The Denver Nuggets will take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals starting on Thursday, and it will be one of the more improbable championship series matchups the league has had in quite some time.
However, one thing that isn’t improbable is the fact that the series will feature superstar center Nikola Jokic, a two-time regular-season MVP who has been putting up some incredible numbers.
Although the Nuggets have lots of weapons, including guard Jamal Murray, a player who goes off like few others in the playoffs, it is generally accepted that job No. 1 against them is containing Jokic.
Veteran big man Tristan Thompson shared some tips on how to do so on ESPN.
Tristan Thompson brings his firsthand experience guarding Nikola Jokic in the Western Conference Finals to NBA Today. He has some advice for the Miami Heat: pic.twitter.com/L9UVcCAy56
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 31, 2023
Thompson didn’t play this season until signing with the Los Angeles Lakers on the last day of the regular season.
The Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals versus Denver, and although they got swept, Thompson got some unexpected minutes in Game 4, and he managed to hold Jokic in check.
Thompson said that to hold Jokic in check, one must prevent him from getting prime post-up position in the paint, push him off the block, contest every shot and fight for every inch of positioning.
That task will fall on Heat center Bam Adebayo, who is considered a perennial candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year, at least by himself, his teammates, and his coaches.
A problem the Heat will have is the fact that Adebayo is only 6-foot-9 and that overall, they lack size in their frontcourt, but they aren’t exactly new to being doubted or counted out.
NEXT: Stats Show How Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic Compare Head-To-Head
