So if Jokic is calling plays what does that have to say about Malone coaching skills? Who is more battle tested? Who has been on this stage in the past?
It says he knows what's best by getting the fukk outta the way and letting one of the greatest modern offensive creators do his thing. No coach worth their weight in salt would tie down Jokic with micromanaging.
You'll find that the vast majority of great coaches (not saying Malone is one of these) will let their players dictate what's happening at the end of games. Spo let Jimmy do this down the stretch of Game 6. The best players in the game don't need their hands held; they figure it out for themselves on the floor.
Again, the point to that is, whatever perception you have of Malone's coaching ability is nullified by Jokic being good enough (along with Murray) to read what's happening on the floor and adjust accordingly. Again, whenever a Bron-led team has dominated in a series, did you ever see yourself prior to the series talking about how the other team would win because they had a better coach?
Of course, not.
Spo has been to the finals before so has this Miami team (Bubble) more recently. They competed and lost to Lakers in 6 when folks said they were no match for Lakers. The better roster doesn't always win in sports it's about heart and being relentless.
I don't know how competing and losing to the Lakers (who you saw as the better roster) helps your argument here.
It's also disingenuous to act like the Nuggets are purely talent and don't play with heart and aren't relentless themselves. Prior to the playoffs nobody took them seriously as contenders (I even questioned how good they were), and now everyone is looking at them through a different lens.
If Miami wins it will be due to Spo's experience as a coach and making a game plan, adjustments and switching up strategies. Get ready for the upset.
If Miami do win, neither of us knows how they'll do it.
However, I can safely say that they'll need to win the 3-pt battle, and not just win it, but it'll have to be of a significant margin; one that Denver simply can't make up for in other areas. You can talk about all the game-planning and adjustments you want, but if those shots aren't falling for Miami, they won't stand much of a chance.
