paint to exploit the size mismatches that happened earlier in the game. Did Miami make more of an emphasis of switching out of mismatches off ball?

I know +/- from a single game is pretty noisy, but I do find it curious that the 2 smallest guys in our rotation were the only 2 guys that didn't have a negative +/- from game 1 (Lowry at +2 and Gabe at 0). Could that be a signal that we're better off forcing them to adjust to our playstyle rather than trying to play their game?

Regardless, I'm hoping we see some Kevin Love in game 2 in hopes that he can give us some positive offensive possessions and stay hidden enough on defense while having a stretch with more size on the floor. Highsmith has definitely earned more minutes as he is well equipped to badger Murray while still keeping more functional size on the floor to not get exploited on mismatches created through screens and switching.

The tricky part is that it's important for our offensive system to get good minutes from our quick-trigger movement shooters (mostly Duncan and Strus). After last game, they need to be on a shorter leash.

As expected, Coup is already all over this giving some more clarity:

There isn’t much that mattered more in Game 1 than the way Denver started things off.

It’s one thing to watch film and know exactly how the Nuggets, league leaders in paint passes leading directly to paint scores, operate. It’s another thing entirely to experience it, and the first quarter was undoubtedly an experience.

Averaging 11.6 paint passes leading to paint shots per 100 possessions in the playoffs, Denver had seven of those in the opening period alone, finishing with 16 – up against just eight for Miami despite all their cutting success. The primary beneficiary was, of course, Aaron Gordon, attempting seven paint shots for 12 points. As with most things in Game 1, it was both concerning but not quite as bad as it looked.

Those matchups are the thing, though. The reason Gordon got those early touches against Miami smaller defenders, in all three of the clips above, was due to crossmatches caused in transition. Denver scoring just nine fast-break points is a win for the HEAT, but Miami was often so concerned with getting back that with Gordon running the floor, the matchups picked up early worked against them.

“We had to adjust to their physicality early, especially myself,” Gabe Vincent said. “They had a couple lay-ups on me early that we had to adjust to.”

Just as Miami adjusted after getting shredded in the paint in the first half of Game 1’s against both New York and Boston, this issue was cleaned up. Denver scored 32 in the paint in the first half and just 14 in the second – a little more than that given free-throws earned down low – and Gordon took just one shot, a late-clock turnaround jumper, after the break. Miami switched less – Malone noted in his presser that Miami was switching more early on – communicated in transition to find the right matchups, and most of those early-possession mismatches dried up.

Damage mitigated, in that area at least. But the HEAT will have to be ever cognizant of who is getting stuck with who and where. With New York and Boston they could just get back to their floor-shrinking identity and counter exactly what their opponent relies on. Denver’s ability to go over the top to exploit any mismatch, rarely hunting defenders from 25-feet out, makes this series a different animal.

Read on Twitter

Good analysis thank you for that

[wade44]

Read on Twitter

Hope to see a dose of K Love for Zeller minutes

[unowen85]

Don’t let us win tonight.

[Letsgokings]

This series is most likely over if we don't win tonight

[Rapaz]

This series is most likely over if we don't win tonight

You need to beef up your Eeyore schtick. Let me help you:

This series is most likely over if we don't because we will not win tonight.

[Kobewade11]

Don’t let us win tonight.

lol

[Jfh20]

Lol figure it out.. or more like we just got hammered

[IceColdCubano]

My only fear, is that Miami makes zero adjustments. They think the previous game was all about effort, attention to detail, and missing shots we usually make. They will go out there with a little more effort but the same game plan, leading to a close game but a loss nevertheless.

[heatlejuice]

Don’t let us win tonight.

Please don't It didn't end well for the clowns that used that phrase in the last round lol

[Kobewade11]

My only fear, is that Miami makes zero adjustments. They think the previous game was all about effort, attention to detail, and missing shots we usually make. They will go out there with a little more effort but the same game plan, leading to a close game but a loss nevertheless.

You're really selling Spo short here

[fishfuego.]

This series is most likely over if we don't win tonight

You need to beef up your Eeyore schtick. Let me help you:

This series is most likely over if we don't because we will not win tonight.

Hehehehe where small ball came to die.
Front office needs to stop with the bullchit. Get bigger players to develop if can’t get any via FA, but get taller. Jovic needs to see the floor.

[Dainis]

We got this tonight. Go Miami.

[Shewasfly]

This series is most likely over if we don't win tonight

Still don't understand anyone who is a Heat fan and can possibly believe this.

I do believe we'll win tonight though. Spo will do his thing adjustment wise. I expect a big game from Jimmy and think Duncan and/or Strus will have one of those games from 3. Long as Gabe and Caleb can give us double digits in scoring and we get something from Bam on offense, I like our chances.

[dolphinatik]

Everything is clicking for Denver. MPJ finally not injured and that shot is as pure as when he was in HS being advertized as a knockdown shooter. Aaron Gordan is living above the rim and salivating at the thought of posting up one of our miniature guards. Jokic is dreading practice because its harder than the actual game.

Im not worried at all.

[eddieheatfan]

the heat must contain their inside game if they want to win. butler must be more aggressive and also bam. the role players must contribute too with their shenanigans.lets go heat

Spoiler:

yes they must be disruptive

[ShulaDon92]

Don’t let us win tonight.

Dont worry. We only lost one. We will get to four.

-SHULA

[Shewasfly]

Tyler looks ginger to me in the videos I (finally) saw of him shooting around. Going at half speed. Not looking like someone who is ramping up to play significant minutes in an NBA Finals, let alone control the ball at all.
I am VERY interested to see if they really try to sneak him in tonight.