MIAMI — I asked the question once again because Bam Adebayo needed to hear it.
“Jamal Murray,” I utter. “In Game 2, Jimmy focused a lot of attention on him. Game 2 was more composed for him. I’m curious as to what Jimmy shown during the defensive game.
“He’s up to the challenge,” remarked Adebayo, who is facing a very difficult opponent in the 2023 NBA Finals in the form of two-time MVP Nikola Joki of the Nuggets. I believe he will be up to the task no matter what it is. He’ll come up with a strategy to make it challenging for her.
Not always the most precise and thorough response, but I believe we can be forgiving of Bam. After all, you attempt to respond to the inquiries as the following occurs a few meters to your right:
Hello, Jimmy Butler. Since the beginning of time, “making it hard for him” has appeared to be simple.
The first significant tactical adjustment made by Erik Spoelstra between games in these finals involved moving Caleb Martin back to the bench in favor of Kevin Love resuming his starting position alongside Adebayo. When the Celtics made the decision to start just one big man, eliminating a defensive counterpart for Love, this line-up—which had been quite effective for the Heat in the early rounds of the playoffs—became unworkable. To try and minimize the kinds of post-ups, deep seals, duck-ins, and bully-ball that the Nuggets feasted on in Game 1, Spoelstra decided to pull Love back in size against a Denver team that starts big – gigantic, really – with Joki, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. on the front line.
The realignment was successful. The Heat defeated Denver 111-108 on Sunday thanks to a strong assist defense, a team-high 10 rebounds from Love, two thefts, a charge, and two steals of his own. Love’s addition to the roster, though, had a big knock-on impact in that it forced Spoelstra to adjust Miami’s defensive matchups. According to NBA Advanced Stats, Butler guarded Gordon for close to 61% of their time on the court in Game 1. Murray, who was primarily guarded by the smaller Gabe Vincent, had an outstanding Finals debut, scoring 26 points on 11-for-22 shooting with 10 assists in Denver’s series-opening victory.
DENVER, COLORADO – JUNE 04: On June 4, 2023 in Denver, Colorado, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets dribbles past Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
But in Game 2, Butler stepped in to collect Murray as Love was positioned to face Gordon in the fourth position. Not always: “It’s not only Jimmy… During Heat practice on Saturday, Spoelstra was keen to point out that Murray would draw second and third defensemen, but on more than half of the possessions they shared on the floor.
Butler remarked, “He scores in so many different ways. He continuously has possession of the ball and executes flawless plays and passes. However, all it takes is a little bit of effort to challenge every hit, body to body, and make things challenging for him.
With 2:35 remaining in Game 2, Murray had finished his 36 minutes of labor with 12 points on 12 shots.
Murray said of his strategy switching from a steady diet of Vincent and Martin in Game 1 to covering Butler in Game 2 (and, presumably, afterwards), “The mentality is the same.” Over the course of my career, I’ve seen a lot of defenders. Jimmy makes a capable defense. I anticipate well and have good hands.
Murray, to his credit, had 18 points at the conclusion of Game 2 because to a pair of massive 3-pointers in the 2:35 climax; nevertheless, he would have had more if not for one missed keeper and one leading edge end-of-second EQ. However, his absence from the game had a significant impact on the Heat’s decision to send this series back to Miami knotted at one game apiece rather than 2-0.and Butler’s relentless pressure, which limited Murray to just 3-for-6 shooting when they were teamed, significantly made it more difficult for him to produce.
Butler’s efforts paid off in a few different ways, including challenged looks that went wrong, dribbling that was broken and pushed cleanly, ball pressure that forced Murray to reevaluate his choices in the air, and suffocating Denver’s half of the two-man play. Murray struggled in this area in Game 2, according to Cut Moorhead of Heat.com, scoring just 0.75 points per pick-and-roll run against Miami drop coverage. Butler’s ability to cross high screens, maintain contact, and use his length and physicality to trouble Murray as he emerged from the pick were likely contributing factors.
But when something else happened, or when nothing happened at all, he sang the loudest.
According to Second Spectrum, Murray had the most frontcourt touches, overall touches, and time of possession among all players in Game 1. Spoelstra might say that Murray left his mark all over the field. however, in Game 2? Murray received 35 fewer touches overall, 12 fewer in the frontcourt, and 2.6 minutes less time with the ball. In 39 minutes of action, he took seven fewer shots, and just seven of the 15 efforts he replaced were successful.
To be honest, Joki admitted, “I didn’t know. “I mean, you don’t think about it when you’re playing the game. You simply want to succeed. But yes, we must unquestionably advance.
There are a couple limitations with these figures. It was a slower-paced game; Denver only had 86 offensive possessions, down from 93 in Game 1, which was also their slowest game of the season, shortly before a matchup with the Heat in February. “We want to play fast,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone stated during practice on Tuesday. They desire a sluggish pace of play. Additionally, Murray played around five minutes fewer in Game 2 than he did in Game 1. Malone had once more placed a greater emphasis on his star point guard, and possession stats most likely would have leveled out at a somewhat higher pace.
However, if you look back at Game 2, you’ll see the instances where Joki and Denver’s other passers chose to look elsewhere after weighing their choices rather than try to force the ball to the player the five-time All-Defensive team was covering.
The most crucial thing for us is to have everyone on the team attempt challenging shots, and you have to deal with the outcome, according to Adebayo.
Although it’s possible—at the risk of incurring Spoelstra’s wrath—that the two-time MVP is the one who takes those hard knocks.
Butler remarked, “He’s one of the heads of the serpent.” Then, “I believe it to be a two-headed snake.”
Even if being bitten by a typical one-headed snake is still unpleasant, it may not be fatal. Yes, Joki did score 41 points in Game 2, and the Nuggets offense performed admirably overall. Denver’s starting lineup’s offensive efficiency dropped from 118.2 points per 100 possessions in Game 1 to only 100 flat in Game 2, as a result of Murray being constrained and the tempo being disrupted. This adjustment, those sluggish starts in the first and third quarters where the Nuggets wouldn’t stop or make buckets, helped tip the balance of play just enough in Miami’s favor to win the home court advantage at a stage in the season when every margin counts.
What obstacle must Butler and the Heat now overcome? Keep Murray a secret still.
Butler stated, “I must continue doing it because I know that if I lead the way to that end, with Bam, everyone must follow.” It comes down to performing your work and what is required of you every night while hoping and praying that you have accomplished enough to prevail.
Murray and the Nuggets must, on the other hand, continue to play aggressively despite Butler’s coverage and have faith that their teammates will find a way to make Miami pay.
Murray remarked, “Being aggressive isn’t only about shooting the ball. “I’m the one being aggressive if I’m going downhill and I pass to another person who’s open… It is a team activity. Really, it’s not about me.
Denver, though, could need Murray to do it about him at some point—to appear to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the world and be cocky enough to not flinch; to find ways to throw it away, create more space to cook, and make that other head bite once again.
He’s obviously a little taller than I am. I won’t give you any tips on how to defeat him, Murray grinned. But I have my resources.
