Miami Heat: Nikola Jokic Their Toughest Assignment Yet
By Isiah Curry
Miami Heat: Nikola Jokic Their Toughest Assignment Yet
What often makes Jokic such a tough cover is his high release point. You might’ve witnessed several moments in his career where he has deferred to his signature Sombor Shuffle step-back in late shot-clock situations or any other, as his opponents have almost zero answers for it.
With excellent footwork to operate in the high-post, Jokic can launch hooks from an extended range and find deep positioning against smaller defenders to finish in close. Despite Jokic lacking the athletic or rim protection qualities to be an elite defensive center, the Nuggets have kept quality defenders and lengthy athletes around him.
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Players such as Aaron Gordon and Will Barton have contributed on that end, as Denver is only one of three teams with a higher Defensive Rating (100.6) than Miami. This is also after they had ranked 11 spots lower last season.
The Heat, of course, have a blooming center of their own. Bam Adebayo has completely redirected his offensive game, transitioning from more of a secondary facilitator of last season, into a more aggressive scorer of current.
Although the Heat’s fifth year center has stepped up his scoring approach, he’s also defended at an unseen level, as the Heat are just getting started with a brand new identity.
A successful night against Rudy Gobert on Saturday, Adebayo’s toughest matchup at his position awaits him, as both premier big men will meet for the first time this season, opening a new chapter between two skilled pivots.