Was Kawhi's defense on Giannis during the 2019 playoffs overrated?

[Asif16]

Raptors defense was historic. So, yes it was MUCH more than just Kawhi on Giannis.

But at the same time, yes Kawhi helped a lot in that regard lol

[DCRYsing89]

It was mostly their team defense,
Though can’t take credit off Kawhi since he not only executed the plan perfectly,
In moments the plan didn’t work he improvised and was still able to annoy Giannis often.

So probably more so I feel the strat put out there by Nurse doesn’t get enough credit in comparison IMO

[AdagioPace]

I think Kawhi's defense was crucial for changing momentum in game 3(or 2?), in terms of making Giannis' life difficult. From that moment on his contribution was comparable to Siakam's and Gasol's

[RaptorPride]

this doesn't mean anything, they put Kawhi on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint completely blocking Giannis off forcing him into shots he can't make

They put Pascal on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint. But Pascal was 33.2. Kawhi was 15.9.

So apparently Pascal had the same team defense that benefited Kawhi but wasn't effective in stopping him like the stats showed

But how often was Pascal on Giannis?
Just watch the video OP posted it explains everything perfectly.
We will for sure miss Kawhi when we have play Giannis but it wasn't him just playing one on one man defense.

Watch on YouTube

[Yogatti]

But how often was Pascal on Giannis?

He was the primary defender on Giannis for Game 1 & 2.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Game 1 = Lost
Game 2 = Blowout

Nick Nurse said it himself he made adjustments and had Kawhi guard Giannis starting Game 3. And that's when they started winning games and turn the series around

[theforumblue]

with the same team defense, having a guy like kawhi on you doesn't allow for weak handles, moves or executions, which makes a guy like giannis tighter and more prone to overthinking. other elite defenders might have the same psychological impact, but only giannis would know that and who knows, maybe you really do need kawhi's long reach for maximum impact.

[KqWIN]

Every player's defense against an individual player is overrated. Defense is a team concept.

[RaptorPride]

But how often was Pascal on Giannis?

He was the primary defender on Giannis for Game 1 & 2.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Game 1 = Lost
Game 2 = Blowout

Nick Nurse said it himself he made adjustments and had Kawhi guard Giannis starting Game 3. And that's when they started winning games and turn the series around

That's a good point Kawhi is much stronger than Siakam so is able to body him. But the reason Siakam was on him because Kawhi needed to rest after the 76ers sereies and we were tryna buy time for him. Game 3 was when Giannis really got shut down but he went back to getting buckets after that. We also tightened up our defensive schemes starting game 3. The loses in Game one and two wasn't because we couldn't stop Giannis but because offensively everyone was shooting low percentages even Kawhi. I think everyone was shooting like 30% from the field game one. Game two Kawhi was the only player to show up offensively and we got nothing from our bench. While the bucks had help from everyone. Game three was when everyone started to play and stepped up offensively and defensively for the rest of the series and Fred came in with his shooting off the bench I believe in game 4,5 and 6 which the bucks had no answer for. So you can't use the loses of game one and two to blame Siakam as the reason we lost those games because even after game three Gianiss went back to getting buckets. But yes I agree Kawhi is more effective on Giannis but he didn't solely stop him the whole series. The whole raptors team stepped up on both sides.

Pascal still held him to lower percentages than the teams in the earlier rounds.

[cupcakesnake]

hilarious that everyone on here arguing scheme vs. individual defense.

You know that in basketball neither of those things exist by themselves right? Was I missing the mini games of 1-on-1 Kawhi and Giannis were playing before or after the playoff games? Am I also missing other Raptors playing elite defense on Giannis inside the identical scheme?

Both things were elite, and neither negates the other.

[Yogatti]

Pascal still held him to lower percentages than the teams in the earlier rounds.

Pascal

1. 43 %
2. 50%

Kawhi

3. 31%
4. 52.9%
5. 50%
6. 38%

The lowest for Pascal was 43 %

The lowest for Kawhi was 31% and the other was 38%

Game 3 - 41 Possessions guarded by Kawhi
Game 4 - 34 Possessions guarded by Kawhi

As you can see when Kawhi guarded GIannis the most he reduced him to just 12 points on 31 % shooting

[RaptorPride]

Pascal still held him to lower percentages than the teams in the earlier rounds.

Pascal

1. 43 %
2. 50%

Kawhi

3. 31%
4. 52.9%
5. 50%
6. 38%

The lowest for Pascal was 43 %

The lowest for Kawhi was 31% and the other was 38%

and the highest was on Kawhi at 52.9%

Giannis was shooting over 60% in multiple games in the first two rounds.
Again watch this video it explains everything better than I can. Yes, Kawhi switched onto him but the defense was not one on one.
The team as a whole stepped up defensively tightening our defensive schemes and focusing on clogging the paint.

Watch on YouTube

[clyde21]

this doesn't mean anything, they put Kawhi on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint completely blocking Giannis off forcing him into shots he can't make

They put Pascal on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint. But Pascal was 33.2. Kawhi was 15.9.

So apparently Pascal had the same team defense that benefited Kawhi but wasn't effective in stopping him like the stats showed

lol...Raptors had a better defensive rating in the POs when Kawhi was OFF the court. relax my guy.

[socal74]

Pascal still held him to lower percentages than the teams in the earlier rounds.

Pascal

1. 43 %
2. 50%

Kawhi

3. 31%
4. 52.9%
5. 50%
6. 38%

The lowest for Pascal was 43 %

The lowest for Kawhi was 31% and the other was 38%

Game 3 - 41 Possessions guarded by Kawhi
Game 4 - 34 Possessions guarded by Kawhi

As you can see when Kawhi guarded GIannis the most he reduced him to just 12 points on 31 % shooting

It was teams defensive scheme. From what I saw, without gasol, siakam, Ibaka clogging the paint, giannis is hard to stop. Kawhi is too **** small to guard giannis so stop with that nonsense. Kawhi couldn't guard him one on one. Only thing that helped was the help defense from one of those 3 guys I mentioned. Without that, kawhi gets eaten alive.

[picc]

I thought it was less Kawhi's direct defense and more Giannis being intimidated by Kawhi guarding him. He seemed to get in his own head about it. Which I guess can be attributed to Kawhi's defense in a roundabout way, but I thought it lookedmore psychological.

[Yogatti]

Pascal still held him to lower percentages than the teams in the earlier rounds.

Pascal

1. 43 %
2. 50%

Kawhi

3. 31%
4. 52.9%
5. 50%
6. 38%

The lowest for Pascal was 43 %

The lowest for Kawhi was 31% and the other was 38%

and the highest was on Kawhi at 52.9%

Giannis was shooting over 60% in multiple games in the first two rounds.
Again watch this video it explains everything better than I can. Yes, Kawhi switched onto him but the defense was not one on one.
The team as a whole stepped up defensively tightening our defensive schemes and focusing on clogging the paint.

Watch on YouTube

Lowest was 31% and 38%. Pascal isn’t even close that. He did a better job gaurding him then Pascal. They never lost a game as soon as Kawhi started guarding him

[zimpy27]

Kawhi gets way too much credit for defending Giannis, it was a team effort led largely by size of the interior.

But for the part that Kawhi played he did extremely well. And that isn't overrated.

In other words the overrating is on the part of how people overrate perimeter players in general. Not on Kawhi.

[RaptorPride]

Pascal

1. 43 %
2. 50%

Kawhi

3. 31%
4. 52.9%
5. 50%
6. 38%

The lowest for Pascal was 43 %

The lowest for Kawhi was 31% and the other was 38%

and the highest was on Kawhi at 52.9%

Giannis was shooting over 60% in multiple games in the first two rounds.
Again watch this video it explains everything better than I can. Yes, Kawhi switched onto him but the defense was not one on one.
The team as a whole stepped up defensively tightening our defensive schemes and focusing on clogging the paint.

Watch on YouTube

Lowest was 31% and 38%. Pascal isn’t even close that. He did a better job gaurding him then Pascal. They never lost a game as soon as Kawhi started guarding him

Like I said before

But the reason Siakam was on him because Kawhi needed to rest after the 76ers sereies and we were tryna buy time for him. Game 3 was when Giannis really got shut down but he went back to getting buckets after that. We also tightened up our defensive schemes starting game 3. The loses in Game one and two wasn't because we couldn't stop Giannis but because offensively everyone was shooting low percentages even Kawhi. I think everyone was shooting like 30% from the field game one. Game two Kawhi was the only player to show up offensively and we got nothing from our bench. While the bucks had help from everyone. Game three was when everyone started to play and stepped up offensively and defensively for the rest of the series and Fred came in with his shooting off the bench I believe in game 4,5 and 6 which the bucks had no answer for. So you can't use the loses of game one and two to blame Siakam as the reason we lost those games because even after game three Gianiss went back to getting buckets. But yes I agree Kawhi is more effective on Giannis but he didn't solely stop him the whole series. The whole raptors team stepped up on both sides.

[Raps in 4]

this doesn't mean anything, they put Kawhi on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint completely blocking Giannis off forcing him into shots he can't make

They put Pascal on Giannis but had Ibaka/Gasol cover the paint. But Pascal was 33.2. Kawhi was 15.9.

So apparently Pascal had the same team defense that benefited Kawhi but wasn't effective in stopping him like the stats showed

Kawhi is stronger than Pascal. I don't get the point of this post.

Kawhi was crucial to the defensive effort, but he was still just a piece in the puzzle. He can't stop Giannis 1-on-1 (no one can).

[Yogatti]

and the highest was on Kawhi at 52.9%

Giannis was shooting over 60% in multiple games in the first two rounds.
Again watch this video it explains everything better than I can. Yes, Kawhi switched onto him but the defense was not one on one.
The team as a whole stepped up defensively tightening our defensive schemes and focusing on clogging the paint.

Watch on YouTube

Lowest was 31% and 38%. Pascal isn’t even close that. He did a better job gaurding him then Pascal. They never lost a game as soon as Kawhi started guarding him

Like I said before

But the reason Siakam was on him because Kawhi needed to rest after the 76ers sereies and we were tryna buy time for him. Game 3 was when Giannis really got shut down but he went back to getting buckets after that. We also tightened up our defensive schemes starting game 3. The loses in Game one and two wasn't because we couldn't stop Giannis but because offensively everyone was shooting low percentages even Kawhi. I think everyone was shooting like 30% from the field game one. Game two Kawhi was the only player to show up offensively and we got nothing from our bench. While the bucks had help from everyone. Game three was when everyone started to play and stepped up offensively and defensively for the rest of the series and Fred came in with his shooting off the bench I believe in game 4,5 and 6 which the bucks had no answer for. So you can't use the loses of game one and two to blame Siakam as the reason we lost those games because even after game three Gianiss went back to getting buckets. But yes I agree Kawhi is more effective on Giannis but he didn't solely stop him the whole series. The whole raptors team stepped up on both sides.

That doesn’t change the fact that Kawhi did a better job guarding him than anyone else did. You also lied about Pascal holding Giannis to lower percentage than Kawhi did when that’s not true at all.

[GeorgeMarcus]

hilarious that everyone on here arguing scheme vs. individual defense.

You know that in basketball neither of those things exist by themselves right? Was I missing the mini games of 1-on-1 Kawhi and Giannis were playing before or after the playoff games? Am I also missing other Raptors playing elite defense on Giannis inside the identical scheme?

Both things were elite, and neither negates the other.

Well yes but because (A) team defense generally outweighs individual defense and (B) the average fan believes individual defense outweighs team defense, I think it's fair to say Kawhi's defensive impact in that series has been overrated. He was still excellent defensively but it's night and day if you plug him on a team like Phoenix and expect the same thing.