Bam Adebayo was surprisingly central in the Heat's Game 1 attack, and our NBA picks don't see the Nuggets defending him much differently in Game 2.
I was unsure if the Nuggets would switch or play a conventional drop defense against Bam in Game 1, but after the Celtics had proven so effective switching I expected they’d switch. That ended up being wrong, asThe funny thing is that, despite Bam having 26 points on 52% shooting from the field, the strategy completely worked. Bam scored 26 points on 25 shots, didn’t score a 3-pointer, nor did he generate a single free throw, and he was also held to five assists.
But Bam has to take those shots, and they are going to be there again for him in Game 2. If there’s any adjustment to be made, it’s for Bam to try and drive and challenge Jokic and get to the line more in Game 2. That would bump his efficiency and might make drop too painful for the Nuggets long term, particularly if Jokic starts getting too many fouls. But either scenario means that Bam is going to be in prime position to score once again in Game 2, which is why his points prop is my best bet.
I was on the Under for Bam pretty much the entirety of the Celtics series, once it became clear that they would be switching ball screens involving him and any other ballhandler and daring him to create one-on-one. Bam failed that test in spectacular fashion against Boston, but this is a different matchup and Bam’s proven up to the challenge working out of floater range against Jokic.
Stretching back to the 2020 season, Bam has scored 19 or more points in head-to-head matchups against Jokic in seven of their last nine games. I’m expecting more of the same on Sunday.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Heat vs. Nuggets odds, prediction for Game 1: Pick the favorite in the 2023 NBA FinalsThe Heat have overcome the odds each step of the way in these NBA Playoffs.
Read more »
Nuggets vs. Heat: Live updates and highlights from Game 1 of the NBA FinalsLive updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Denver Nuggets’ matchup against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on June 1, 2023.
Read more »
NBA Finals Game 1 live updates: Nuggets enter fourth quarter with big lead on HeatThe Nuggets turned their nine-point lead after the first quarter into a 17-point margin over the Heat in the second quarter. Follow along with our live blog: 📷: Isaiah J. Downin | NBAFinals Game1 Denver Miami
Read more »
Nuggets vs. Heat: Nikola Jokic leads Denver past Miami in Game 1 of NBA FinalsLive updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the Denver Nuggets’ matchup against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena in Denver on June 1, 2023.
Read more »
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray shine as Nuggets rip Heat in Game 1 of NBA FinalsNikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat.
Read more »
NBA Finals: Nuggets swat away Heat to end Miami's Game 1 dominanceNikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the rest of the Denver Nuggets circled around head coach Michael Malone in their pregame locker room Thursday night. Nine days separated the Western Conference champions from Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a game Denver would need to buck an incredible trend in order to win. Miami stole the first game, on the road, in each of the Heat's three series throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Malone was adamant that the streak would come to an end at Ball Arena.
Read more »