Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
How did Denver build a championship defense to pair with Nikola Jokic's historically great offense? This detailed film room study examines how the Nuggets season long defensive principles of shrinking the floor, overloading sides and recovering horizontally with speed and communication locked down the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and helped them win their first NBA championship.
Merch at shop.thinkingbasketball.net
More on relative defensive ratings: thinkingbasketball.net/2022/10/02/the-best-playoff-teams-common-opponent-offensive-and-defensive-ratings
Support at Patreon: patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Book: amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175
Podcast: https://player.fm/series/thinking-basketball or at stitcher.com/podcast/ben-taylor/thinking-basketball-podcast
Website: backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
pbpstats.com @bballport
basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball #nbafinals #nbafinals
How did Denver build a championship defense to pair with Nikola Jokic's historically great offense? This detailed film room study examines how the Nuggets season long defensive principles of shrinking the floor, overloading sides and recovering horizontally with speed and communication locked down the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and helped them win their first NBA championship.
Merch at shop.thinkingbasketball.net
More on relative defensive ratings: thinkingbasketball.net/2022/10/02/the-best-playoff-teams-common-opponent-offensive-and-defensive-ratings
Support at Patreon: patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Book: amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175
Podcast: https://player.fm/series/thinking-basketball or at stitcher.com/podcast/ben-taylor/thinking-basketball-podcast
Website: backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
pbpstats.com @bballport
basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
-----
Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by csus (instrumental)
#ThinkingBasketball #nbafinals #nbafinals
