3pt_chucker wrote:That was a good win yesterday. I said this a few games back but it's more evident each game, when JV leans into only playing big, aka no midget 2 or 3 guard lineups, this team thrives. Lineups where Seth/Din are the only guards on the floor, the team plays really well. The best part is that this looks highly translatable to the playoffs.
The small ball lineup of Din-CJ-Bridges-Royce-DFS has started to look like it might be the best lineup on the roster at least against every team except Philly.
On defense, the ability for DFS to seamlessly play the 5 and Royce's ability to switch on to bigs make the lineup work. Even when the other team tries to hunt a switch for the smallest guy on the floor (Din), he is at least big enough for it to not immediately be a liability. Also hunting for that switch, bleeds clock and the other team has to rush into most likely a rushed difficult shot.
On offense, 5 out is just so perfect for this modern NBA. If DFS can find his 3pt consistency, that lineup would be even more lethal. JV and co need to figure out a way to improve the offense down the stretch. I'm fine with Din dominating the ball but too many times it seems like after he blows by his guy he's not sure what to do with the ball and the other guys aren't sure either. Hopefully this gets better with reps and time.
In the last 5 games, this lineup has played 37 mins(small sample) but has an OFF rating = 107 DEF rating = 92 Net = +14 & +18.5! in 81 possessions.
Hopefully JV deploys this lineup a bit more so they can build chemistry.
BTW, the starting lineup is also really good. OFF Rating = 116 DEF rating = 106 Net = +11 +8.9 in 282 possessions
Great analysis -- just a few thoughts.
I think that small lineup you mentioned could well be our version of a closing "death squad". And JV is great at offensive/defensive substitutions, so I think we will also see Nic in and out with Seth or whomever is hot mixed in late in a game, depending on needs.
You mentioned DFS' threes, and he seems to be rounding into form. But when Spencer gets back to his Dallas production, our offensive rating should be even better. He's getting the same points, but there he averaged 45.5/40.4 percent shooting. I think he and JV have been more concerned with getting everyone else going and building cohesion. And it has worked, so Din struggling with his own three shot hasn't been that problematic. But I still remember him stealing a game from us, so I am optimistic.
We are no longer merely a finesse team. But superstar bigs will still be a problem, as they are with enveryone else. Jokic is absolutely terrifying, and Gobert was no slouch, so I'm wondering if that defense with Royce and DFS on them, sometimes with Nic playing defensive safety, will work against guys like Joel and Giannis. It seems harder with the latter since he's usually not relatively stationary, and I do not know if our defense can be modified to stop him going downhill. JV seems to save it for the second half, and particularly crunch time, so it's not overused. We just must work better to stay closer early.
