SEC Basketball: 7 former players in 2023 NBA Finals

The matchup is now officially set for the upcoming 2023 NBA Finals, as the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets will face the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in a seven-game series. Here are the seven former SEC basketball players set to take the court in the coming days on basketball’s biggest stage.

7 former SEC Basketball players in 2023 NBA Finals

PG Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets

Likely the biggest former SEC basketball player in the 2023 NBA Finals is Murray, who was a first round pick back in 2016 out of Kentucky. The Nuggets starting point guard, Murray has started in all 15 games for Denver during the playoffs so far, averaging 27.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 6.1 APG, and 1.7 SPG, while also shooting 39.8% from three and 92.5% from the free throw line.

C Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat

The biggest former SEC player for Miami is Adebayo, who was a former 2017 first round pick out of Kentucky by the Heat. Adebayo has started in all 18 games for the Heat during the playoffs so far, averaging 16.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.8 APG on 49.2% shooting from the field, as well as 79.7% from the free throw line.

SG Tyler Herro – Miami Heat

Miami’s second name is a player who could potentially return at some point during the 2023 NBA Finals in Herro, who has played in only one game during the playoffs due to injury. Herro, a former 2019 first round pick out of Kentucky, averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.2 APG on 37.8% shooting from three for Miami during the regular season, while also leading the league with a 93.4 FT%.

SF Michael Porter Jr. – Denver Nuggets

The next biggest name from Denver is likely that of Porter, who was also a former first round pick by the Nuggets from the 2018 NBA Draft out of Missouri. Porter has also started in all 15 games for Denver during the playoffs, averaging a combined 14.6 PPG, 8 RPG, and 1.8 APG on a 40.8% mark from three-point range, as well as 81% at the free throw line.

SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Denver Nuggets

A former 2013 first round pick out of Georgia, Caldwell-Pope is the third starter for the Denver Nuggets to come from the SEC. The 10-year NBA veteran has also started in all 15 games with the Nuggets during the playoffs, averaging 11.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, and 1.3 SPG on 41.1% from three, as well as 86.4% from the free throw line.

C DeAndre Jordan – Denver Nuggets

The final Denver Nuggets player from an SEC team is Jordan, a former 2008 second round pick out of Texas A&M who played with the Aggies when they were in the Big 12. A veteran center, Jordan has appeared in only three games off the Nuggets bench during the playoffs, averaging 1.7 PPG and 1.3 RPG.

PF Udonis Haslem – Miami Heat

The SEC’s final name is Haslem, a three-time NBA champion with Miami who is in the final year of his lengthy NBA career. A former collegiate product at Florida, Haslem is in his 20th NBA season, and has appeared in one game during the playoffs so far off the Heat bench.