Miami Heat

While the Nuggets finished the regular season with an excellent record in the Western Conference, the Heat had to earn a playoff berth through the playoffs. They made history by defeating the Bucks in the first round, the Knicks in the second round, and the Celtics in the conference finals.

The Heat is the second team in NBA history to advance to the Finals as the No. 8 seed.

The Denver Nuggets have home court advantage, and the Finals will start at home. Games 3 & 4 of the series will move to South Beach.

The Heat will now be the fourth team to attempt to slow Jokic down. They finished the regular season ninth in defensive rating (112.8). They’ve been even more stingy in the playoffs, finishing fifth in that category (110.9).

Like the Lakers, the Heat is light at the center. Adebayo will likely spend the most time guarding Jokic. While he’s one of the best defenders in the NBA, he’s giving up a considerable size. Adebayo is 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, while Jokic is 6-foot-11 and 284 pounds.

The only big men on the Heat’s roster are Kevin Love, Cody Zeller, and Omar Yurtseven.

It will be captivating to see what head coach Erik Spoelstra has in mind. Adebayo’s best skill on defense is his switchability, but making him switch as often as the Heat would result in many mismatches that Jokic will exploit as a scorer or a passer. Spoelstra could also follow Darvin Hamm’s lead and let someone guard Jokic, leaving Adebayo free to play as a roamer.

Either way, Jokic will be their biggest test. Expect the Nuggets to win Game 1.