The NBA Finals are set! After the Miami Heat Finally knock off the Boston Celtics in seven games they turn their attention to the Denver Nuggets. A well-rested Nuggets team is a challenge for any team in the NBA. We are here to talk about who will need to step up in this series on both teams. Stars like Nikola Jokic, Jimmy Butler, and Jamal Murray will have their say in this series for sure. What role players will rise above the rest and become champions?
Who Will Step Up?
One player to look at is Caleb Martin according to BleacherReport.com. Martin was averaging only 9 points per game in the regular season. He came up big in the Eastern Conference Finals. Averaging 19 points per game, he was a huge reason Miami was able to take down the number 2 seed. Martin was creating shots for himself and others that took a lot of pressure off of Jimmy Butler.
Moving on, we have Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. Porter who had fallen down in the draft after being the number 2 recruit coming out of high school. Injuries have plagued his young career but he has had himself a solid playoff run this season. Porter seemingly has found his role on this Nuggets team as a playmaker and lockdown defender. His ability to fit in and change the game without taking shots is a big part of why Denver is making their first appearance in the NBA Finals.
One X-factor that many might glance over is Miami’s three-point shooting. The Heat’s shooting seemed to abandon them in the regular season as they dropped to a play-in team. But after losing their first play-in game and then toughing one out against the Bulls, the Heat flipped a switch. Miami went 14-of-28 in their closeout game Monday night. They are now shooting 39% from three, as well as being 6-2 when they make at least 40% of their threes.
It Will Take A Team Effort
Matchup wise for these NBA Finals you have two very good teams. One team was the number one seed and has had a pretty easy path to The Finals while the other was the 8th seed and has had the toughest road to The Finals. We should be in for a great series as both teams will face their toughest opponent yet. While Denver is the favorite for this series, that will not stop Butler and the Heat from giving them their very best.
Image Credits: YouTube.com/NBA.