WCQF | P1 (2) Denver Nuggets vs (7) San Antonio Spurs

[Baski]

I argued with these Denver fans and stat nerds all season about him and how he could be targeted, the Rockets gave the blueprint on him the last 2 seasons just get him involved with as many high screens as possible and he's a traffic cone, you saw it tonight with how much White was attacking the rim. Jokic is lucky the Spurs don't have Murray right now, he'd be unplayable if he had to go against DeJounte, DeMar and Derrick for 48 mins.

He's going to have to lose weight and get his body in shape, being built like a truck driver is fine for the regular season when the analytic lovers are waxing poetic about how your CIA, FBI, NRA, FICO and other worthless acronym stats, but in the playoffs that wont cut it when the opposing coach just decides he's going to make you play in space & rotate because you're about 30lbs too heavy.

[johanliebert]

I don't really watch any Spurs but are Derrick White and Dejounte Murray going to be able to play next to each other next year?

White looks like a star in the making.

Yes, I think next season’s lineup should be:

Poetl
Aldridge
DeRozan
White
Murray

Derozan needs shooters around him. Unless Murray becomes one one of white/Murray will have to come off the bench

[Tron Carter]

derrick white is a bad bad man

[Tron Carter]

I picked Denver in 6.

I said Jokic was going to get pick and rolled to death. Pop will exploit weaknesses to the fullest.

yet you picked Denver in 6..?

[Chinook]

I picked Denver in 6.

I said Jokic was going to get pick and rolled to death. Pop will exploit weaknesses to the fullest.

yet you picked Denver in 6..?

Likely one of the many who think/thought Denver was just a much better team and could overcome tactical weaknesses.

[510TWSS]

Holy **** wish I watched this game last night. I’m all aboard the DW hype train!

[Chinook]

That's a dumb overreaction on your parts, guys. The postseason isn't some magical thing, it's still basketball. If Jokic would be unplayable in the postseason, he would be unplayable in the regular season. It's that simple. Also, it's NOT the big man's task to stay in front of the penetrator, it's the perimeter players' task, to help their big, and at least funnel the offensive player into them. The Nuggets guards/forwards has to play much better defense.

The playoffs are different than the regular season in a number of ways. The biggest is that the opponents will be better at exposing obvious weaknesses. If the regular season is like a battle royale, the playoffs are like a series of duels. It's true that not all teams have the coaching or personnel to exploit a given weakness. But usually the teams that make it to the post-season have one or the other going for them,

I don't think Jokic is playing that poorly. He's not a superstar or even particularly close to one, but that's a really high bar in the first place. Regardless, it's now a modern big's job to help contain penetration and to be switchable. Jokic comes out way too far to be as slow-footed as he is. If the dude stayed near the rim, you could blame the others more. But there's no nobility it running out to "help" when that just makes everyone more vulnerable.

[Kabookalu]

For those wondering why Malone likes his Jokic/Plumlee lineups:

Watch on YouTube

Really insightful video. Doesn't mean that he should continue running it, but I can get behind the idea of it. This is also an old video during the regular season.

[reignfire]

I picked Denver in 6.

I said Jokic was going to get pick and rolled to death. Pop will exploit weaknesses to the fullest.

yet you picked Denver in 6..?

Damn...

Mistyped. I meant Spurs.

[reignfire]

Remember when people thought Jokic was better than Embiid?

This analytics nonsense has killed people's ability to watch a game and analyze what's actually going on in the game.

[Sgt Major]

He's still better, tho.

[Bum Adebayo]

Embiid gets exposed against Horford and Baynes. Jokic gets exposed in defense against guards and quick players. I wouldn't draw any conclusions yet as to which one is the better player.

[Gooner]

Remember when people thought Jokic was better than Embiid?

This analytics nonsense has killed people's ability to watch a game and analyze what's actually going on in the game.

Jokic is awful defensively, and that disqualifies him from being better than Embiid.

[VDT]

Embiid gets exposed against Horford and Baynes. Jokic gets exposed in defense against guards and quick players. I wouldn't draw any conclusions yet as to which one is the better player.

Embiid is averaging 29/15 at 61% TS this year against the Celtics.

I think the only player that has proved to limit him is Marc Gasol. it will be interesting to see what happens in the next round against the Raptors.

[Johnny Firpo]

Remember when people thought Jokic was better than Embiid?

This analytics nonsense has killed people's ability to watch a game and analyze what's actually going on in the game.

Way to overreact, also, Embiid is absolutely horrific in the playoffs so far.

[Johnny Firpo]

Remember when people thought Jokic was better than Embiid?

This analytics nonsense has killed people's ability to watch a game and analyze what's actually going on in the game.

Jokic is awful defensively, and that disqualifies him from being better than Embiid.

No he is not. He is just bad as a rim protector. That's not the whole picture. When he played excellent defense in game 1 and game 2, you guys were nowhere to be found. It's pathetic.

[Bergmaniac]

Malone's insistence on playing Barton big minutes despite him being useless on both ends is killing the Nuggets. Spurs aren't even guarding him anymore on the perimeter yet he keeps bricking everything. I could understand it if Denver's bench was lacking but they have Beasley and Craig, both playing well this series and solid players in general, so it's inexplicable he's insisting on playing a guy who is clearly not at his best this season and not a great fit against the Spurs anyway.

Also Jamal Murray needs to wake up or this would be a short series, he's been dreadful the whole series outside of the hot 4th quarter in game 2. Last night his defence was hilariously bad.

[MikeTheKid]

What’s scarier about the Spurs is next season when Lonnie Walker starts getting more minutes too:

DJM/Patty
D. White/Lonnie/Belli

Spurs fans would that be the guard rotation next year?


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[Gooner]

Remember when people thought Jokic was better than Embiid?

This analytics nonsense has killed people's ability to watch a game and analyze what's actually going on in the game.

Jokic is awful defensively, and that disqualifies him from being better than Embiid.

No he is not. He is just bad as a rim protector. That's not the whole picture. When he played excellent defense in game 1 and game 2, you guys were nowhere to be found. It's pathetic.

"Just bad as a rim protector" ain't gonna cut it for a center. He is also bad when he steps up on pick n roll.

[-TheDocOfDenial]

You can not be a good playoff team when your best player is a C who is a huge defensive liability. Thats why Jokic until proven otherwise will not be considered elite.