Road to a Championship start here, 2022 Draft.

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Seeing that I've posted walls of texts with explanation & reasoning, There will be no need to explain this post.

CJ injury last couple games,

Jonas - Zion - BI - Murphy - Herb = 20 mins +25.1

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Zion - Jonas - BI - Herb = 513 mins, starters with no CJ +5.3
Zion - Jonas - BI - CJ = 390 mins, starters with no Herb -0.2
Zion - Jonas - Herb - CJ = 409 mins, starters with no BI -1.1
Zion - Bi - Herb - CJ = 476 mins, starters with no Jonas -3

Zion + Daniels = 476 mins +9.1
Zion + Jonas = 768 mins +4.7
Zion + BI = 872 mins +1.7
Zion + Herb = 905 mins +1.7
Zion + CJ = 823 mins -1

Jonas - Zion - BI - Herb, with Daniels over CJ = 90 mins +20.4
Jonas - Zion - Bi - Herb, with Murphy over CJ = 20 mins +25.1
Jonas - Zion - Herb - CJ, with Murphy over BI = 53 mins +17.9
Jonas - BI - Herb - CJ, with Murphy over Zion = 80 mins +17.4
Zion - BI - Herb - CJ, with Nance over Jonas = 90 mins -1.2

You wanted CJ for his spacing, leadership but he & Zion are a poor fit defensively.

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NO's play 4 on 5 offensively when they start either Nance or Daniels. Nance can hit the 3 ball at a 45% clip to Daniels 28%, though teams would live with either taking an open shot even if Nance can make them pay.

Rim protection vs Ball pressure

Jonas - Zion - BI - Herb with Daniels ball pressure 4 on 5 offensively = 90 mins +20.4
Jonas - Zion - BI - Herb with Murphy defensive length, rebounding, spacing = 20 mins +25.1
Zion - BI - Herb - CJ with Nance rim protection 4 on 5 offensively = 90 mins -1.2

The problem is not rim protection, it's trying to make CJ fit with Zion defensively where Zion is more effective with either Jonas/Murphy or Jonas/Daniels than Nance/CJ.

CJ would be best utilized on this team as a 6th man. Manu super sub role.

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Ya done see how this one is going to be officiated. Jonas fouled twice in the post no call, Herb has a strip on Turner & he's on the line for 2 LMAO.

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Green, LMAO.

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Pacers eating since CJ was subbed in.

CJ -19 in 9 mins. How long do you think it will take for Green to figure out the problem ?.

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CJ (2-7) -23 in 10 mins. Pacers up 20

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Green pulls Jonas for Nance,

Thankfully, it's working LMAO.

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Look Pels getting stops now that CJ is subbed.

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NO CJ, Lead cut to 12

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Is Green slow ?

Pels cut the lead to 8 without CJ. Green subs him back in & Pacers open back up to 11.

CJ -23
Zion -15
Jonas - 14
Herb -6
BI -1

Figure it out, half the game is over..

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BI bailing heavy but there's still a hole in the boat. At least Pels are +1 to start the 3rd.

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Pels cutting into the lead now that CJ has been subbed even though they've missed a couple open looks. 7pt game

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Murphy bricking open 3's & CJ back in.

& as I type that Mathurin drills a 3 over CJ.

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Greens usage of CJ has jacked this teams potential.

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Pels are going to win this on the back of talent.

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LMAO

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Stats without context can be misleading. Another board posted this team clutch stats. Like this team win/loss record. The numbers, impact is skewed by injuries & level of competition.

Larry, CJ & Zion have all missed 10 + games, some of them, both to all 3 were out. BI, Jonas & Herb in relation have played most if not all the games, short handed.

In the clutch.. Jonas who has played every game without a backup C -26
In the clutch.. BI who has played most games without either or both Zion & CJ as the lone creator -20
Herb who has had a couple extra missed games early in the season -15

That is a lineup negative due to playing short handed & in a tough stretch of schedule.

These are the players that filled in, due to injury

Daniels who's all defense -31
Trey who fills in for either top creator BI or Zion -41
Rookie Hawkins who's playing time is last resort due to inexperience & injury -56

This is why the offense plummets in the clutch & as a result, hurts the defensive numbers.

Those 3 young players is who the Jonas, BI & Herb -20 lineup has played with in injuries..

Notice.. Nance, CJ & Zion who have missed the most games are the players that top the list & in order of games missed. This is not unlike posters pointing to CJ's win loss record... Health, having a full squad & level of competition plays a big factor to this teams record with & without CJ. When CJ went down to injury, Zion missed games. Nance missed games, Murphy, Jose & Ryan were all out & that's how you get the rookie Hawkins at the bottom of a clutch list dragging down the numbers of 3 core starters.

With CJ down, they played Denver 2x, Mavs 2x, Kings 2x, Clippers & Wolves with 3 road back to backs, short handed.

If it was an individual issue ... Herb, BI & Jonas wouldn't be clustered at -20.

Following these numbers will mislead decisions.

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Nance has missed the most games of top rotation players, has only played with a healthy squad.
CJ the 2nd most games, has not played without either or both Zion, BI & bench depth
Zion 3rd most games, Has not played without BI & more depth
BI has played without both & no depth
Jonas has played every game, even ones where all the starters are sitting for rest.

Replacement to injury
Daniels -31
Trey -41
Hawkins -56

Daniels replaced CJ in a tough stretch of games -30 in the clutch with a 100 offensive rating is because the team was playing 4 on 5 with Daniels short handed for 11 games. When Herb went down early in the season. Nance, CJ, Herb, Zion, Murphy & Jose were all out. Green started Daniels, Hawkins vs Denver, Wolves & Mavs .. Wolves had a near 20pt 4th Q comeback as did Denver, twice with NO's winning out the second comeback game.

Takeout those 3 early games where the team was riddled with injuries blowing double digit leads & get back to me on the clutch numbers.

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I got my answer, it would take a full game to adjust. Pleased with the changes but upset it took so long.

The unplayable Jonas in game 1 was +35 in his first 19 minutes. Doesn't seem like he was unplayable ...

Was the issue Turners matchup with Jonas or the fact Herb checked & contained Haliburton the entire night where he was a -40.. Herb was so good defensively that Pels were able to give up a 23-3 run to the Pacers bench in the 2nd & still win by 30.

BI was bailing out game 1 due to poor strategy & rotations. He dominated game 2 as the focal point. +45 in a 27pt win. Zion had a rough 2nd Q +10

Long story short... it was more BI, Jonas, less CJ. Others might have missed it but CJ was on the bench when Pels were building their early lead with BI as the primary.

Jonas went from 7 minutes 1 FGA unplayable to +35 in his first 19mins (7-11) 15/9/3/2 in 26mins +28 due to a sloppy garbage time 4th Q. Cause CJ was -23 in his 10mins, first match.

CJ went from (9-21) shooting 34mins team high -19 in a 9pt loss to (5-11) 14/4/2/2 in 25mins in a 27pt win.

As stated earlier, the real difference was understanding it wasn't the Turner matchup that was the problem. Herb clamped Haliburton to where Jonas played against the #1 small ball offense where their bench had a 23-3 run & Pels held them to 72pts in the competitive 3 Q''s, 102pts total with them putting up 30 in a sloppy garbage time 4th Q.