Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green feels that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is a bad match-up for the Miami Heat and their famous zone defense.
Green shared as much after witnessing how Jokic picked the Miami defense apart in Denver’s Game 1 win in the NBA Finals. In the eventual 104-93 Nuggets victory, the Joker finished with an insane triple-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists as the Heat struggled to find an answer for him.
According to Green, Jokic is the toughest players to zone in the NBA after his own Warriors teammate Stephen Curry.
“The zone works when Denver isn’t shooting the ball well. So yes, it worked to a certain extent today. But if all else fails, you just throw the ball to Joker at the mid post,” Green said, via ClutchPoints Twitter.
“The defense has to collapse, if not he’s hitting that shot at a 70 percent rate. And if they collapse or even over help just a tad, we know he’s making a play … I don’t think outside of Steph Curry, there’s a tougher player to zone in the NBA [than Nikola Jokic]. Cause Steph shoots the lights out of it, like he’s shooting it from anywhere. And Joker, he makes every play, his touch is crazy, can shoot it, float.”
The Heat certainly learned that the hard way on Thursday. Nikola Jokic only had 10 points in the first half and settled on making plays for Jamal Murray and co., but when Erik Spoelstra opted to use the zone defense, the Serbian made sure to take advantage of it.
It remains to be seen what adjustments the Heat will make in an attempt to tie the series, but they know very well they can’t use the zone a lot against Jokic and the Nuggets.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is on Sunday in Denver.
