Miami Heat’s big NBA Finals surprise? Turning to Kevin Love for defense

June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 Admin

DENVER – The Nuggets are like the dynastic Golden State Warriors insofar as they apply enormous pressure on the team trying to guard them.

It may look different than the way the Warriors did it, but the strain on the faces of the Miami Heat when they talk about trying to stop a 7-footer who can bomb 3s, pass as well or better than anyone else in the NBA, put the ball on the floor, and bowl his way to the rim, looks exactly how it used to look when the Cleveland Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors were trying to stop Golden State.

Because, of course, it isn’t just about stopping Nikola Jokić. Jamal Murray runs the pick-and-roll with Jokić and can put a guard into a grinder, or cross up a big on a switch. And he can catch and shoot and, of course, create his own shot.

This is to say nothing of the capability Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon have to burn a defense if given the smallest of spaces to operate. Double Jokić or Murray at your own peril.

“This is complex,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra explained. “Basically every other huddle we’re talking about what it’s going to require and all those extra efforts and physical plays without fouling, just making winning plays. … They force you to have to compete at a super-high level, but you have to do it with a brain and you have to do it with discipline.”

The irony here is the biggest change the Heat made from one game to the next in this finals wasn’t about brain power, but a brain fart.

For all the complexities involved with trying to stop Jokić, the tangible adjustment between Game 1 and Game 2 was to take out the undersized forward (Caleb Martin), and replace him with the bigger guy (Kevin Love), who had been the Heat’s starter at the 4 position for most of the playoffs anyway.

“I didn’t have the foresight (to start Love in Game 1), I didn’t,” Spoelstra said. “That’s on me.”

Love’s teammates had gaudier stats than he did in the Heat’s 111-108 thriller of a win in Game 2, but in 22 minutes he led the Heat with 10 boards, knocked down two 3s, had two steals and drew a charge. Miami outscored the Nuggets by 18 points when Love was on the court, and Gordon didn’t get off to the lightning fast start he enjoyed against Martin in Game 1.

Love didn’t even play in Game 1 against the Nuggets, nor did he appear in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern finals against Boston. Spoelstra needed to start Martin, who was red hot in that series, and as a versatile, quicker, 6-5 wing was a much better matchup for the Celtics’ smaller starting lineup.

Jokić is about 7 feet tall and Gordon is 6-10, as is Porter Jr. The Heat, of course, knew this and were hoping Martin’s sizzling offense would continue in this series. But Game 1 made it obvious that playing Martin against the Nuggets’ monster starting lineup was not the right fit.

“We had to make an adjustment in that Boston series, and that really was necessary and it worked,” Spoelstra said. “Then we’re facing a new opponent that we don’t really know, and so we just went with what finished that previous series. But we have been 10-4, 11-4 now with this lineup. Clearly we needed that size and veteran experience and physicality that K-Love brings.”

Love is 34 and in his 15th season. And here is where there is another hint of irony: He was a key cog on those Cavs teams that had to try to defend the Warriors in four consecutive finals – getting it right once in 2016.

In the deciding Game 7 of that series, it was Love out on an island, caught in a switch, against Steph Curry, harassing one of the greatest to ever play into an errant 3-point shot with about 30 seconds left and the Cavs up 3.

Love has never been famous for his defense, and that one play, arguably the greatest single moment of his career, was a shocker to anyone watching. And regardless, those kinds of moments were supposed to be well past him by now.

Love is on the Heat because in January the Cavs decided he could not play meaningful minutes for them in the playoffs. They thought he was too slow, too much of a liability on defense, and he was scuffling through maybe the worst shooting slump of his career. So Cleveland decided Dean Wade would take Love’s minutes as the team began to work its rotation into playoff form. Love asked for, and received, a buyout around the All-Star break, and signed with Miami shortly thereafter.

There have been numerous stories written about this. Love has said all he’s going to say. He’s averaging 6.8 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting .365 from 3-point range in 17 postseason games, and is thrilled to simply be able to contribute to an Eastern Conference champion, however the Heat need him to do it.

But being re-inserted into the starting lineup so the Heat could have more of a chance on defense, well, that’s a new one.

“When I heard this morning, I didn’t think I was going to take a single shot on offense,” Love told The Athletic. “My plan was just to come out and board the s— out of it, allow Bam (Adebayo) to be able to play back near the rim, and just get (the rebound) and fire it out.”

Remember, Spoelstra said what the Heat are attempting to do here is complex – so it’s not as simple as using a bigger power forward (Love) making it easier for Adebayo to play more of a defensive free safety.

There’s a lot more to it than that, and Jokić scored 41 points with 11 boards, so it’s not like he was limited in any real way. He did have just four assists compared to five turnovers, but Spoelstra said any suggestion that the Heat intended to take away Jokic’s passing was woefully shortsighted.

“That’s a ridiculous — that’s the untrained eye that says something like that,” Spoelstra said. “This guy is an incredible player. You know, twice in two seasons he’s been the best player on this planet. You can’t just say, ‘Oh, make him a scorer.’ That’s not how they play. They have so many different actions that just get you compromised.”

But what is true is the Heat decided they had a better chance of slowing the Nuggets, who have Jokić as their engine, with Love on the court.

Maybe the Nuggets saw it coming. The Heat didn’t until Game 2. The Cavs? Not in a long time.

“We know we’re going to have our hands full for the rest of the series,” Love said.