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Notified when I go live. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show.
You're twenty and twenty three NBA champion Denver.
Nuggets has been crowned.
If you watch that game and they did not look to you as if the Denver Nuggets have won a championship, I don't know what you were watching. And by the way, not in a disrespectful way, right, not that they're looking past the next win that they need to get. None of the raw rah they sleep. No. I told y'all this entire city dinner, Denver has been finishing their breakfast and last night, these last two games was another example of that they finishing their breakfast. They're not playing with
their food. You go, you start off one one at home and listen. That's a very common NBA Finals thing, to let one get away at home. Happened with us last year. I can recall twice that that happened with us with the Calves and our finals runs. If I'm not mistaken, it's a very common thing to happen. You got two great teams playing in the NBA Finals.
That's just what it boils down to.
You can say what you want about the Miami Heat and they don't have this, and they don't have that. They've beat every team that you said was great and are in the NBA Finals.
So you have great teams that end up in the NBA Finals.
They probably are they're probably capable of going on the road to winning one. And so that's what happened in Denver and what has proven to be true Denver fashion in these playoffs. Finish date, breakfast, no penic. We're gonna go to Miami. We're not going to Miami to win the game. We're actually gonna go to Miami and win two games and take entire control of this series. Not get it back home court to the two. No, no, no, We're going to go to Miami and by the way,
leave no doubt. First game in Game three, we're up twenty points, not playing well. Second game, which is Game four, jokers in foul trouble.
All the things. Jamal Murray is.
Not having a great shooting night, okay, Christian Brown is not having the night that he had before in game three, Okay, fine, Jokers not having his typical dominant night. Twenty three and twelve is actually in four assists. It's very pedestrian for Joker, which is crazy to think, but that's a very, very very pedestrian night for Joker.
No big deal, and they just win.
Like I got no point where you're watching that game, like, oh, Denver's probably going to lose this game, and we'll get into the specifics of how it all happened. But ladies and gentlemen, you're twenty twenty three NBA champion, the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets beat the Heat, And like I said, I told you what Joker had I thought. If you remember, I was discussing the pick and roll with you with Joker and Bam, and initially, if you watched, Bam kept getting strung out.
And when I say strung out, that.
Means Jamal Murray is pulling Bam further and further away from Joker and the pick and roll coverage, and a couple of times you see it looked like they wanted to switch, and it was kind of washing. Then a couple of times you see they trap. To me, what it looked like their game plan was was to mix it up on their pick and roll coverages and not
give them a steady diet. And I can understand that when you're playing against great players in this league, if you give them a steady diet of anything, they normally figure it out unless you can perfect your coverage. And so the coverage in which I was describing, which was BAM being all the way up at the level, so Jamal Murray can't stream him out, can't turn the corner. They did not do and he started struggling out and then they start to switch it. And let me tell you,
Jamal Murray did not like that switch with BAM. When he was getting to switch with BAM. We've discussed this before. BAM can guard guards like and not switch onto a guard and keep him in front.
Bam can guard a guard.
He's very very well capable of actually sitting down and guarding a guard no problem. And so Jamal did not like that switch with BAM. When they start going to the switch, Jamal did not like it. And I can't recall that. I can't recall him scoring on the switch on BAM. I can't even recall him getting a good look. They were like step back's feet are like twisting the other way. Because Bam has gray speed, great length, grace, strain. He got everything you need to be a great defender.
So he has all of those things. So not only was Jamal not getting great looks, I mean are getting a bucket, he actually wasn't generating great looks and his ISOs were BAM. And I thought that was a very interesting development because that was actually something that we discussed earlier in the season. I mean this series, which is maybe you want to put Jimmy there and maybe you just want to switch it. If they're going to beat you one on one, you may have to live with that.
Haven't quite seen that yet, although they went to it a little bit, we haven't quite seen them go to that yet. And so, and just going back to last game adjustment and what I thought, which is putting Bam at the level of that screen almost into a contained blitz, so Jamal is not turning the corner.
I think they could have used it, and they didn't.
And then they started adjusting their coverages and at that point you're kind of battling uphill. But let's really get into these performances. Aaron Gordon twenty seven point six rebounds, six assists, three for four from three. Aaron Gordon three for four from three. I'm sorry, there's nothing you can do about that. Aaron Gordon started hitting threes. Good luck. One thing that I have thought is very interesting is
number one, give Aaron Gordon his credit. When he see one of those smaller guys on him, he is putting his head down and going to the rim, no questions. I asked, I got a small, Gabe, Vincent, you name it.
He immediately goes down, I'm to the rim.
Give him credit because I can't recall many times where he actually had a small on him and his head.
Didn't drop going to the rim.
And that is that's game plan discipline, because that is something that they've discussed in their game plan. Coach Mo, Aaron, when you get a small on you, we want you attacking every single time. And for him to actually do it like attack every single time they get a small on him, it has put so much pressure on Miami's defense that they really don't have an adjustment for that.
And it's not like if you're Denver, you're getting.
All outside of yourself or out of character with telling Aaron Gordon when he got a small on him, just put your head down and go to the rim, because quite frankly, Denver keeps the floor space uh, Joker space, Jamal space, Michael Porter's space. Aaron Gordon would be the one that's not spacing, and he actually has the ball in his hand, and of course KCP is space, so when he put his head down and drive, it's not
like the spacing is thrown off. The spacing is actually there for him to just put his head down to drive. Oh and if you help the guy that you would say that is our worst shooter. Of these next four guys that's on the floor, be the four guys that I name would actually be Joker, who's actually shooting the highest percentage of all of these guys from three? Is that like fifty percent from three? At one point it
was fifty seven percent from three in the playoffs. I don't know if he's still there, don't really care if he's still there. I know he's shooting the lights out. And so which one of those guys, are you going to help off of the one who's struggling the most with their shot?
Is? I mean, on a given day it's been KCP or Michael Porter.
Joy good luck, just going to help off those two guys because all they need to see is one of them go in and then an onslaugh of threes can come.
So what are you actually going to do to stop that?
To stop Aaron Gordon from putting his head down and driving and getting to the rim every time? And sir Kevin Love, they've done that, but they only play Kevin Love so many minutes. So the moment that Kevin Love goes off the floor, Aaron Gordon had down, Aaron Gordon is living at the front of your rim and you're pay I thought that was very interesting. I can respect him making a concerted effort that he has made to do that, and his paid dividends twenty seven points last night.
Absolutely amazing.
Now, another interesting thing that I thought has been incredible is Jamal Murray as a playmaker. That's been great. We all know Joker is an incredible playmaker, but Jamal Murray has made it in this series to where his shooting has not mattered in the games that he has shot well. Great, but there's been a couple games now in this series that he has not shot the ball well and it doesn't matter because he's been so incredible as a distributor
that like, how do you guard that? Remember we discussed them wanting to make Joker a score and not allow him to pass, and they went a heavy dose of Jamal Murray in.
A pick and roll.
He's making the plays. He is making the play, ten plus assisting all for NBA Finals game.
Listen.
I've played against Jamal Murray and if y'all out there knew this, and maybe you're much smarter than me, but I did not know Jamal Murray had in his bag to go a ten assists in a row in for NBA Finals games and to do it within the offense, like to do it with making simple plays not you know, you get guys in the NBA to hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball, hold the ball until something pops open and they can get an assist. It ain't that it's I'm coming off up. You take that away.
I got this read here. It is delivering the ball on time, on target passes and guys are finishing shots making plays, making it happen. Got to give a lot of credit to Jamal Murray. Like I said, normally, when or in past times, we see Jamal Murray struggle with his shot and it just looked like, man, he can't get it going. You have not thought that one time with his shot because of how he's making plays, how he's making plays with the ball in his hand, getting
other guys involved. As I said, we all know what type of playmaker. Joker is one of the best in the league. I think a very underrated thing in jokers playmaking. And then Jamal Murray's playmaker is. Aaron Gordon has like high level, elite hands. If you be comparing his hands to a wide receiver, it's like Larry Fitzgerald. When Larry Fitzgerald got his hands on the past, you can forget about it.
He was catching the past. Aaron Gordon, he.
Gets his hand on any ball that comes near him from Joker or that comes from Jamal Murray, even if it's a tough pass to.
Catch, he gets his hands on the ball.
Not only is he coming up with the ball, he's finishing every single one of them.
Joker had to pass over top yesterday.
And he kind of caught it in front of him and just flipped flipped it backwards. That's a common play for them, and let me tell you that's not an easy play to convert. Hey, you're passing it to a guy on the same line as you. What do I mean by that? That means if I'm at the free throw line, it is a very tough to throw a pass that turns into a lib for a finish with Aaron Gordon, who's on the straight line path with me, that is a very, very very tough thing to do.
They're finishing those like nobody's tomorrow.
Aaron Gordon catches the ball underneath the rim, it don't matter who down there, he getting a layup or dunk. Very underrated thing in Jokers Assists and Jamal Murray's Assists is Aaron Gordon as a receiver and a finish. He is incredible at that elite once he gets the ball in the painted area, in the restricted area, whether it's off a lib, a bad lib, a good pass, a bad pass, he is elite at finishing that. He's been doing it all year and it has showed up in a major way in this series.
All throughout the playoffs.
But in this series we spoke about Christian Brown stepping in for Bruce Brown and Bruce Brown not having a game that the Denver Nuggets need them to have. And I told you all, I am of the mindset that Bruce Brown is no longer adding to how good you play, like, Oh, if Bruce Brown plays well, that's a bonus. No, Bruce Brown have to play well. Bruce Brown has played well and he had a great bounce back game last night.
I am actually of the mindset if Michael Porter Junior plays well, if Michael Porter Junior shoots well, that's your bonus. But Bruce bro have to play well. He's proven that he's going to play well. He's actually proven almost to be the like the Nuggets third option, because if you think about it, when Jamal Murray goes out of the game, if Joker's not handling, who's handling the ball, who's making the plays out of his pick and roll, it's actually
Bruce Brown. And so Bruce Brown to me, has proven to actually be like the third option of the Nuggets, And which is why you're not like it's not like, oh, you just get to play like if you play good, great, that helps us if not, don't know. He had one bad game and Christian bron stepped up. But Bruce Brown has to play well, and just like I thought, Bruce Brown played extremely well, extremely well, twenty one points, four boards, three assists, and a huge eleven.
Points in the fourth quarter.
Now, if you didn't watch the game, or if you did and you missed this, that is when Joker was in foul trouble. Joker picked up his fourth file I think with ten minutes left on the clock, I mean his fifth file. Excuse me, he picked up his fifth file I think with they were up ten points. I can't remember exact time on the clock, but I know
they were up ten points. And due to Bruce Brown playing the way he's playing, or played last night, Aaron Gordon playing the way he played last night, when Joker came back in from that long extended day break, they were no longer up ten.
Sorry, they were up nine.
So within that Miami covered one point with Joker on the bench. I'm sorry, but it would be impossible to beat Joker if you can only cover a ground and make up one point when Joker's not in the game, It's just not gonna happen because when Joker's in the game, he's getting them into everything that he wants to get them into. And if all else fails and I'm trying to get these guys into something, then I'll just go
score the basketball. And that's what he's doing. So how can you combat that if you can't cover ground when he's on the bench. And it wasn't just like that in the fourth quarter. They stood pretty well when Joker was out the game in the first half as well, And so I think Denver has found something with their matchups or what they're willing to go to.
When Jokers out of the game.
Whereas they had Jeff Green like up at the top catching the ball and making plays, They've switched that and moved Jeff Green to the wing and they got Aaron Gordon making the plays. So now you're not helping off Aaron Gordon crowd in the spacing up. They can kick the Jeff Green and knock a shot down, but it opens the floor for everyone else when Jokers not in the game, and it keep keeps its keeping the floor space.
They're running the spanoolus action out of it. Jamal Murray hit a huge three when Miami was trying to make a comeback off the Sperneolus action. We talked about the spernoolish action before. Man, I don't you're twenty twenty three NBA champion Denver Nuggets now again.
Uh.
I always watched press conferences after the game. I want to know what people thinking. And coach moe speech after the game number one, they were chopping it up and it was long. So it was a long speech that Coach Moe had after the game. But if you listen to him, it was pretty much listen fellas, it was like what I read his speech. Ass was like he's excited. They're excited, and so I'm not. You know, most coaches will come in and be like, Yo, we're not done yet.
We got one more game, let's move on, let's get it done. He didn't try to contain their excitement. He didn't even try to contain his excitement. You can feel their excitement through the TV screen when you were watching his Fresco his postgame speech and they were chopping it up. You can feel the excitement from him. You can feel the excitement from that team buzzing through the TV. And like I said, it wasn't like a let me try the dimness, let me try to tone it down. No,
he was cool with being excited. He was cool with them being excited. But the message was, I'm not pushing his energy down. We need his energy going back home and close this thing out. But the message was, but we still have to go win one more game. This is great, played incredible, came out here, won two games, got the job done, Fellas. Now let's go home and take care of home court. I can appreciate that. I can appreciate that, Nah, feel those emotions. Enjoy it because
it's a part of the journey. Enjoy the emotions. One thing that I noticed actually during the game, and then once I saw coach Mole's press conference, I actually have on my notes because I take some a few notes during the game of important things that I see that I may want to speak to you about. And I said, Denver smell that championship. Them boys are showing emotion. It looked like a one shining moment on.
Those replays before break.
It's like Choker doing this twice, Jamal Murray life like it looked like if For those of you who don't know what I mean by one shining moment if you are a fan of the NCAA tournament at all, at all, Coach Izzo's cell was always us like one shining moment, Like there's no feeling like standing in that arena after the National Championship game, looking up at the Jumbo, trying at those highlights, confetti falling down, and one shining moment playing five.
I've never experienced that gout one game away. It didn't quite work.
But I am a huge fan of the NCAA tournament and I watch one Shining Moment every year, like after someone when like you're looking forward to one shining moment. It's a staple. And Denver looked like a one Shining moment video. Over the last couple of series, Joker is like showing emotion, and in this series even showing I mean Joker had probably ten fist pumps last night. I remember like Joker wouldn't like just wouldn't show emotional, like
drop you off and just run back. Like the emotion that he's showing is making it okay for everybody else to show that emotion. And they're thriving off that, like you can see in their body language. And so when I said to you, and there's your twenty twenty three champions, ladies and gentlemen, Denver Nuggets. That's actually where that mindset, like, that's where that thought came from, is that these guys
know they smell that championship. They know like they know like, oh no, this is ours, we got it, we won, and yes we still have to go finish the job. No disrespect to the Miami Heat, but this is ours and we're NBA champions. It's just a date now getting to the date that they can be NBA champions. I told you all before this series that I had the Denver Nuggets in five. I don't see that changing. Denver's
been finishing their breakfast. I got Denver going home and getting it done, and you're twenty twenty three, twenty two, twenty twenty three NBA.
Champion, Denver Nuggets.
That's a rap from this episode of The Draymond Green Show. Peace Lilvis, Livid limit, Livid, liv