Denver Nuggets: 3 takeaways from huge Game 5 win vs. Spurs

3. Keep running through Nikola Jokic

Jokic led the team with eight assists, and he was an absolutely lethal force on that end of the floor. When Denver’s lead started to balloon during the third quarter, nearly all of the action was starting with Jokic at the top or bringing the ball up the floor. His passing makes him a threat to find the open man no matter what defense is guarding him. That’s the way things are meant to be run.

In addition to his passing, the Joker’s 3-point shot allows the team to space the floor for guys like Harris and Murray to cut to the basket off Jokic feeds. He shot 50 percent from deep in this game, and there just aren’t a lot of centers that can comfortably go out there with him. If they close out too hard, he can pull the ball down then pass out to an open shooter when the help defense comes.

Until teams find a consistent way to stop it, there is no reason that Denver should stop running the action through Jokic. His size and finesse make him a mismatch every time he touches the ball. If head coach Mike Malone is smart, he’ll be sure to take advantage of that mismatch moving forward in this series and for the remainder of the playoffs.