The small ball era had a good run. The Denver Nuggets — led by 6-foot-11, 285-pound center Nikola Jokic — officially expired the small ball era with a brand of old-school basketball principles that rely mostly on size and strength over pace and space.

The Nuggets plowed through the 2023 NBA playoffs, winning 16 of 20 games. Their 16-4 postseason mark is the best since the 2007 San Antonio Spurs. Denver put an exclamation point on its historic playoff run by winning the franchise’s first NBA title after overpowering and overwhelming the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

“[The Nuggets] have what Golden State had. They’ve changed the game,” Fox Sports NBA analyst Ric Bucher said on FS1’s “The Herd.”

“With a point center in Jokic, now I expect teams are going to be looking to find that athletic 7-footers who might be able to match up with him to make the game difficult,” Bucher added, “or find some sort of wrinkle that is going to have an answer for Nikola Jokic.”

The Nuggets roll out a conventional starting five with Jamal Murray (point guard), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (shooting guard), Michael Porter Jr. (small forward), Aaron Gordon (power forward), and Jokic (center). They all have ideal size for their respective positions. Murray is a 6-4 point guard who can score at all three levels and post-up smaller guards. Caldwell-Pope is a 6-5 guard with elite defensive talent as a 3-and-D wing. Porter Jr. is a lengthy 6-10 shooting forward who can provide instant offense. Gordon is an athletic 6-8 forward who started his career in Orlando as a spectacular slam dunker, but became a rugged player willing to do all the dirty work and take on difficult defensive assignments.

And then there is Jokic.

The big man from Sombor, Serbia, is a throwback center with a touch of modern. He takes high percentage shots. He sets solid screens. He rebounds the ball. He can hit 3-pointers, but it’s more a luxury than a necessity. What makes Jokic special is his ability to be playmaker as the 5-man. The Nuggets run their offense through Jokic, and he’s very comfortable being the quarterback.

Having the center be the focal point is certainly nostalgic. It goes against the new-school way where threes are better than twos. Analytics shifted the attack from inside-out to outside-in.

The Nuggets don’t subscribe to this approach. They are more of a conventional team that would have been a good fit in the 1980s and ’90s.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone — whose father Brendan won two championships as a member of Chuck Daly’s staff with the Detroit Pistons — leans heavily on his starting five. He usually finishes games with his core five guys, an anomaly in today’s game as most coaches prefer going small instead of staying big. The Heat deployed this small-ball, perimeter-oriented philosophy and rode it to an improbable postseason run, becoming the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals. The Heat advanced through each round by wearing down opponents with 3-point shooting, near-flawless execution in the fourth quarter, and a perplexing zone defense.

It almost work until Miami ran into Denver in The Finals.

Miami’s formula worked against Eastern Conference teams. It wasn’t as effective against the bigger Nuggets, whose size, strength, and skill — three traits that define their all-world center Jokic — were too much to overcome. Jokic and Co. found the mismatches and punished the mismatches throughout the series.

Jokic enjoyed a sensational NBA Finals debut, averaging nearly a triple-double (30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists) en route to winning Finals MVP. He was too big and too skilled for his counterpart Bam Adebayo. Bam had a solid series (22.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists) but his numbers were pedestrian compared to Jokic. Adebayo’s effort would have been good enough against the majority of NBA centers. But Jokic is no ordinary center.

Bam is an undersized center (listed at 6-9, 255) best suited as a big forward. In boxing terms, Bam would be a light heavyweight. He was simply no match for a super heavyweight like The Joker.

Denver’s core group is homegrown. The Nuggets drafted Murray in the first round in 2016. Two years later, they drafted Porter Jr. Team executive Calvin Booth, who took over as general manager in 2020, made two important acquisitions: Gordon in 2021 and Caldwell-Pope in 2022.

Caldwell-Pope gave the Nuggets some much-needed perimeter defense with championship pedigree (he won with the Lakers in 2020), while Gordon provided athleticism and versatility on both ends. He has embraced a supporting role after being the featured attraction in Orlando.

“He’s been put into the perfect role as the third guy [behind Jokic and Murray],” said Bucher, who compares Gordon’s arc to Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins, the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, struggled to carry the burden of being the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but thrived as the third or fourth wheel with the Golden State Warriors.

Gordon entered the league with a ton of hype and a ton of expectations as the No. 4 overall pick by the Magic in the 2014 draft, the same year Jokic was drafted.

Jokic’s NBA odyssey was an unlikely one. He was drafted in the second round. Forty players were taken ahead of him. He looked overweight and out of shape when he first played in the Las Vegas summer league.

“I always think about this and laugh because that first Summer League in Vegas, 300 pounds, out of shape — he’s a nice player,” Malone said of Jokic, whose draft scouting report read something like this: Slow-footed, below-average athlete; doesn’t get much lift off the floor; doesn’t have the speed or burst to drive past opponents or stay in front of them laterally on defense.

No one ever could have seen Jokic winning MVPs and becoming the most dominant big man in basketball since Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.

“That speaks to his dedication to his craft, getting in great shape and understanding that for him to fulfill his potential, he had to work harder, and he’s done that,” said Malone, who quickly realized he had something special in Jokic during his rookie year in the 2015-16 season.

“There was a game in his rookie season at San Antonio. He put up a crazy stat line,” Malone recalled. “[He put up] 25 or 26 points, 12 or 13 rebounds, six or seven assists against a guy like Tim Duncan. That was for me when the light bulb went off and saying, ‘Wow.’ What he just did, who he did it against, on the road against this team, coached by [Gregg Popovich]. This kid has a chance to be a special player.”

Malone had one more puzzle to figure out. Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic were both on the roster and room wasn’t big enough to house them. Malone had to chose one.

“I was bringing Nikola off the bench,” Malone recalled. “After we lost a game at Dallas, I remember having the conversation [and said to myself] ‘What am I doing?’ This kid was All-Rookie as a center. I started him the next game, probably around December 12th Year 2, and that’s when our team took off, he became the focal point of everything we did. And we realized we had a player we can build an offense and a team and an organization around.”

Malone made the right call.

With Jokic as their centerpiece, the Nuggets are now sitting on the Iron Throne ruling the basketball world. It took seven years, but it was worth the wait. Denver’s loyal fans waited almost five decades to celebrate a championship. Thanks to a plus-size starting lineup spearheaded by an uber talented big man rewriting the NBA record book, the Mile High City finally got its championship banner.

Dante Exum and Andrew Wiggins are expected to go in the top five in the 2014 NBA draft. (GETTY IMAGES)

Dante Exum may be from Melbourne, Australia, but he is well versed in the history of American basketball.

Exum’s dad, Cecil, was on the University of North Carolina basketball team coached by Dean Smith. On that same Tar Heel team was a young phenom named Michael Jordan.

Exum would love nothing more than to become the Michael Jordan of Australian basketball. Much like Manu Ginobili is the Michael Jordan Argentina and Tony Parker is the Michael Jordan of France.

There was a ton of buzz surrounding Exum when he participated in the NBA draft combine in Chicago. The buzz turned into shock and awe for those scouts and general managers in attention, as the 6-foor-6, 196-pound Exum wowed everyone with his quickness and athleticism. But the best part of his stay in Chicago was the interview process. NBA execs came away impressed with the 18-year-old on how he handled himself during the one-on-one talks, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

“He’s been a top-five pick in this year’s draft since the Nike Hoop Summit,” ESPN’s Chad Ford said of Exum, who interviewed with the Lakers, Magic, Kings and Bucks. He could go as high as No. 4 in the 2014 NBA draft.

“Yes, we haven’t seen him like we’ve seen other players, but it’s not like these are all manufactured,” Ford said.

One man who has seen him play a lot is ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla.

“At Prague, at the [under 19 world championships], he put on a show. He was bottled up by Marcus Smart but this was an undermanned Australian team,” Fraschilla said. “Dante Exum has everything you want potentially. You’re talking about a young player who is athletic and skilled, and he has the it factor.”

Tom Penn, former assistant general manager with the Portland Trail Blazers, calls Exum an “international man of mystery.”

“Think Michael Carter-Williams, think Shaun Livingston in terms of body type,” Penn said. “He’s real thin and rangy. He’s the prototypical guard of the future. He’s got star potential. He’s a great kid with good pedigree. He’s an impressive kid, but the key word is kid.”

It has been a while since experts got really excited about a draft. It may not be Hall-of-Fame good like 1984 or dynamic the class of 1996, but this year’s draft is loaded with talent. OneManFastBreak.net rates the 10 best prospects in this year’s draft:

1-Andrew Wiggins
6-7, guard-forward, Kansas
Scouting report: A year ago the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins was the consensus choice as the top player coming out of high school. But his one season in Kansas allowed scouts to pick apart his game. In terms of athletic ability, Wiggins checks every box. He has ridiculous hops and can change ends as quick as Usain Bolt. The problem with Wiggins is he tends to disappear during games. Sometimes you have to light a fire under him to get him going. NBA comparison: Vince Carter

2-Joel Embiid
7-0, center, Kansas
Scouting report: There is no question that if Embiid is injury-free he would be No. 1 on this list. One a good day he looks like Tim Duncan. On a bad day he looks like Michael Olowokandi. After suffering a stress fracture on his foot a week before the draft, another comparison has emerged: Greg Oden. Embiid, who had back issues in his freshman season at Kansas, is expected to miss six months. And there is no guarantee that he’ll play this season after this latest setback. Despite all the red flags, Embiid is too good of a talent to pass up. He only started playing basketball four years ago so he’s extremely raw. He was a volleyball player until he made the switch to hoops. It will be interesting to see which teams will roll the dice on the big man from Cameroon. NBA comparison: Greg Oden

3-Jabari Parker
6-8, forward, Duke
Scouting report: Before the NCAA tournament, Parker was almost a lock for No. 1 or 2 in the draft. But something happened during the Big Dance that turned off a few scouts. Parker mulled for weeks if he should return to Duke, ultimately deciding that he’s ready to make the jump. Parker is the most NBA-ready player in the draft and he could start for half of the teams right now. NBA comparison: Luol Deng

4-Julius Randle
6-9, forward, Kentucky
Scouting report: Randle may be the most NBA-ready player on this list. He was a double-double machine (15 points and 10 rebounds) in his lone season for John Calipari and powered Kentucky to the NCAA championship game. He is a classic back-to-the-basket forward with enough quickness to blow by a defender. Randle doesn’t shy away from contact and is terrific rebounder. There is some concern about Randle’s right foot, which he broke during his senior year in high school. NBA comparison: Zach Randolph

5-Dante Exum
6-6, guard, Australia
Scouting report: Exum is represented by Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant’s agent. Pelinka tried to keep him under wraps since last year but a superb showing at the combine in Chicago has let the cat out of the bag. Exum could very well become the best player to come out of this draft class. He is a big guard with a great feel for the game. He won’t turn 19 until July so he is a blank canvass. You can picture him as an All-Star in a few years. NBA comparison: Steve Smith

6-Marcus Smart
6-3, guard, Oklahoma State
Scouting report: Smart returned to Stillwater, Okla., for his sophomore season to work on his game. But instead of getting praised for coming back to school, Smart was put under a microscope. His game was dissected inch by inch, and every little outburst was magnified. Smart’s passion is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. “I would rather calm a guy like this down than check for his pulse rate, which you have to do with a lot of guys,” said Fraschilla, who raves about Smart’s IQ. “He has the best IQ of anybody in this draft. He has an innate feel for the game.” NBA comparison: Baron Davis

7-Aaron Gordon
6-8, forward, Arizona
Scouting report: If were strictly judging this draft based on pure athletic ability, then Gordon may be the second-best player behind Wiggins. At 220 pounds with a 7 foot wingspan, Gordon has the size and strength to be a lock-down defender. His best offensive move is the dunk, so teams will have to work on his outside shot to keep teams from sagging back on him. He’s a fabulous player in the open court and doesn’t need the ball all the time to be effective. NBA comparison: Blake Griffin

8-Noah Vonleh
6-9, forward, Indiana
Scouting report: Vonleh probably would have been better served if he stayed another year in Bloomington to work with Tom Crean. What he could be is a solid power forward who can rebound and defend his position. At 247 pounds, he is extremely strong at the base. His 7-4 wingspan and extremely large hands make him a tough guy to score on, and he could become one of top defenders for years to come. He has more of a set shot than a jump shot so his offense will need some tweaking. NBA comparison: Kawhi Leonard

9-Elfrid Payton
6-4, guard, Louisiana-Lafayette
Scouting report: Payton gained some new followers when Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard tweeted this about him: “Don’t sleep on Elfrid Payton… I watched couple of his games. He can hoop.” Payton comes from a mid-major school, so his games wasn’t on TV much if at all. But when you look at his highlights on YouTube you see a feisty defender with long arms and very good quickness. His jump shot needs work, so he’ll have to work on that. NBA comparison: Rajon Rondo

10-Zach LaVine
6-5, guard, UCLA
Scouting report: Some scouts thought LaVine was crazy for entering the draft after one so-so season at UCLA. But after his pre-draft workout with the Lakers in which he cleared the vertical bar with a jaw-dropping 46-inches, the only crazy about LaVine is his hops. He performed well at the combine, showing his range as a shooter and ball-handling skills. LaVine could be the sleeper in this year’s, someone teams will regret not taking with the first 10 picks. NBA comparison: Jamal Crawford

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Archbishop Mitty’s Aaron Gordon is rated the sixth-best high school player in the nation by Rivals.com. (MAX PREPS)

Aaron Gordon is one of the most talented high school players in North America, and he certainly didn’t disappoint at the 2013 McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago.

The 6-8, 205-pound forward from San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty High School) shined the brightest in a game that has become more of a glorified scrimmage than an all-star showcase for the best high school players. Gordon was 10-for-17 from the field, scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had a game-high nine dunks to lead the West squad to a 110-99 victory on Wednesday night. About 24 hours before the game, Gordon committed to the University of Arizona, making Sean Miller the happiest coach on Earth.

Gordon has all the physical tools and skill set to be considered the top prep player in the U.S. And when you see the light skin, the well-chiseled body, the high motor, and the major-league hops, the first player that comes to mind is: Blake Griffin.

“I haven’t seen anyone do what Aaron Gordon is doing since Blake Griffin,” said Dave Telep, ESPN’s senior national basketball analyst.

Analyst Malcolm Huckaby added about Gordon, “I’ve never seen anything like it. Unbelievable versatility. Whoever gets him is going to get a steal.”

Arizona will definitely benefit from having Gordon next season. The Wildcats are expected to return McDonald’s All-Americans Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett, and Coach Miller also recruited Rondae Jefferson-Hollis to play alongside Gordon, who can play small or power forward. Despite a roster filled with high school stars, Gordon will undoubtedly be the centerpiece of Arizona’s 2013-14 squad. He’s expected to play just one season of college basketball then turn his attention to the NBA.

At the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., Gordon finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds against Utah’s Lone Peak. He received rave reviews from ESPNU analysts for his rim-rattling dunks during the nationally televised game won by Lone Peak, 81-46, at the birthplace of basketball. Gordon was one of many headliners at the Hoophall Classic, which also featured Huntington Prep’s Andrew Wiggins (ranked No. 1 by Rivals.com) and Chicago Simeon star and Duke-bound forward Jabari Parker (No. 3 on Rivals.com).

Parker and Gordon will play for the U.S. Junior National Select Team that will compete in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore., in April.

Gordon, rated the sixth-best college prospect by Rivals.com, is the younger brother of Drew Gordon, who played one season at UCLA before transferring to New Mexico. Watch Aaron Gordon attack the rim against Lone Peak: