Denver Nuggets have a lot of time before they play in their first ever NBA Finals game on June 1 and coach Michael Malone says it is impossible to keep rhythm. The Nuggets, who entered their maiden NBA Finals after beating the LA Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals on Monday, are awaiting the result of Eastern Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Coach Malone, in the meantime, is keeping focus on conditioning of the players during the 10-day break they have gotten.
“It’s impossible to keep your rhythm if you’re not playing games,” said Denver coach Friday after practice. “You can do whatever you want in practice, but there’s no way you can replicate playing an NBA playoff game.”
“For us, my biggest concern is the rhythm but more importantly conditioning,” he added. “You’re playing every other day for so long, and now all of a sudden you have an eight-, nine-, 10-day break, whatever it is. I wanted to make sure we got up and down, conditioned.”
Speaking on what the focus of practices has been, Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray said that the players are taking rest but not relaxing despite being where they are. Murray also said that the team is focusing on staying sharp mentally.
“Just our awareness, especially we need to lock in on practices for just the detail stuff.” Let’s be on time, let’s not have any turnovers, that we’re doing scripts, just kind of the simple things so we’re not getting sloppy just because we are where we are. I think it’s more of those mental awareness days. We know our bodies are going to be right by that time June 1, so just making sure our mental is staying sharp and locked in throughout these days,” said Murray
“We take the rest. But you don’t want to pick up bad habits throughout this week. Staying sharp, whatever it is. If we’ve got to flip the switch and lock in for a drill or two, let me do that. Just be able to stay locked in,” he added.
Denver would be playing the winner of the ongoing series between Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in their first ever trip to the finals. The Heat, who had taken a 3-0 lead in the series, lost two back-to-back games, but are still the favorites to make it to the NBA Finals.
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