However, given the 19 different guys in the rotation at various points of the season, the plug-and-play aspect of this roster was pretty impressive Hardy might have some of that Erik Spoelstra touch. On the defensive end, things were less promising, with the league’s 23rd-ranked defense. Coach Will Hardy got them to play with real selflessness with the ball in their hands, and most players played the right way, a secret to their success. The Jazz were actually quite impressive at this aspect of things this year well, on the offensive end of the floor, at least. Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo, center, hoists the Bob Cousy Trophy after winning the Eastern Conference finals as teammates celebrate after the Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals Monday, May 29, 2023, in Boston. If the opponent has a weakness offensively, the defense should pick at that, walling off other, better opportunities. If a coach wants to make an adjustment in coverage, players must be ready to play that defense well, with no adaptation time. When one player closes out, another must help - at the right times. On the defensive end, that means superlative communication. Plays don’t just have one action (go set a screen!) but multiple wrinkles, sometimes on both sides of the floor at once. Their role players have had an extremely good feel on when to drive, pass, or shoot, with an understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. On the offensive end, that means clear-eyed ability to repeatedly make the right read about what the defense is doing and how to take advantage. 8 seed to the Finals? Their ability to play together. He’s young and there’s still time for him to figure it out, but he’ll either need to do so - or the Jazz will need to find a bigger on-ball threat to create those advantages. Some of it is due to lack of experience as a ball-in-hand threat defenses haven’t spent much time collapsing on him, due to his sudden rise. Lauri Markkanen is a great player - a great finisher (and Finnisher) - but he hasn’t figured out the distribution part of his game yet. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant never really found this balance, either. MVP Joel Embiid (not quite healthy) tried to take over games by himself, while James Harden was too pass-happy and wasn’t enough of a scoring threat. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were a little too turnover prone. Meanwhile, those teams that fell short couldn’t find the right balance. was out of luck Jokic was going to tear the smaller defender apart on the block, or take Davis away from help possibilities. The Lakers couldn’t figure out whether to guard him with Anthony Davis or have Davis roam off-ball. Nikola Jokic, though, is one of the best NBA players ever at this. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic practices ahead of Game 1 of the NBA basketball finals against the Miami Heat Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in Denver.
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