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The starting lineups: How the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat match up in the NBA Finals

tyler king, the gazette (colorado springs, colo.)
·4 min read
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May 31—A player-by-player look at the lineups for both the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat going into the 2023 NBA Finals:

Denver Nuggets

Guard: Jamal Murray

Playoff stats (per game): 27.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 39.8% 3-pointers

Facing a Miami defense that likes to switch things up and play zone on occasion, the Nuggets need a good shooting series from Murray. Denver doesn't need him to score 30 points in a half like he did in Game 3 against the Lakers, but to be a consistent scorer. The Nuggets could also use his swagger against a guy who has plenty of it in Jimmy Butler.

Guard: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Playoff stats: 11.7 points, 1.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 41.2% 3-pointers

Aside from the fact KCP is the only NBA champ in the Nuggets locker room, his fit in Denver could not be more perfect. Denver will need his 3-point shooting once again and there's a good chance he'll be tasked with trying to slow down Butler at some point early in the series.

Forward: Michael Porter Jr.

Playoff stats: 14.6 points, 1.8 assists, 8 rebounds, 40.8% 3-pointers

This series might be MPJ's reminder to the rest of the country that he was once the best high school basketball player in his class. While back injuries derailed him from becoming a superstar in the NBA, he's proved this postseason he can be a key piece to a winning operation.

Forward: Aaron Gordon

Playoff stats: 13 points, 2.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 11 net rating

First it was Karl-Anthony Towns, then Kevin Durant, then LeBron James. Now it's Butler. Gordon has the chance to cement himself as one of the league's best and most versatile defenders with another big task in the Finals.

Center: Nikola Jokic

Playoff stats: 29.9 points, 10.3 assists, 13.3 rebounds, 47.4% 3-pointers, 8 triple-doubles

The all-time greats had their NBA Finals moment. Is this Jokic's? If he continues to average a triple-double and hit ridiculous shots to beat the shot clock, he could be hoisting not only the championship trophy but also a Finals MVP trophy.

Reserves

Bruce Brown will continue to play a big role, just like he has all postseason, but this should also be a chance for Christian Braun and Jeff Green to make an impact against a Miami team that has a handful of wings that can not only score but also play solid defense.

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Miami Heat

Guard: Gabe Vincent

Playoff stats: 13.1 points, 3.9 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 39% 3-pointers

One of the unsung heroes for the Heat, Vincent has gone from undrafted free agent to a vital piece of a team in the Finals. He's not afraid to let if fly from beyond the arc, so he's not someone Denver can ignore in this series.

Guard: Max Strus

Playoff stats: 10.3 points, 1 assist, 3.3 rebounds

Yet another undrafted player the Nuggets can't afford to lose on defense. Strus has proven his value as a solid two-way player in Miami. He's streaky, but Strus can get hot in a hurry.

Forward: Jimmy Butler

Playoff stats: 28.5 points, 5.7 assists, 7 rebounds, 48.3% field goals

The only player not named Nikola Jokic with a real case as the best player in the playoffs is Butler. It's been well-documented that he has the ability to transform into Michael Jordan once the regular season ends. Now he's now taken a No. 8 seed (that nearly didn't make it out of the play-in tournament) to the NBA Finals.

Forward: Caleb Martin

Playoff stats: 14.1 points, 1.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 43.8% 3-pointers

Martin nearly won Eastern Conference finals MVP — and deservingly so. He's been not only the Heat's second-best player this postseason. Sometimes, such as in Game 7 against Boston, he's also their best player. Another two-way wing that is a streaky shooter, Martin needs to stay hot if Miami continues playing well on the road.

Center: Bam Adebayo

Playoff stats: 16.8 points, 3.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds, 49.2 % field goals

The Heat need Adebayo to have the series of his life against Jokic if they want to have a shot. Adebayo has struggled against Jokic in the past and he must show the gap between him and the elite centers in the league isn't as wide as many observers believe.

Reserves

The big 'X-factor' in this series could be Tyler Herro. The sharpshooting guard reportedly will return at some point in the series, potentially as early as Game 3, and that will be a big boost to the Miami offense. Even if he doesn't, the Heat will continue to turn to Duncan Robinson, Kyle Lowry and maybe even Haywood Highsmith or Kevin Love off the bench to give them a boost.