Monthly Archives: May 2023

2023 NBA Finals

It’s the Denver Nuggets versus the Miami Heat in Denver for game 1 on June 1st. Nikola Jokic against Jimmy Butler. Who gets the victory in Game 1? It’s Jokic’s supporting cast against a group of castoffs. Does the Joker make Miami play at his pace? Does Miami coach Erik Spolstra have any tactics in making life difficult for the Joker? Miami’s roster of nine undrafted players plus Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, and Bam Adebayo will have to work hard to win game 1.

Game 7 between Boston and Miami

Boston wins game 6 by one point and we go to a game 7. What a meltdown by Miami to let Derrick White get a bucket with a second left. Both Boston and Miami have to give their all in game 7. It’s winner take all game 7. What’s going to happen? Will Boston win it? Will Miami take it? We’ll see.

Bruce Brown

The combo guard for the Denver Nuggets is what’s going on in my head. Brown has the energy and enthusiasm to help his team get a victory. With that said, expect Bruce Brown to have some sort of impact on Game 4 in Los Angeles when the Denver Nuggets play the Lakers. I expect to see his on ball defense on Austin Reaves in that game.

Denver and Miami up 2-0

Denver and Miami are up 2-0 in their series against Los Angeles and Boston respectively. Denver is showing the Los Angeles Lakers how to play basketball and it’s going in the Nuggets’ pace. Nikola Jokic is giving Anthony Davis all kinds of fits on the court and it’s showing. If the Lakers don’t adjust, the series is over. Jimmy Butler is the engine that runs and I like my chances when Jimmy has the basketball. He is recovering to get teammates open and is deliberate to run all the time. When Butler is hot and operating like that, he is hard to stop and Miami is unbeatable. Expect five games to finish off the Boston Celtics. You can’t stop Jimmy Butler, you can only hope to contain him.

Nuggets/Lakers and Celtics/Heat

In the West finals, the L.A. Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets while the Miami Heat will travel to Boston to face the Celtics. It’s Lebron James and Anthony Davis versus a steady Nikola Jokic and supporting cast and group of role players. It’s Jimmy Butler vs Jayson Tatum. Will Lebron and A.D. have their way with Jokic and his team? Can Butler put on a stellar performance against Tatum like he did when he disposed of the Sixers and Bucks? Time will tell.

Lakers lose Game 5 to Warriors

Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins made sure to involve Lebron James and Anthony Davis on every pick and roll so that they can get those two players tired and fatigued. It worked. Other than the head injury Davis sustained, the Lakers may not have him at full strength. So it’s 3-2 series lead to Los Angeles going to the Lakers in game 6. The Warriors need to win game 6. It will be tough.

Lakers defeat Warriors to take 2-1 series lead

Anthony Davis and Lebron James dominated Game 3. Why? Both James and Davis are too strong and too talented for the team oriented Golden State Warriors. Like I said in my previous post, if the Warriors are to emerge victorious they must let Davis and James get the basketball and then make it tough. Make James and Davis shoot over the top and beat you by shooting it over the top. Golden State didn’t do that. That’s why the Lakers are ahead in the series 2-1.

If Denver and Golden State meet in the West final

If Denver beats Golden State

  1. They ran their offense and defense through Nikola Jokic
  2. Guys like Jamal Murray, Kautavius Caldwell Pope, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon got their open shots
  3. every single basketball play involved a Nikola Jokic basket, pass, rebound, pick and roll, screen, defensive play etc.

If Golden State beats Denver

  1. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney limited Jokic and let Jokic make all the open jump shots
  2. Jordan Poole and Stephen Curry have their two-point layups
  3. Klay Thompson gets a heat check