2023 NBA Finals Game 1
X's & O's Observations From Game 1
The Nuggets completely controlled game 1 from the tip with Gordon’s size, and the playmaking of Jokic propelling them to a large halftime lead that they used to keep the Heat at bay the rest of the game. After re-watching the game multiple times I think the Heat should be somewhat ok even though the game felt one-sided. Struss missed everything, Butler missed shots he normally makes and it felt like the Heat have some takeaways that they can be encouraged from. It’s still a daunting task trying to stop this Nuggets offense and let’s look at some things from game 1 that was crucial to the Nuggets victory.
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Gordon’s Size
It was pretty evident early on that the size of Gordon would pose problems for the Heat’s smaller guards in switching and cross-match situations. The reason the Heat ramped up their switching against the Celtics is that Horford & Rob Williams didn’t pose much of a threat outside of kick outs and offensive rebounding, but the Nuggets & Gordon approach it differently.
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