The Heat got the full Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic experience in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals.
While Jokic made history with a 27-point, 14-assists, 10-rebound triple-double, Jamal Murray had an explosive Finals debut himself to the tune of a 26-point, 10-assist double-double. Together, they were responsible for scoring or assisting on 87 of the 104 points the Nuggets scored. The Heat had no answer for either of them.
Not only are Murray and Jokic a handful to defend individually, but they complement each other perfectly. Their synergy as a one-two punch was on full display in Game 1 and could very well be the difference in the series.
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Why Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray's two-man game could be the difference in 2023 NBA Finals
Let's start with Murray.
What makes Murray such a tough cover in pick-and-rolls is that he's one of the better three-level scorers in the NBA today. He's proven that in the past, but he's reached another level in this run. According to NBA.com, he's now shooting 54.1 percent in the paint, 52.4 percent from midrange and 39.2 percent from 3-point range in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Those numbers make for a whole lot of green on the shot chart.
Murray showed how comfortable he is pulling up off the dribble time and time again in Game 1 of the Finals. Teams are hesitant to switch pick-and-rolls involving Jokic for reasons we'll get into, so it puts a lot of pressure on Murray's defender to get around Jokic's screens, which is hard enough in itself. (Good luck fighting through a screen set by someone who is 6-foot-11 and 284 pounds with any sort of speed.)
Whether Murray's defender goes over the screen...
...or under the screen...
...he is excellent at creating separation and capitalizing on it.
Only Trae Young (14.3) and Jalen Brunson (11.2) averaged more points per game as the ball handler in pick-and-rolls than Murray (10.8) in these playoffs. The crazy part? He's scoring at a rate of 1.25 points per pick-and-roll possession, which ranks him in the 93rd percentile in efficiency. History says scoring that well on that volume shouldn't be possible.
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Murray's pick-and-roll prowess alone would make the Nuggets a difficult team to stop, but his dance partner happens to be the NBA's best center who basically has no holes in his offensive game. Jokic is an elite three-level scorer himself and he might be the league's best passer.
That's one heck of a combination that we've never seen from a center before.
If Jokic's defender helps off of him to prevent Murray from getting to his pull-up, they risk him getting to his floater or hook shot, both of which have become automatic for him.
He's not a high-volume 3-point shooter, but that doesn't mean Jokic can be left alone on the perimeter. He's connected on 42.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts in the playoffs.
Players Jokic's size have a hard enough time defending him in the post, so switching Murray's defender onto him rarely ends well for Denver's opponent. Leave them on an island against him, and Jokic will bulldoze his way to the basket. Load up on him, and he's going to set up a teammate for an open shot.
(That's one well-timed screen from Michael Porter Jr. to give Murray even more space to work with.)
Jokic might also be the best short roller in the NBA for the same reasons. In addition to being able to punish teams in drop coverage as a scorer, he can make every pass imaginable, and he always seems to be a step ahead of even the most in-sync defenses.
This would be a kick-out to Bruce Brown for most players because, well, he's wide open:
Not Jokic, who sneaks a pass between two defenders to set Jeff Green up for an uncontested layup:
There's more where that came from, too. Murray plays well off of Jokic as a cutter when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Jokic is even skilled enough to serve as the ball handler while Murray takes on the role of a screener. The Nuggets went to that a few times against the Lakers down the stretch of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. It's another wrinkle they could throw at the Heat as the series progresses.
Basically, Murray and Jokic have an answer to pretty much anything a team could show the Nuggets in a pick-and-roll. The Heat got a steady dose of it in Game 1 and are going to see a lot more of it in the games to come.