Guarding Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is no easy task. In Game 1, various Heat players took turns learning this the hard way, and the results were predictably disastrous as Denver outclassed Miami 104–93.
Game 2 was a different story. Jokić dropped a sizzling 41 points, but was held to four assists as the Heat evened the series at one game apiece.
ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne took to building a question around this discrepancy: was there a blueprint to stopping Jokić hinging on Miami turning him into a scorer rather than a distributor?
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra cut Shelburne off and delivered a stinging response.
"That's a ridiculous ... That's the untrained eye that says something like that," Spoelstra said. "This guy is an incredible player. Twice in two seasons he's been the best player on this planet. You can't just say, 'Oh, make him a scorer.' That's not how they play."
"That's a ridiculous... That's the untrained eye that says something like that. This guy is an incredible player. Twice in two seasons he's been the best player on this planet. You can't just say, 'Oh, make him a scorer.' That's not how they play..." https://t.co/9nqvb2o402
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 5, 2023
Spoelstra appeared to shake his head and almost chuckle, concluding, "[Jokić] has our full respect."
Whether the coaching great fully appreciates it or not, the Heat's defense on Jokić figures to be a prominent story line as the series shifts south for Games 3 and 4 in Miami.
