Everything Round 3: Raps vs Bucks

[KeonClark]

Someone who knows basketball better than me, why isnt it preferable to guard Giannis with speedy physical defenders and try to deny him the ball as much as possible? Seems like a better idea to slow him down and mess up his timing rather than give him time and space. Raps are smart helping and might be able to poke around for steals too. I know he isnt a great shooter, but I feel like with space he can get wherever he wants.

I agree. I hope nick has some curveballs, cause thinking siakam or Ibaka can slow him man to man is wishful thinking. Siakam is too weak and Ibaka is too small and slow

[G__Deane]

No one is going to slow Giannis down. The only goal is to somewhat limit the damage and the 3 ball if he's covered.
He could set a f/t record this series

[golden]

Someone who knows basketball better than me, why isnt it preferable to guard Giannis with speedy physical defenders and try to deny him the ball as much as possible? Seems like a better idea to slow him down and mess up his timing rather than give him time and space. Raps are smart helping and might be able to poke around for steals too. I know he isnt a great shooter, but I feel like with space he can get wherever he wants.

[MixxAOR]

Someone who knows basketball better than me, why isnt it preferable to guard Giannis with speedy physical defenders and try to deny him the ball as much as possible? Seems like a better idea to slow him down and mess up his timing rather than give him time and space. Raps are smart helping and might be able to poke around for steals too. I know he isnt a great shooter, but I feel like with space he can get wherever he wants.

because Giannis can post up at elite level and if he starts screening for his guards he can exploit Raps defense.

[bertarapsfan]

I was looking back at the season stats when we played the bucks. The game that we won giannis has 43 points. If i remember that game correctly we pretty much defended giannis 1 on 1 the entire game and stuck to the 3 point shooters. Forcing Giannis to try to beat us on his own. It's not the style the bucks want to play and they arn't used to playing that way. Could throw them out of rythmn and hey that was the only game we won vs them this year. you gotta think that is a startegy floating around the back of nicks mind.

[DanH]

because Giannis can post up at elite level and if he starts screening for his guards he can exploit Raps defense.

Giannis is actually a poor post up player (relative to the rest of his game) - he managed under 1 PPP on 3 post ups a game in the regular season. He hasn't posted up much in the playoffs (14 post ups), but when he has he hasn't exactly been scoring at will (0.7 PPP).

The problem with smaller defenders is it's impossible to deny him the ball because of his length. Just have to throw it high. So unless you are bringing help when he is off ball, hard to stop him from getting the ball right at the rim.

There are two directions I'd prefer to see the Raps go - have Siakam and Kawhi guard him, switch the pair of them when both are in action, and go under screens to dare him to shoot and allow the other PnR defender to stick to the roll/pop man. Or try throwing Gasol or Ibaka at him as the C and keep everyone else at home on shooters, again daring him to shoot. Then if those aren't working you always have the option to blitz him and see how the supporting cast responds. Going small on Giannis would be the last option in my personal bag of tricks.

[inthepaint]

Giannis is actually a poor post up player (relative to the rest of his game) - he managed under 1 PPP on 3 post ups a game in the regular season. He hasn't posted up much in the playoffs (14 post ups), but when he has he hasn't exactly been scoring at will (0.7 PPP).

The problem with smaller defenders is it's impossible to deny him the ball because of his length. Just have to throw it high. So unless you are bringing help when he is off ball, hard to stop him from getting the ball right at the rim.

There are two directions I'd prefer to see the Raps go - have Siakam and Kawhi guard him, switch the pair of them when both are in action, and go under screens to dare him to shoot and allow the other PnR defender to stick to the roll/pop man. Or try throwing Gasol or Ibaka at him as the C and keep everyone else at home on shooters, again daring him to shoot. Then if those aren't working you always have the option to blitz him and see how the supporting cast responds. Going small on Giannis would be the last option in my personal bag of tricks.

That would be my favorite. I know Gasol & Serge will be to slow for Giannis, but I'd live with that instead of having their perimeter players bomb from outside. Gasol has a wide frame and great positional awareness, and Ibaka can alter a lot of shots on the rim. Giannis will probably still get 40 every night, but if we stay home on shooters and limit them to 50 combined we're in good shape

[SkywalkerAC]

I really with we had a 100% OG for this series...hopefully doesn't come back to bite us (i know it's highly unlikely, and unknowable, to be the deciding factor)

[KeonClark]

I really with we had a 100% OG for this series...hopefully doesn't come back to bite us (i know it's highly unlikely, and unknowable, to be the deciding factor)

Actualy quite likely, as the margin for error will be thinner than Chris Boucher

[Apollo]

The guys did an excellent job on Giannis last night. Brolo can't continue to hit at that clip. They just need to do what they did last night only better box out on the defensive glass and protect the ball.

[Mitchell Duong]

The guys did an excellent job on Giannis last night. Brolo can't continue to hit at that clip. They just need to do what they did last night only better box out on the defensive glass and protect the ball.

I wish I could be this optimistic. I thought Nurse was slow to adjust. He still insists on that awful small backcourt FVV thing. He played Gasol waaay too much like it was the Philly series. Such a small margin in these games, and he made them smaller.

Pascal was bad, Gasol was bad (probably gassed), Serge was awful. Green wasn't good. Kawhi was okay. Bench looked okay on its first run, but the stats are bad.

The more I think of it. If it wasn't for KLOE. We get slaughtered.

[Apollo]

All they need to do is win all their home games and steal a road game. The Bucks may struggle in Toronto.

[DanH]

I wish I could be this optimistic. I thought Nurse was slow to adjust. He still insists on that awful small backcourt FVV thing. He played Gasol waaay too much like it was the Philly series. Such a small margin in these games, and he made them smaller.

Pascal was bad, Gasol was bad (probably gassed), Serge was awful. Green wasn't good. Kawhi was okay. Bench looked okay on its first run, but the stats are bad.

The more I think of it. If it wasn't for KLOE. We get slaughtered.

Ibaka had a -52 on-court net rating. How do you not play Gasol a lot when Ibaka is completely useless outside of a couple decent contests at the rim? My issue is if Ibaka is this bad, we have to shrink his minutes to only spelling Gasol, not playing at PF (this is kind of an odd matchup to go big in), which means stretching the minutes of the other bench players, who I'm not much more confident in...

[Rudy Bargnani]

Yea Ibaka was terrible.

I get the Nurse complaints but I feel his hands were tied. He played Gasol a lot of minutes because Ibaka was bad. Green was bad but what do you do bring in Ibaka or Fred? Tough choices.

Everyone other then Kyle was 0-15 in the 4th. To me that’s why we lost.

[Just Is]

Yea Ibaka was terrible.

I get the Nurse complaints but I feel his hands were tied. He played Gasol a lot of minutes because Ibaka was bad. Green was bad but what do you do bring in Ibaka or Fred? Tough choices.

Everyone other then Kyle was 0-15 in the 4th. To me that’s why we lost.

It's actually ... worse than that. I didn't catch this until I saw a tweet earlier today.

For the entire second half of the game, KL² were 12/24 and the REST of the team was 1/23.

Try and guess the players: 1-8, 0-7, 0-3, 0-1, 0-2, 0-2.
Siakam, Gasol, Green, Ibaka, FVV, Norm

I don't think the Raptors play worse than this. I think this is still a Raptors in 7 series.