After running into Chen Xi's defense, Murray naturally couldn't just launch into an isolation.
They'd faced each other plenty of times. Murray knew very well whether he could get past him or not~~
Without hesitation, he pulled the ball back to create space, then waited for Jokic to set the pick. Once it was in place, he accelerated down the middle and drove toward the paint.
Chen Xi couldn't get around the screen in time, so Harten had no choice but to step up and contain Murray, switching onto him.
Meanwhile, Jokic cut quickly to the basket, slipped into the paint, and reached out with his long arm to scoop up Murray's pass. He immediately took a little hop and tossed up a close-range floater.
The two points went in without a hitch.
One reliable move could take you anywhere.
The Denver Nuggets had dominated the League in recent years by relying on little more than this one play.
The Jokic Murray Pick and Roll at the top of the key.
From there, it could lead to a Layup or a Post-up from Jokic, or a mismatch isolation for Murray after he used the screen, ending in a pull-up jumper.
Malone had all kinds of other plays in his playbook, but when you got down to it, this simple opening action was still their true weapon.
That's what a system was, really. At its core, it always depended on the players' abilities.
It was always Jordan and Kobe who made the Triangle Offense great, not the other way around.
The Denver Nuggets were no different. It was Jokic's tremendous finishing ability and excellent screens that made the Jokic Murray Pick and Roll so effective.
And tonight, the Nuggets were clearly showing the Knicks plenty of respect, going straight to their