The Playoffs Thread

[Kobblehead]

Bucks shooting 20% from three and still making that a game is a statement. I thought the Bucks would win in 5. It's going to be hard to win 4 straight right now, but I still think they win this series. The Nets can get out to a lead on anyone, but we see how easy it is for teams to get back in the game with them.

[SixthStreet]

Kawhi is not the same athletically but he definitely turned back the clock today. He's also evolving with his playmaking. 9 assists. Took on Doncic in the second half with real success. Virtuoso performance today and can't help but admire him despite him absolutely ripping our hearts out not only with the shot but throughout that series.

[Kobblehead]

This Mavs roster needs a lot of work. Carlisle needs to pull a Scotty Brooks and unleash the munchkins. Brunson and Terry should help with some of the creation load.

[SixthStreet]

Jalen Brunson has a dirt cheap team option next year sure to be exercised by the Mavs but he would look good as a Sixer.

[76ciology]

To beat the hawks, we need to play more physical on Trae. Traps and just try to bully him on defense. If he doesnt get a technical for how we are playing defense, then we have failed.

The hidden secret with these hawks players is they hate physicality. This is why they struggle on bringing down the ball against traps. We’ve played ball before and we all knew these type of players.

Then we have to rotate quicker. Seth and Embiid are a couple of weak links on defensive rotations.

I also wouldnt mind we switching those PnR while Ben comes over to switch at the roll man.

Offensively, Ben has to attack Bogdanovic.
Seth and Tobi has to play 2 man game and Tobi has to attack Trae.
Maxey also has to attack trae.

I like Kobble’s suggestion of 4D chess on defense which is attacking these guys on offense as a means of playing defense.

[76ciology]

What I think would make us a better in team defense?

Put Seth on Trae.

The defender of Trae is going to get erased by the screen anyway. You’d then have Green instead of Seth who’s much quicker in rotating on defense.

If this fails and Trae just abuses Seth’s defense, then explore trapping Trae then let Seth stay with Trae and the one helping rotate on defense.

And if Trae is able to leave Seth and drive to the basket you have multiple guys who can deflect his shot, including Green.

This way your rotations on defense is much better because you rely less on Seth.

If you dont agree with me, watch the game again and watch how Seth is rotating on defense. He’s short, not quick and not athletic then Embiid looks like a step slow on defense.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

How do you play perimeter defense?

[Ferry Avenue]

Read on Twitter

How do you play perimeter defense?

If the offensive player throws his head back it's automatically a foul on the defender.

[Sixerscan]

What I think would make us a better in team defense?

Put Seth on Trae.

The defender of Trae is going to get erased by the screen anyway. You’d then have Green instead of Trae who’s much in rotating on defense.

If this fails and Trae just abuses Seth’s defense, then explore trapping Trae then let Seth stay with Trae and the one helping rotate on defense.

And if Trae is able to leave Seth and drive to the basket you have multiple guys who can deflect his shot, including Green.

This way your rotations on defense is much better because you rely less on Seth.

If you dont agree with me, watch the game again and watch how Seth is rotating on defense. He’s short, not quick and not athletic then Embiid looks like a step slow on defense.

Yeah I think it's less about the actual guy on him and more the help you send. They were playing a pretty conservative scheme at the start in terms of Embiid dropping and not hard trapping. Probably wanted to see if they could get away with playing it like that, got their answer and adjusted accordingly in the second half. We'll see what they do the rest of the series.

I don't think putting Curry on him is an awful idea for the reasons you mentioned, but keep in mind if you want to trap or switch you're going to result in Curry having to switch onto whoever the other guy was covering, and that's a pretty easy way for the Hawks to get a mismatch.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

How do you play perimeter defense?

You what sucks about this call?

Doc asked for a review. And still the refs say this was a foul.

[76ciology]

What I think would make us a better in team defense?

Put Seth on Trae.

The defender of Trae is going to get erased by the screen anyway. You’d then have Green instead of Trae who’s much in rotating on defense.

If this fails and Trae just abuses Seth’s defense, then explore trapping Trae then let Seth stay with Trae and the one helping rotate on defense.

And if Trae is able to leave Seth and drive to the basket you have multiple guys who can deflect his shot, including Green.

This way your rotations on defense is much better because you rely less on Seth.

If you dont agree with me, watch the game again and watch how Seth is rotating on defense. He’s short, not quick and not athletic then Embiid looks like a step slow on defense.

Yeah I think it's less about the actual guy on him and more the help you send. They were playing a pretty conservative scheme at the start in terms of Embiid dropping and not hard trapping. Probably wanted to see if they could get away with playing it like that, got their answer and adjusted accordingly in the second half. We'll see what they do the rest of the series.

I don't think putting Curry on him is an awful idea for the reasons you mentioned, but keep in mind if you want to trap or switch you're going to result in Curry having to switch onto whoever the other guy was covering, and that's a pretty easy way for the Hawks to get a mismatch.

What do you think of just switching the PnR?

I think Trae is not a good finisher in the paint, this is why he likes to settle with floaters.

I’d put Ben on Trae so Ben can switch with either Capela and Collins.

I’d probably live with Trae bombing over Biid’s outstretch arms. Worst case is Biid closing out on Trae, force him to drive then we just rely on team defense and rotation.

I believe Pop did the same thing against Curry back then.

I do think Hawks is just too comfortable with the ICE type PnR scheme.

[Sixerscan]

What I think would make us a better in team defense?

Put Seth on Trae.

The defender of Trae is going to get erased by the screen anyway. You’d then have Green instead of Trae who’s much in rotating on defense.

If this fails and Trae just abuses Seth’s defense, then explore trapping Trae then let Seth stay with Trae and the one helping rotate on defense.

And if Trae is able to leave Seth and drive to the basket you have multiple guys who can deflect his shot, including Green.

This way your rotations on defense is much better because you rely less on Seth.

If you dont agree with me, watch the game again and watch how Seth is rotating on defense. He’s short, not quick and not athletic then Embiid looks like a step slow on defense.

Yeah I think it's less about the actual guy on him and more the help you send. They were playing a pretty conservative scheme at the start in terms of Embiid dropping and not hard trapping. Probably wanted to see if they could get away with playing it like that, got their answer and adjusted accordingly in the second half. We'll see what they do the rest of the series.

I don't think putting Curry on him is an awful idea for the reasons you mentioned, but keep in mind if you want to trap or switch you're going to result in Curry having to switch onto whoever the other guy was covering, and that's a pretty easy way for the Hawks to get a mismatch.

What do you think of just switching the PnR?

I think Trae is not a good finisher in the paint, this is why he likes to settle with floaters.

I’d put Ben on Trae so Ben can switch with either Capela and Collins.

I’d probably live with Trae bombing over Biid’s outstretch arms. Worst case is Biid closing out on Trae, force him to drive then we just rely on team defense and rotation.

I believe Pop did the same thing against Curry back then.

I don't like the idea of always switching because then the offense can manipulate you into bad matchups. Switching isn't just about the matchup after the first switch it's all the other switches that can happen over 24 seconds. You can really only do it when you have enough guys that you are comfortable with covering any of the offensive players and I wouldn't say that about a lineup with Harris or Curry in it, and I would probably include Embiid in that, less because of his physical ability and more because I don't want him doing that all game.

I thought the strategy they used in the second half with alternating between hard traps before the pick and hard shows after the pick was reasonably effective. I imagine they'll have to cycle through a bunch of different coverages though by the time the series is over.

[Stanford]

Boy, the nets sure do suck, guys

[stormi]

Yannis frauding his way to two MVP's and a DPOY is one of the worst things to happen to our beloved league.

[cool93]

I honestly can't see us beating this Nets even without Harden. With him? Sweep.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

You guys really wanna play this Brooklyn team in the next round? I mean....They are down Harden and they are absolutely smoking Milwaukee. It's still early, but damn, this doesn't look good. Guess we'll see if the Bucks can even things up at home.

[cool93]

You guys really wanna play this Brooklyn team in the next round?

I mean, ECF is still better that 2nd round. So yeah, I'd prefer beating Atlanta, lol

[Kobblehead]

Boy, the nets sure do suck, guys

Honestly, I can't explain why the Bucks have been so impotent in this series. Nets are playing better defense than them, too. They look shook or something.

[Negrodamus]

Boy, the nets sure do suck, guys

[Stanford]

Boy, the nets sure do suck, guys