Prokorov wrote:This game was all the reasons to be encouraged spoiled by the big reason you have to be pessimistic. The trade makes us a new team. the pieces fit. the big flaws are gone. Role guys fit their role great and arent zeros outside their role... on the flipside, Nash is so bad at his job it handicaps us. We got away with a W in this one, but in a 7 game series nash is losing 2 games all by himself. My thoughts:
1) You HAVE to challenge that foul on Greyson Allen. Even if it was a 50/50 call you challenge it, let alone a clearly blown call. There are 16 seconds left. its a 1 possesion game. If you dont challenge there WTF are you saving the challenge for? The odds of a more important, blown call happening in the next 16 seconds is like 1 in a billion. This is a common occurrence. We know Nash wont be fired, but someone... anyone needs to take over the duties on when to challenge. its cost us time and time again.
2) Since the trade we turn the ball over less and give up less second chances. It is refreshing to see them throw up stats like: "3rd quarter shooting Nets 10-17, bucks 4-10". I'm a big proponent that rebound isnt important, but im coming around to the idea that more possesions for super elite scorers like Kyrie and Durant is in outlier. They value of rebounding is increased when those possessions go to top 5 efficiency scorers. Harden was leading the NBA in turnovers. almost all his turnovers are live ball and he usually isnt getting back on D after. thats a big swing to Kyrie/Dragic, who really dont turn it over much at all. These are "hidden points" we are getting a big positive swing in.
3) We match up with the Bucks extremely well post trade. Between Drummond, Johnson, Simmons, KD we now have the bodies to "Wall off" Giannis. We also have the bodies to defend him and make it somewhat tough. nothing against Blake but he wasnt equipped to defend Giannis last year. And with Drummond Giannis putnbacks/2nd chances were almost non exsistant.
4) Kyrie is in peak midseason form. Miami/Bucks are as good as it gets and he pissed all over both of them. And that is with no KD to take the doubles and focus off him. The Advantage of Kyrie and KD is that you can put an elite defender on them and it doesnt matter. Jrue cant defend Kyrie. Giannis cant defend durant. those 2 are completely unguardable... Kyrie also has the clutch gene. i know he He is going to factor into things for us.
5) Why are we leaving portis open and helping off him after his 4th or 5th three? Like switch the pick and pop. dude is a good shooter who was on fire. STOP OVER HELPINGl its such a flaw of this team. How do you not tell your team to switch everything on Portis. Helping on giannis who beat his man makes no sense, your not stopping a dunk of his with an open lane. and you never need to triple team Jrue in the post. if he beats kyrie he beats kyrie, dont leave a hot portis to doulbe that.
6) 2 years in a row we overreact to the middleton drive. we are TERRIFIED of the middleton drive. why? make him score at the rim. he wants the pull up jumper. he wants the step back three. make him a driver! where is our scouting? where is our game plan? terrible. Jevon Carter was on our team. you know out of a timeout he is pressing full court. how are you not ready for it and get an 8 seconds call? these are easy little things. our coaching has no attention to detail and no in game awareness.
7) Bembry is a G. seeing him in a bucks uniform makes me puke. F marks for that move, ill never get over it.
8) Cam thomas quietly with some strong minutes. the 35 foot step back three early in the clock needs to go though
9) Brown was great. he is playing really well. props to him. Mills on the other hand has killed us the past 6 weeks. hopefully he finds his shot.
This was a big win. toronto lost so we are just 1 game behind them and they have looked awful these past 2 games without OG. If we have KD when we play the 2 back to back games against them we could overtake the 7 seed.
1) I'm not going to lose sleep over not challenging the foul on Allen for a possible net of one FT.
2) Having a rebound machine in the game when we're going to have 4 guys shooting long range bombs will be huge. That's a unique situation where a truly elite rebounder's benefit is magnified.
5) Part of the overheating could in large part be a lack of continuity and defensive chemistry.
7) Bembry is a nice player, but he doesn't move the needle. Johnson's and to a lesser extent Brown's ball handling is more essential.
8) Cam has definitely picked up some bad Harden-esque habits.
9) Mills is very streaky. I expect at least one more hot streak and another cold streak.
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