Wait, so you're telling me Brown, Braun, and KCP are better defenders than Facu, Rivers, and Barton? I was told by everyone for years now that it didn't make a difference and it was all Jokic's fault for Denver not having good defense. 🤷
@ByzantineHistoryFan I'm not rewriting NOTHING. it's a FACT most people who aren't inside nuggets circles were picking Phoenix, SPECIFICALLY because of Denvers and Jokic's supposed defensive short comings.
@@DammitBobby i said this..lol.. start of each game pnr leads to easy ayton scores then it disappears. Suns havent played enough to adjust to when denver adjusts.
@@jayjolley9258 he saying his mentality is that of a second option. He just stands around and let’s other cook when often he needs to take over the game if he’s supposed to be the best player on the team
This feels like a suns problem. They had same problem with Dallas last year when they blew a 2-0 lead, they can't make a skip pass and other teams blow up their pick and roll offense as a result, which forces them to rely on a relatively inefficient iso offense.
I don't understand why CP can't make some of these passes. He's supposed to be one of the best passers ever. It's a moot point now that he's out for the rest of the series though.
@@captainmarvelous7678 he’s too small. Skip passes require you to get the ball over the top and if your hedged by Jokic who has a foot (more if you count wingspan) on him he just can’t reliably get ur roads over the top without a deflection.
@@captainmarvelous7678 he definitely used to, but the ball isn’t in his hands as much anymore plus he’s 38 with a ton of leg injuries, so if he gets doubled (considering his size) it’s hard to pass out of it
Yea and now they got one shooter to target a skip pass with compared to 2 in Johnson and Bridges. At this point all they (KD and Booker) can do is attack the rim as much as they can and have open shooters knock down their shots (Lee, Shamet, Payne, ross and warren if monty cared to use them :/) and have Ayton crash the glass (a complete tossup each night). When it's so obvious to the nuggets that the midrange is the game they can plan around that and even then, apply some decent coverage to those shots which KD bricked after brick. There's been zero craftiness in the playcalling from Monty. Stagnant ISO play. When they're clicking and making those shots ofc its fun but its simply not sustainable enough and adjustments have to be made. Hard to be a fan of the team after so long but it is what it is
@@ye.ha.8378 If we didn't trade Vanderbilt, we probably would've never traded for Gordon and I like Gordon more as a player. He does a lot of the dirty work on this team
lebron making that skip pass everytime if they match up next round the real question will be if the lakers will be able to hit the 3 ball at a consistent clip
@@billpham632 Not true. if the nuggets whould have known how good he is they wouldn't have traded him they whould have given something else for Gordon by the way Tim Connelly traded him from the Timberwolves as wall he definitely didn't like him
It honesty sounds like it needs a lot of communication on the player's side, knowing whos where and Phoenix not having a crazy passer like Jokic. If the midrange is where the suns make their points, then they've cut it off from them.
@@LaughingJokerProd the crazy part is that the cross pass that is required to beat this coverage isn't anything new. Most play-off teams are able to do it (as long as they aren't small players like CP3 which in his prime was able to do it but not now). This is a very exclusive Phoenix problem that wasn't adress since last post season. This was the main reason that Dallas outcoach them last season.
@@pedromoreira2875 lol you tripping! Few players in the league that can make these skip passes across the court. It’s a really risky pass to make especially if you’re a 6’2 guard..the only players that make it consistently are guys like Luka and bron cuz they huge and are great passers..Booker or KD will never pull this off cuz they not like that.
I've said it before but I love how you highlight the nuances. Its a chess match. It might not pay off every play, but it shows throughout the course of the game. This is why coaching is super important and underrated.
There is a lot of this in the playoffs because match ups are a thing and teams have to show adaptations, or get sunk being exploited of their weakness.
Amazing analysis! honestly seeing someone dive this deep into a series and provide so much analysis makes me wonder why anyone watches ESPN anymore. In 8 mins you’ve provided more insight than any of the so-called analysts on TV. Nothing there but hot takes from people that clearly don’t watch the game. Keep up the great work!
True. A superstar going off might win a game or two, but its the personnel that surrounds them that guarantees success. Getting swept doesnt just mean the opponent choking but a result of careful planning and adaptation.
@@Por-poI logic answer which many people will not and do not want to accept. "Sports" fan like hyperpole narrative. it is easier for their simple brain to accept gangster language "choking" than planning, details and execution.
Basically the nuggets in theory could run this defense vs the Lakers but vs the warrios it would be a rough seires. This post season is an interesting study on basketball theory vs execution in Phoenix vs Denver and wariros vs Lakers. East is just wierd imo.
Don't see how this would work against the Lakers when their role players are good shooter and they have excellent passers. You can't leave the skip pass because lebron, dlo and Dennis would hit that with ease not to mention the AD postup is just a much better option then an ayton postup or pick and roll.
@@user-sh7fr9wj1h Rui, Dlo, Austin Even LBJ who sucks at shooting rn can make some on a good night Packing the paint makes it so AD won’t have to expend energy on offense & can focus on Defense
Don’t think it works as well with Lebron being so talented at making those skip passes. As well as AD being one of the best lob threats. Plus AD is a far better rebounder than Ayton which means Jokic won’t drop back as much
They have to attack the hedge. The slow dribble around the PnR works when there is a switch or a drop, but against a hedge you have to go fast and attack it. Either getting around it or through it for a layup or foul, or forcing a switch due to the speed and intensity.
The weird thing is that Durant just doesn't look like he has the gas to do it. Everytime I was expecting him to try and blow past Jok and at least try to draw a foul, but he would take a step, hesitate, then be forced to reset.
Interesting take my brother. This might actually work. What do you of setting tighter PnRs within the 3-pt arc so Ayton can be used more around the rim?
That's the thing the suns really don't want to do tho, because if they already have their starters going for 40-45 minutes each game, they want them to play those minutes at a steady pace and not sprinting around all the time. They are already struggling vs the nuggets bench, and if they try to push the pace too much, they might just sign their own death warrant because Denver can have rotations with guys running that much, but the suns can't.
@@scruffythejanitor1969 KD also doesn’t have the cleanest handle to be able to dribble through traffic so he’s probably just fearful of turning the ball over because the nuggets are always gonna have at least 2 defenders reach on him
This Nuggets team reminds me so much of the past great Spurs. A dominant big, great ball movement, excellent coordinated team defense. It’s like a remix of those Spurs.
I also think this defensive scheme maximizes Jokic in putting him in the best position to secure rebounds off miss mid range shots. Just the way the nuggets defenders attack the suns almost forces the cutter who is trying to secure the offensive rebound directly into Jokic boxing out. And since Jokic is such a great rebounder he is pretty much always going to win that. Even if it’s Ayton.
@@uberneanderthal tf you talking about? I’m not saying the scheme is what makes Jokic a great rebounder. Im saying the scheme only works with a great rebounder 🤣🤣
Great analysis. It's interesting how Denver's defense is forcing the best mid-range team in the league outside their comfort zone, and shooting so many mid-rangers! Fascinating. I'd like to see Phoenix attack Jokic with any of: 1. Ram screens into P&Rs 2. Slip the P&R 3. Veer pin-downs 4. Zoom Or really anything that will impede his ability to show on P&Rs.
This dude just sayin random words and callin em offensive schemes. With that said, I’d like to see Phoenix try: 1 P&R + 2 Cherry Tomato 3 P&R ++ 4 The 🗿 5 The Flying V 6 The Statue of Liberty 7 Spider Y2 Banana
The Twolves tried to do KAT Gobert slip screens but they covered it well rotating, with a specifically great defensive play by Murray blowing it up on the pass to Gobert. The issue with running a lot of these sets is that Ayton is terrible, sets weak screens and often fails to roll, which is only making the spacing issues worse as he tends to linger after setting a pick.
This was also what happened in the Minnesota series. The nuggs are so good at doubling and then recovering it was extremely frustrating to watch them make the right defensive rotations every possession and force KAT to choke the ball up. Just shows how important it is to have role players that can shoot and packing the paint to a degree still is a viable option against certain matchups. I'm glad the nuggs are showing how good they are when they're fully healthy and also pretty satisfied the wolves were able to hang on in the majority of games they played (with the exception of game 1) even without some key players. Hope Jokic wins the chip this year to make up for losing out on the MVP award.
They did great denying Gobert's lobs, too. Jokic would guard Gobert and once they sense the lob coming MPJ or uncle Jeff would leap in and kill the lob. Denver actually bulit a great defense system to go along with their insane offensive system.
Jokic is definitely doing a solid job in his defensive role but the stars on Denver’s defense gotta be the perimeter guys that are instantly sliding over to pick up ayton and then instantly sliding to contest the 3pt line. If the perimeter guys don’t bust their ass trying to guard multiple players at once then Jokic doesn’t get to roam and help
@@forthe3136 yes, definitely. AG, Bruce Brown and KCP are a massive upgrade, Porter has significantly improved in all facets of the game even though he can be sometimes disconnected, which is just a thing of experience. but my MVP hat goes to the rook, Christian Braun.. he is phenomenal, played this defense throughout all season. bro locked up Kevin F Durant.
@@Papellxhase suns adjusted in game 3 but as a suns fan we don’t have shooters. They can literally stack the lane double Kd or book let the other guys try to make shots. Ayton sucks so they don’t have to focus on much. If the suns get deeper in the following years it will be a problem
@@docd0071 yes bruh, for years now he's pushing guards to get to position quicker, etc. he's been instructing since his 3rd year in the league basically.
Basically Denver's defense works because the Suns lack passing and 3 points shooting. I'm curious to see if it would hold against the Warriors (assuming they beat the Lakers of course)
Also give jokic some credit for being level on the screen. He is adapting and adjusting his defense throughout the playoffs so far. While he may not joel embijd blocking shots everywhere, his awareness and iq allows him to read the ball handler eyes and force turnovers if they think too much. Plus, he knows most to all of the plays phoenix is running, so he knows the technique to defend them, so he tells his teammates the best way to defend off ball cuts and screens.
Let's see what happens over the off-season. I think the media didn't do them any favors bc they shouldn't have been called contenders. But picking up a couple of guys and having a year to work with them might do the trick
Great analysis. Another point about Jokic' individual defensive ability is that he can be elite defensively when he needs to be: multiple game-winning blocks, amongst league's steals leaders, etc. The reason this isn't on show throughout the game, and much of the regular season is that Jokic knows his value on the offensive end of the court is historically good and doesn't want to get into foul trouble. Instead, as illustrated so well in your video, he plays good to great positional team defense but won't take risks on shot contests/strips.
Just to further add to your comments about the skip pass. When it is Booker or Paul with the ball a lot of the times the weakside defender is athletic enough and long enough to split and make the pass difficult (mostly thinking of Gordon or Porter Jr). As shorter guys they kind of have to lob the skip pass (they aren't tall enough to see over Denver's D) and even if they do it well enough to get it there the higher arching pass give the defender time to recover.
💯. A lot of these clips it's Aaron Gordon, and he's leaning toward the skip pass in anticipation. A big mobile dude with hops is not where you want to throw a skip pass over.
Granted its also bad roster building optics. The skip pass is the only legit play because the Suns can only attack you from mid range if they don't access that pass. Which the Nuggets are hella fine to settle for it because while their team may struggle if they get stretched out against better shooting. When the action is more condensed then its easier to pre-switch and keep Jokic close to the action in the middle of traffic. And in case he does need help the athletic or lengthy help from Gordon/MPJ can get there easier.
The Mavs also slide over with DFS as help way into the paint last year , which helped them contain book and cp , as Book or CP can't pass to the corner
Yeah Thinking Basketball made vids about this a year ago. Sure its a different team this time the Suns are struggling to do the same thing but its a clear weakness and anyone just glossing over it is knows why the Suns are all-nba Team Cancun come playoff time.
"Living with a Damion Lee 3" is about the most infuriating thing ever for us Suns fans. Absolutely HAVE to get these guys shooting/making more threes. In addition, Ayton needs to be shooting a few 3PAs from the top of the key every game to keep defenses honest - that and eliminate the low-effort rebounding from his game.
The problem is not getting these guys more shots. The problem is relying on these role players shooting 44% 3-ball at a low clip in the regular season and expecting it to carry over in the playoffs. If you actually think going 9-10 deep to buy baskets because your super stars can't is a sound idea, there is a reason why Monty only wins the regular season but gets brutally outcoached in the postseason.
this tells me that Ayton is treated like a role player by Denver. They don't respect him at all. Look how many times Ayton is left completely alone in the paint or sliding to the paint. Without Ayton becoming a scoring threat, Suns can get 🧹
What I enjoy from your video breakdowns is the perspective. I feel as if I'm watching film with the team coach. if you analyze the game this well, I wonder what coaches Monte and Michael see. can't wait to see the evolution in this series
Thank you offering the analysis that is lacking,on ESPN and other Media platforms. The NBA needs to teach the truth rather then misinform to drive a narrative.
Great analysis! I wonder how much they can modify their defense against better 3 point shooting teams like the Warriors or Celtics. Lakers look like a better match up for Denver.
Very good video, describing exactly what Denver set out to do, and did. Congrats to Gordon, Caldwell-Pope for their great on ball defense on Book/KD, and congrats to damn near every nuggets rotation player for active hands and filling transition lanes. COACH MALONE deserves more respect from the media, and I have a creeping suspicion they don’t want to give it to him. But the Nuggets might win their first chip, and force the media to recognize what they’ve been able to build & achieve in Denver
@@shorewall that's why I'm all for a Jamal Murray + MPJ trade for a two-way star like PG (less injured maybe). it'll be a better team 2/3 years from now
I think this video is a great example of why Denver would be favourites against the Lakers, but not the Warriors, despite the Lakers looking to be the favourites in that Californian series.
Nope. The reason Lakers have so many ft attempts is because because they are really good at attacking the paint. They won't settle for 3s or heavy contested midranges like suns. Look at game 1 against the warriors. Warriors defense was to pack the paint and make the Lakers a jump shooting team. That was Memphis plan too but obviously it ain't work that way cuz Lakers are great at attacking the paint and drawing the fouls. Once players start getting into foul trouble Lakers feast more in the paint.
Amazing work and breakdown. As someone who was extremely skeptical of Nikolas defense, I cant wait to see how the nuggets adjust to a better 3 point shooting team. Still props to them for adapting this well to the suns.
Basically Jokic is only slow footed but a smart defender and understands rotations. This type of defence doesn’t protect someone who doesn’t know how to switch onto the mismatch or which angle to take to make it back to their man without giving up good position.
bro he already is one of the best floor generals and one man army offensive players of all time . Jokic is here where he is because he is extremely smart about basketball . I bet you that he knows when they attack him where he needs to go and what he needs to do but he just isnt fast enough to make that play
@@nemanjamanutd I completely agree. It’s evident because they make flawless rotations defensively. Mobility is their only flaw here, but they make it hard to attack it.
The Nuggets Rookie Christian Braun has also played a pretty major role in this being another good sized wing that hustles on defense. Overall this just highlights the Nuggets offseason, they knew Jokic was their main guy and knew they needed strong perimeter defense so in edition to getting MPJ and Murray back healthy they also went out and got KCP, Brown and Braun all players who can hit 3s and guard the perimeter well and its been a huge benefit.
The obvious is take more threes, but I think that'll take more than a couple days of practice to change up their offensive philosophy. They took more in Game 2 than the Nugs, but made less. We'll see what they do without CP3, but I think whatever rabbit they pull out for Game 3 will be solved in game if not by Game 4. At the end of the day I think they may only have two rabbits to pull out. Running Jamal through a ton of screens last game will have a counter now too.
Both Lakers and Warriors pose a different set of problems to the Nuggets in the WCF. But the Warriors spacing easily stress the Nuggets even on screens and keeping Jokic in good positions. Lakers may not have the spacing but they have demonstrated to get AD in screens and have him as a lob target to generate efficient scoring looks.
Credit to Coach Malone, he's got his team working together really well on defense and if they win a title then Jokics defense in these playoffs will have to be considered a positive to the team.
Damn. The suns completely changed everything they were doing which made this video possible 😅. The role players changed and started hitting 3s. KD started attacking the paint a ton. Ayton got less time and Landale started getting offensive rebounds. I guess they saw this
so does KD's size play against him here? its hard to imagine kobe and mike not extending those double teams to make better plays or even getting to their spots and shooting over top effectively. Pre injury, its hard to imagine this being that significant of a problem for kd.
KD is top 15 or top 20 player. MJ & Kobe top 3. Big difference. Plus, Suns don’t have the depth around KD. Even MJ had an amazing coach, system, depth bench, etc
More like KD's historically lack of tight handles in traffic. And the Suns not making that key skip pass to stress the Nuggets defense in terms of spacing.
Mike Malone really deserves more credit than he gets, he has drawn up amazing offensive and defensive schemes for the nuggets and is one of the best coaches in the nba, Aaron Gordon also deserves more credit for how much he helps the defense
@@smoothsavage2870 It wouldn't matter. Monty went 9-10 deep in Game 7 vs the Mavs last year because Luka had 35 points by half time. Booker couldn't afford a bucket even if he could pay with his contract for one. In the playoffs quality matters most and going 6-7 deep (as long as they are healthy) to get the job done usually does.
its still mystery how good jokic is in that chubby frame, if you look at him without context you would not say he can play full game and will lack stamina, speed , agility, but damn he is good in every aspect of this game, from god tier offence to elite defending iq... how is he not mvp this year it beyond me, i guess pts per game matter more than overal greatness and winning.
@@NothingElseMattersJM Because PPG and rim protection is all that matters... said a fanboy of a player who is below 20PPG in playoffs, but won the scoring title this year.
“Chubby frame”? He’s not fat. His body type is more in line with players from earlier decades before him. He’s in great shape & excellent conditioning. Yeah, he’s not < 10% body fat & a male model, but that’s not the point.
Correct me if im wrong but I remember Kobe used to apply this similar theory wherein they would force/double the star players and make the role players decide the play and that messes up the team chemistry where the start players would argue with the role players which messes up the coordination. Kobe was about that psychological warfare
Interesting to see the different offenses match up. These playoffs: Suns are shooting 36% of their shots from midrange (10-22 ft). Nuggets shooting 15% of their shots from midrange.
I'm watching this video after Denver has won the series. I wonder how this strategy shifts now that they'll be going against a team with an all-time great skip passer (LeBron).
a lot are surprised by this, since all you hear about is jokic the liability, but this was easy to see coming. nuggets started the season slow and had a 4 game losing streak near the end that made the masses give up on them. but in between, while no one was paying real attention, they were dominant. second half of the season, their crunch time defence was first in the league. jokic is really only a liability in theory, and in some games/moments in the reg season, just like everyone else. when its winning time, his brain allows him to communicate his teammates into position, attack his opponents weakness’ and use his size to eat space. he’s no dpoy, but he’s not the traffic cone everyone says. thank the gods he doesnt have embiid or AD’s body type, or he’d be the best defender ever😂 nuggets have unsurprisingly looked the most stable this playoffs. i had them winning it all going in. looking good so far.
Interesting adjustment from phx in game 4. Especially booker making those skip passes( which denver knew he doesn't make often see Mavs last year also game 1and 2 this series) allowing shamet to make those open 3's and ultimately winning the game for phx
I think one of the factors not discussed/overlooked is Denver's environmental advantage of the thin air. When you're physically not used to playing in such thin air, even though they're all elite level athletes, the thin air wrecks havoc in the fatigue dept. When you're physically tired, you start making more mistakes as well. Denver's defensive schemes are well thought out and executed, have to give the coaching staff credit. I think Suns have to push the pace more, try to initiate more fast breaks and draw fouls while also giving guys like KD and Booker more open transition looks. Harder to do with CP3 out now and Payne carrying an injury but playing less than 100%. The way Denver's defense is, it's pretty much a hybrid zone disguised as a semi man to man. Denver's length and size is also causing a lot of turnovers. Wouldn't be surprised if Denver sweeps them, Suns lost their depth when they traded for KD. Thank you Ben for this channel and your work!
I see that the Nuggets is mostly guarding the 3pt area and the lower post. They letting KD and Booker be stuck between the freethrow and 3pt line, forcing them to take the jumper.
Phoenix is just too slow as a team. The way team's have beaten Jokic in the past is just using pace and tons of off the ball movement and speed to tire Jokic out. He does so much on offense and rebounding that if you make him work really hard on defense he is going to tire out if he doesn't start to pick and choose what to do to conserve energy which is when he then becomes a liability on defense because he's so important on offense he can't sacrifice anything on that side of the ball. Phoenix plays extremely slow so he can play full force on both sides of the ball and he's 6'11" with a 7'3" wingspan, of course he can be a decent defender when he wants to.
It's because they don't run an offense. Mainly. But yes the nuggets have never been a bottom 5 defense. It was wrong to thing 7 footers were able to guard Steph outside. Also to think 7 footers can guard the 3 while in drop coverage. So it's shame on the viewers
For real. The casuals and ESPN were dogging Rudy Gobert for not being able to switch and guard little guys. Hello, they're not supposed to. But if they will criticize Rudy's defense, I learned to just tune them out.
@@shorewall Its the same story really with both Gobert and Mitchell's new teams with how they handled defense this playoffs. Gobert had to play the drop more often because the Wolves don't have the athletic wing bodies (no McDaniel either) stay close to their man even on screens or help. Doesn't help KAT being out of position is an easy way to attack him too. For the Cavs they kept Mitchell and Garland away from Brunson. But Knicks still found ways to indirectly attack them through screen switches. Then they threw their garbage sack worth of wings at Brunson but whenever he got the mid range anyway, it always got Mobley or ALlen out of position to try over help. Which then was a Brunson score or a pass away to another Knick getting a bucket. Or RJ attacking on a catch and he draws out Mobley/Allen and gets Mitch Rob rim running to clean up. Its just too easy.
Their three stars all do the same thing and Ayton does nothing but screen and catch lobs when someone drives. They are so stupidly predictable. Someone's driving? Let me guess, Ayton is running a few feet away looking for a lob.
Predictable in the worse kind of way. Suns need that skip pass to really get any spacing and since they can't, they will beat their heads on the wall to make KD/Booker try get at the basket via Ayton screens that just don't work. They don't have the speed to directly attack solo mismatches either and even when CP3 gets his ideal big matchup vs Jokic, its just a midrange jumper that is coming out.
@David JR rivers isn't. Honestly rivers is a phenomenal on ball defender. Dudes a dog sad he isn't utilized somewhere. Always really liked him on the nuggets humble ass dude I must say.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Wait, so you're telling me Brown, Braun, and KCP are better defenders than Facu, Rivers, and Barton? I was told by everyone for years now that it didn't make a difference and it was all Jokic's fault for Denver not having good defense. 🤷
Suns havent played enough together lots holes to attack
@@xavierb9061 funny because before the series started 90% of people were picking the suns claiming they would "spam pickleroll on Jokic to death".
@ByzantineHistoryFan I'm not rewriting NOTHING. it's a FACT most people who aren't inside nuggets circles were picking Phoenix, SPECIFICALLY because of Denvers and Jokic's supposed defensive short comings.
@@DammitBobby i said this..lol.. start of each game pnr leads to easy ayton scores then it disappears. Suns havent played enough to adjust to when denver adjusts.
@@DammitBobby I picked Denver to win in 5 but I live in Denver and watched 80 games so ig I don’t count
“They’ll put him in a million pick & rolls”
Bro they're playing kd and booker, both of whom are natural second options, what do you expect from them?
@@rams3737 Kevin durant is a second option !?
@@jayjolley9258 I don’t know what that guy’s cooking I can’t lie
@@maap8998 hahaha whatever he's cooking is wild
@@jayjolley9258 he saying his mentality is that of a second option. He just stands around and let’s other cook when often he needs to take over the game if he’s supposed to be the best player on the team
This feels like a suns problem. They had same problem with Dallas last year when they blew a 2-0 lead, they can't make a skip pass and other teams blow up their pick and roll offense as a result, which forces them to rely on a relatively inefficient iso offense.
I don't understand why CP can't make some of these passes. He's supposed to be one of the best passers ever. It's a moot point now that he's out for the rest of the series though.
@@captainmarvelous7678 he’s too small. Skip passes require you to get the ball over the top and if your hedged by Jokic who has a foot (more if you count wingspan) on him he just can’t reliably get ur roads over the top without a deflection.
Monty
@@captainmarvelous7678 he definitely used to, but the ball isn’t in his hands as much anymore plus he’s 38 with a ton of leg injuries, so if he gets doubled (considering his size) it’s hard to pass out of it
Yea and now they got one shooter to target a skip pass with compared to 2 in Johnson and Bridges. At this point all they (KD and Booker) can do is attack the rim as much as they can and have open shooters knock down their shots (Lee, Shamet, Payne, ross and warren if monty cared to use them :/) and have Ayton crash the glass (a complete tossup each night). When it's so obvious to the nuggets that the midrange is the game they can plan around that and even then, apply some decent coverage to those shots which KD bricked after brick. There's been zero craftiness in the playcalling from Monty. Stagnant ISO play. When they're clicking and making those shots ofc its fun but its simply not sustainable enough and adjustments have to be made. Hard to be a fan of the team after so long but it is what it is
The ironic thing is you switch the teams and jokic destroys the other team making that skip pass every time
Against the Lakers I'm sure they'll give AD that assignment and shouldn't have to double him
And Vanderbilt on Jamal if only the nuggets didn't trade Vanderbilt they could have the best defense in the league
@@ye.ha.8378 If we didn't trade Vanderbilt, we probably would've never traded for Gordon and I like Gordon more as a player. He does a lot of the dirty work on this team
lebron making that skip pass everytime if they match up next round the real question will be if the lakers will be able to hit the 3 ball at a consistent clip
@@billpham632 Not true. if the nuggets whould have known how good he is they wouldn't have traded him they whould have given something else for Gordon by the way Tim Connelly traded him from the Timberwolves as wall he definitely didn't like him
Oh my, Mike Malone is brilliant! It really sounds like a headache to arrange this whole system
It honesty sounds like it needs a lot of communication on the player's side, knowing whos where and Phoenix not having a crazy passer like Jokic. If the midrange is where the suns make their points, then they've cut it off from them.
@@LaughingJokerProd the crazy part is that the cross pass that is required to beat this coverage isn't anything new. Most play-off teams are able to do it (as long as they aren't small players like CP3 which in his prime was able to do it but not now). This is a very exclusive Phoenix problem that wasn't adress since last post season. This was the main reason that Dallas outcoach them last season.
@@pedromoreira2875 lol you tripping! Few players in the league that can make these skip passes across the court. It’s a really risky pass to make especially if you’re a 6’2 guard..the only players that make it consistently are guys like Luka and bron cuz they huge and are great passers..Booker or KD will never pull this off cuz they not like that.
@@elmehdinafia1237and Jokic... Jokic can make that pass.
@@elmehdinafia1237these denver refs were terri ke suns in 6
I've said it before but I love how you highlight the nuances. Its a chess match. It might not pay off every play, but it shows throughout the course of the game. This is why coaching is super important and underrated.
There is a lot of this in the playoffs because match ups are a thing and teams have to show adaptations, or get sunk being exploited of their weakness.
I don’t think coaching is underrated, because a bad coach always gets exposed in playoffs, it’s under-appreciated.
Amazing analysis! honestly seeing someone dive this deep into a series and provide so much analysis makes me wonder why anyone watches ESPN anymore. In 8 mins you’ve provided more insight than any of the so-called analysts on TV. Nothing there but hot takes from people that clearly don’t watch the game. Keep up the great work!
Facts
LOL, he's not yelling, so I'm not watching!
Thank you Ben. Your videos have really shown me how important scheme matchups and personnel matchups are to success.
Really made me appreciate coaches / coordinators a lot more.
True. A superstar going off might win a game or two, but its the personnel that surrounds them that guarantees success. Getting swept doesnt just mean the opponent choking but a result of careful planning and adaptation.
@@Por-poI logic answer which many people will not and do not want to accept.
"Sports" fan like hyperpole narrative. it is easier for their simple brain to accept gangster language "choking" than planning, details and execution.
The guy isn't making videos as a favor to society so no need to thank him.
Basically the nuggets in theory could run this defense vs the Lakers but vs the warrios it would be a rough seires.
This post season is an interesting study on basketball theory vs execution in Phoenix vs Denver and wariros vs Lakers. East is just wierd imo.
Don't see how this would work against the Lakers when their role players are good shooter and they have excellent passers. You can't leave the skip pass because lebron, dlo and Dennis would hit that with ease not to mention the AD postup is just a much better option then an ayton postup or pick and roll.
@@tridra5714 schroder isn’t making anything with ease he’s not like that💀
@@user-sh7fr9wj1h Rui, Dlo, Austin
Even LBJ who sucks at shooting rn can make some on a good night
Packing the paint makes it so AD won’t have to expend energy on offense & can focus on Defense
@@user-sh7fr9wj1h have u been watching the playoffs. Dennis isn't a elite shooter by any means but he can hit those shots
Don’t think it works as well with Lebron being so talented at making those skip passes. As well as AD being one of the best lob threats. Plus AD is a far better rebounder than Ayton which means Jokic won’t drop back as much
They have to attack the hedge. The slow dribble around the PnR works when there is a switch or a drop, but against a hedge you have to go fast and attack it. Either getting around it or through it for a layup or foul, or forcing a switch due to the speed and intensity.
Facts, they gotta get to the rim if they want a chance
The weird thing is that Durant just doesn't look like he has the gas to do it. Everytime I was expecting him to try and blow past Jok and at least try to draw a foul, but he would take a step, hesitate, then be forced to reset.
Interesting take my brother. This might actually work.
What do you of setting tighter PnRs within the 3-pt arc so Ayton can be used more around the rim?
That's the thing the suns really don't want to do tho, because if they already have their starters going for 40-45 minutes each game, they want them to play those minutes at a steady pace and not sprinting around all the time. They are already struggling vs the nuggets bench, and if they try to push the pace too much, they might just sign their own death warrant because Denver can have rotations with guys running that much, but the suns can't.
@@scruffythejanitor1969 KD also doesn’t have the cleanest handle to be able to dribble through traffic so he’s probably just fearful of turning the ball over because the nuggets are always gonna have at least 2 defenders reach on him
This Nuggets team reminds me so much of the past great Spurs. A dominant big, great ball movement, excellent coordinated team defense. It’s like a remix of those Spurs.
they play great team ball that’s why it remind of the spurs expect jokic is best passing big man ever
Its interesting coming back and watching this when Miami is trying the hedge defense with Bam
I also think this defensive scheme maximizes Jokic in putting him in the best position to secure rebounds off miss mid range shots. Just the way the nuggets defenders attack the suns almost forces the cutter who is trying to secure the offensive rebound directly into Jokic boxing out. And since Jokic is such a great rebounder he is pretty much always going to win that. Even if it’s Ayton.
yeah, must be the scheme. i'm sure they could just plug Shawn Bradley in Jokic's spot and he'd do just as well 🙄🙄
@@uberneanderthal tf you talking about? I’m not saying the scheme is what makes Jokic a great rebounder. Im saying the scheme only works with a great rebounder 🤣🤣
@@LoganNagol nikola was robbed of mvp and this proves it Joel embiid just had a stinker vs the Celtics 15-3-0 in 27 minutes
@@LoganNagol Lots or uncontested defensive rebounds
@@musclecarenjoyer bro injured himself in the the playoffs so you throw away everything he did in the regular season? Seems like recency bias to me.
Rockets fan here. So happy for Uncle Jeff Green, hope Denver wins this year. Former Rockets legend🎉
Great analysis. It's interesting how Denver's defense is forcing the best mid-range team in the league outside their comfort zone, and shooting so many mid-rangers! Fascinating.
I'd like to see Phoenix attack Jokic with any of:
1. Ram screens into P&Rs
2. Slip the P&R
3. Veer pin-downs
4. Zoom
Or really anything that will impede his ability to show on P&Rs.
How can they? The starting lineup is called the Hamstring Five. And they got 0 bench. Geriatric PG just went down. It's Gentleman's sweep
This dude just sayin random words and callin em offensive schemes.
With that said, I’d like to see Phoenix try:
1 P&R +
2 Cherry Tomato
3 P&R ++
4 The 🗿
5 The Flying V
6 The Statue of Liberty
7 Spider Y2 Banana
@@lucky889s9 ahahha.. omg im dying.... 🤣🤣🤣
I can`t wait to see Suns running "Cancun hookers & blow" play.
They are getting better at it every year.
The Twolves tried to do KAT Gobert slip screens but they covered it well rotating, with a specifically great defensive play by Murray blowing it up on the pass to Gobert.
The issue with running a lot of these sets is that Ayton is terrible, sets weak screens and often fails to roll, which is only making the spacing issues worse as he tends to linger after setting a pick.
As always, your best video comes from playoff videos! Great breakdowns and teaching people about the game within the game these coaches are playing.
Why are you in a suit?
At least booker knows what he should be practicing thousand of times right now, that 45 foot skip pass 🤣
This was also what happened in the Minnesota series. The nuggs are so good at doubling and then recovering it was extremely frustrating to watch them make the right defensive rotations every possession and force KAT to choke the ball up. Just shows how important it is to have role players that can shoot and packing the paint to a degree still is a viable option against certain matchups. I'm glad the nuggs are showing how good they are when they're fully healthy and also pretty satisfied the wolves were able to hang on in the majority of games they played (with the exception of game 1) even without some key players. Hope Jokic wins the chip this year to make up for losing out on the MVP award.
The Twolves were a tough out. People won't give them enough credit but they showed up for sure
They did great denying Gobert's lobs, too. Jokic would guard Gobert and once they sense the lob coming MPJ or uncle Jeff would leap in and kill the lob. Denver actually bulit a great defense system to go along with their insane offensive system.
@@ryanmahon2956 Ant showed up, and Gobert did what he was supposed to do. Can't say the same about KAT...
i enjoyed this analysis. thanks!
the answer is, Jokic is a very high IQ player, and it applies to defense as well. this year he has the squad to make good defensive plays.
Jokic is definitely doing a solid job in his defensive role but the stars on Denver’s defense gotta be the perimeter guys that are instantly sliding over to pick up ayton and then instantly sliding to contest the 3pt line. If the perimeter guys don’t bust their ass trying to guard multiple players at once then Jokic doesn’t get to roam and help
@@forthe3136 yes, definitely. AG, Bruce Brown and KCP are a massive upgrade, Porter has significantly improved in all facets of the game even though he can be sometimes disconnected, which is just a thing of experience. but my MVP hat goes to the rook, Christian Braun.. he is phenomenal, played this defense throughout all season. bro locked up Kevin F Durant.
@@Papellxhase suns adjusted in game 3 but as a suns fan we don’t have shooters. They can literally stack the lane double Kd or book let the other guys try to make shots. Ayton sucks so they don’t have to focus on much. If the suns get deeper in the following years it will be a problem
I noticed Jokic is directing traffic on defense. He knows what plays will be done.
@@docd0071 yes bruh, for years now he's pushing guards to get to position quicker, etc. he's been instructing since his 3rd year in the league basically.
Basically Denver's defense works because the Suns lack passing and 3 points shooting. I'm curious to see if it would hold against the Warriors (assuming they beat the Lakers of course)
Lakers in 6
Lakers in 5
Lakers in 4
Warriors in 3
@@Navvye Warriors in 7. Lakers look really good though.
Also give jokic some credit for being level on the screen. He is adapting and adjusting his defense throughout the playoffs so far. While he may not joel embijd blocking shots everywhere, his awareness and iq allows him to read the ball handler eyes and force turnovers if they think too much. Plus, he knows most to all of the plays phoenix is running, so he knows the technique to defend them, so he tells his teammates the best way to defend off ball cuts and screens.
So the Suns traded all those players for KD, but they're still stuck with the same problems they had last playoffs vs Mavs? Man.
all teams are wise until they smell a superstar
Durant also having the same problems he encountered against Boston last year…
Let's see what happens over the off-season. I think the media didn't do them any favors bc they shouldn't have been called contenders. But picking up a couple of guys and having a year to work with them might do the trick
@@ryanmahon2956 how they gonna pick up guys with the new cba rules
Great analysis. Another point about Jokic' individual defensive ability is that he can be elite defensively when he needs to be: multiple game-winning blocks, amongst league's steals leaders, etc. The reason this isn't on show throughout the game, and much of the regular season is that Jokic knows his value on the offensive end of the court is historically good and doesn't want to get into foul trouble. Instead, as illustrated so well in your video, he plays good to great positional team defense but won't take risks on shot contests/strips.
If he cant defend well without foul trouble then he's not a good defender
@@tif you clearly didn't read what I wrote. He doesn't go for blocks unless it's essential they get a stop.
@@joelove9424 bad defense outside of the clutch is still bad defense
@@tif what's that have to do with the "good to great" D that J L brought up? your comment seems like a non-sequitur
this is a beautiful break down
Just to further add to your comments about the skip pass. When it is Booker or Paul with the ball a lot of the times the weakside defender is athletic enough and long enough to split and make the pass difficult (mostly thinking of Gordon or Porter Jr). As shorter guys they kind of have to lob the skip pass (they aren't tall enough to see over Denver's D) and even if they do it well enough to get it there the higher arching pass give the defender time to recover.
💯. A lot of these clips it's Aaron Gordon, and he's leaning toward the skip pass in anticipation. A big mobile dude with hops is not where you want to throw a skip pass over.
Granted its also bad roster building optics. The skip pass is the only legit play because the Suns can only attack you from mid range if they don't access that pass. Which the Nuggets are hella fine to settle for it because while their team may struggle if they get stretched out against better shooting. When the action is more condensed then its easier to pre-switch and keep Jokic close to the action in the middle of traffic. And in case he does need help the athletic or lengthy help from Gordon/MPJ can get there easier.
Your content and analysis is perfect for playoff basketball. Coaching and game by game adjustments matter way more.
The Mavs also slide over with DFS as help way into the paint last year , which helped them contain book and cp , as Book or CP can't pass to the corner
Yeah Thinking Basketball made vids about this a year ago. Sure its a different team this time the Suns are struggling to do the same thing but its a clear weakness and anyone just glossing over it is knows why the Suns are all-nba Team Cancun come playoff time.
"Living with a Damion Lee 3" is about the most infuriating thing ever for us Suns fans. Absolutely HAVE to get these guys shooting/making more threes. In addition, Ayton needs to be shooting a few 3PAs from the top of the key every game to keep defenses honest - that and eliminate the low-effort rebounding from his game.
The problem is not getting these guys more shots. The problem is relying on these role players shooting 44% 3-ball at a low clip in the regular season and expecting it to carry over in the playoffs. If you actually think going 9-10 deep to buy baskets because your super stars can't is a sound idea, there is a reason why Monty only wins the regular season but gets brutally outcoached in the postseason.
@@t4d0W this man gets it
this tells me that Ayton is treated like a role player by Denver. They don't respect him at all. Look how many times Ayton is left completely alone in the paint or sliding to the paint. Without Ayton becoming a scoring threat, Suns can get 🧹
Best NBA analysis vids on RUclips. Thanks for the excellence, TB.
The Warriors also were a nightmare for the Dallas defense last year after they made a terrific job against Utah and Phoenix.
That's a really nuanced and thoughtful video. Nice one Jacob
What I enjoy from your video breakdowns is the perspective. I feel as if I'm watching film with the team coach. if you analyze the game this well, I wonder what coaches Monte and Michael see. can't wait to see the evolution in this series
Thank you offering the analysis that is lacking,on ESPN and other Media platforms. The NBA needs to teach the truth rather then misinform to drive a narrative.
Great analysis! I wonder how much they can modify their defense against better 3 point shooting teams like the Warriors or Celtics. Lakers look like a better match up for Denver.
Very good video, describing exactly what Denver set out to do, and did.
Congrats to Gordon, Caldwell-Pope for their great on ball defense on Book/KD, and congrats to damn near every nuggets rotation player for active hands and filling transition lanes.
COACH MALONE deserves more respect from the media, and I have a creeping suspicion they don’t want to give it to him.
But the Nuggets might win their first chip, and force the media to recognize what they’ve been able to build & achieve in Denver
it's impressive what you get away with with 2 very good defenders (KCP and Gordon)
That's the thing. Jokic is a superstar. But he can't do everything. Build a good defense around him. And do the same for Luka as well.
@@shorewall that's why I'm all for a Jamal Murray + MPJ trade for a two-way star like PG (less injured maybe). it'll be a better team 2/3 years from now
Wow. One of your best videos Ben! From a 4$ patreon for 2 years who watched all of them
This aged nicely
Lmao
I've been watching sport shows that analyze games since the early 90's. This is the best i've ever seen!
Its simple, jokic is not nearly as bad of a defender as people pretend he is.
He really isn’t, he just needs good defensive wings with him which he has now
He's more of a help defender. Most people think about guarding players man to man when evaluating defense.
Two Thinking Basketball Videos in the same week is such a blessing
I wouldn't even call it "covering for Jokic" hes an integral part of the defemsibe system. Jokic is covering for himself. Its a beautiful gameplan
He’s a bad defender this regular season and playoffs. Check the #’s
@@NothingElseMattersJM Jokic is top 10 in defensive rating this playoffs so idk what you're talking about saying check the #s
@@NothingElseMattersJM I like clichés too, they’re fun. 🙄
@@NothingElseMattersJM he's sixth in defensive ratings this playoffs
@@bilindabutcher8913 jokic is rated better than embiid in defensive rating. does that make amy sense?
Low key one of the best NBA analyst youtuber out there. 👏
I think this video is a great example of why Denver would be favourites against the Lakers, but not the Warriors, despite the Lakers looking to be the favourites in that Californian series.
Nope. The reason Lakers have so many ft attempts is because because they are really good at attacking the paint. They won't settle for 3s or heavy contested midranges like suns. Look at game 1 against the warriors. Warriors defense was to pack the paint and make the Lakers a jump shooting team. That was Memphis plan too but obviously it ain't work that way cuz Lakers are great at attacking the paint and drawing the fouls. Once players start getting into foul trouble Lakers feast more in the paint.
Bron would make the skip pass.
@@scruffythejanitor1969 they wouldn't double team Bron
been asking the same question from the couch. can’t wait to watch
Amazing work and breakdown. As someone who was extremely skeptical of Nikolas defense, I cant wait to see how the nuggets adjust to a better 3 point shooting team. Still props to them for adapting this well to the suns.
Basically Jokic is only slow footed but a smart defender and understands rotations. This type of defence doesn’t protect someone who doesn’t know how to switch onto the mismatch or which angle to take to make it back to their man without giving up good position.
bro he already is one of the best floor generals and one man army offensive players of all time . Jokic is here where he is because he is extremely smart about basketball . I bet you that he knows when they attack him where he needs to go and what he needs to do but he just isnt fast enough to make that play
@@nemanjamanutd I completely agree. It’s evident because they make flawless rotations defensively. Mobility is their only flaw here, but they make it hard to attack it.
A Torrey Craig frisbee from the corner is my new favourite quote from you thank you Ben
Jokic is the real MVP not Embiid
For real. I am rooting for the Nuggets and Celtics right now. 😄
@@shorewall The Celtics ain’t getting passed the Knicks man you might as well convert to being a Knicks fan now
Celtics ain't passing Himmy Butler playing that way, losing to washed Harden seriously?
most valuable sloppy phat boi
Jokic's best answer to this would be an NBA ring
The Nuggets Rookie Christian Braun has also played a pretty major role in this being another good sized wing that hustles on defense.
Overall this just highlights the Nuggets offseason, they knew Jokic was their main guy and knew they needed strong perimeter defense so in edition to getting MPJ and Murray back healthy they also went out and got KCP, Brown and Braun all players who can hit 3s and guard the perimeter well and its been a huge benefit.
The coming games we can see how good Monty Williams really is. Lets see how he adjusts
have you ever been on ESPN, they need to get you there
I cant believe people see this stuff and say Kd is better than Curry. Yall gotta really breakdown basketball
Kd isn’t facing a hospital nuggets team
@@Van_ax wtf that has to do with exposing Joker in the pnr? Shit will still happen my boy
Great analysis, love these types of videos
The obvious is take more threes, but I think that'll take more than a couple days of practice to change up their offensive philosophy. They took more in Game 2 than the Nugs, but made less. We'll see what they do without CP3, but I think whatever rabbit they pull out for Game 3 will be solved in game if not by Game 4. At the end of the day I think they may only have two rabbits to pull out. Running Jamal through a ton of screens last game will have a counter now too.
The best analysis this week.
Being 7ft and making that 40foot skip pass is the key and no one on the suns can do it.
Nice breakdown right here!
I've been saying this Suns downfall will be their lack of 3 point shooting
With ross and other guys being out playing a role as well
Damien lee going ice cold is such a pain for them.
Lack of 3pt ? Durant shot 2/12 supposedly the best scorer in the last decade
lack of depth
Good breakdown. Please do one on the suns last two wins and adjustments they have made.
Thank you.
Great breakdown as always. Who is the better matchup for Denver in the conference finals in your opinion?
Easily the Lakers my boy
@@soosbendem5345 Easily? Please elaborate.
@@alextrivunovic644 not a good shooting team compared to warriors
Both Lakers and Warriors pose a different set of problems to the Nuggets in the WCF. But the Warriors spacing easily stress the Nuggets even on screens and keeping Jokic in good positions. Lakers may not have the spacing but they have demonstrated to get AD in screens and have him as a lob target to generate efficient scoring looks.
Credit to Coach Malone, he's got his team working together really well on defense and if they win a title then Jokics defense in these playoffs will have to be considered a positive to the team.
Damn. The suns completely changed everything they were doing which made this video possible 😅. The role players changed and started hitting 3s. KD started attacking the paint a ton. Ayton got less time and Landale started getting offensive rebounds. I guess they saw this
Excellent video!!! Thanks a lot, these are the best!
so does KD's size play against him here? its hard to imagine kobe and mike not extending those double teams to make better plays or even getting to their spots and shooting over top effectively. Pre injury, its hard to imagine this being that significant of a problem for kd.
KD is top 15 or top 20 player. MJ & Kobe top 3. Big difference. Plus, Suns don’t have the depth around KD. Even MJ had an amazing coach, system, depth bench, etc
More like KD's historically lack of tight handles in traffic. And the Suns not making that key skip pass to stress the Nuggets defense in terms of spacing.
Jokic the REAL MVP, unlike the philly phlopper
I hope the Nuggets go all the way. Great video like allways!
That defensive effort won't fly against the lakers
@@kaseemburr4825 I wish we could play both the lakers and the warriors, we can beat them both. Guess we'll just have to settle for one tho
Mike Malone really deserves more credit than he gets, he has drawn up amazing offensive and defensive schemes for the nuggets and is one of the best coaches in the nba, Aaron Gordon also deserves more credit for how much he helps the defense
I hope Coach Monty plays the rest of his bench more because some of his rotations have been questionable sometimes
What bench?
I think he meant Cam Pain and the 4 empty chairs.
@@anthempt3edits TJ Warren and Terrance Ross have been getting DNPs this series. Monty has more players that can help score, he just doesn't use them.
@@smoothsavage2870 It wouldn't matter. Monty went 9-10 deep in Game 7 vs the Mavs last year because Luka had 35 points by half time. Booker couldn't afford a bucket even if he could pay with his contract for one. In the playoffs quality matters most and going 6-7 deep (as long as they are healthy) to get the job done usually does.
Holy smokes. what a beautiful breakdown.
its still mystery how good jokic is in that chubby frame, if you look at him without context you would not say he can play full game and will lack stamina, speed , agility, but damn he is good in every aspect of this game, from god tier offence to elite defending iq... how is he not mvp this year it beyond me, i guess pts per game matter more than overal greatness and winning.
I hope this playoffs show who the mvp should have been.
@@shorewall Horrible rim protector
@@NothingElseMattersJM Because PPG and rim protection is all that matters... said a fanboy of a player who is below 20PPG in playoffs, but won the scoring title this year.
“Chubby frame”?
He’s not fat. His body type is more in line with players from earlier decades before him. He’s in great shape & excellent conditioning.
Yeah, he’s not < 10% body fat & a male model, but that’s not the point.
@@RS-ol8or i didnt called him fat, and im aware that he is in good shape, but his his deceptive body type really is interesting
Great job! Great defense by Mike Malone!
Correct me if im wrong but I remember Kobe used to apply this similar theory wherein they would force/double the star players and make the role players decide the play and that messes up the team chemistry where the start players would argue with the role players which messes up the coordination. Kobe was about that psychological warfare
Yeah, because it worked so well against him.
Doesn't help the suns that they don't like Ayton too
Interesting to see the different offenses match up. These playoffs:
Suns are shooting 36% of their shots from midrange (10-22 ft).
Nuggets shooting 15% of their shots from midrange.
I'm watching this video after Denver has won the series. I wonder how this strategy shifts now that they'll be going against a team with an all-time great skip passer (LeBron).
Perimeter D gonna have to play out of their minds this series
@@amarevanhook7453 defend can't defend straight up that's why they're playing like this
Fantastic analysis👏👏👏
a lot are surprised by this, since all you hear about is jokic the liability, but this was easy to see coming. nuggets started the season slow and had a 4 game losing streak near the end that made the masses give up on them. but in between, while no one was paying real attention, they were dominant. second half of the season, their crunch time defence was first in the league. jokic is really only a liability in theory, and in some games/moments in the reg season, just like everyone else. when its winning time, his brain allows him to communicate his teammates into position, attack his opponents weakness’ and use his size to eat space. he’s no dpoy, but he’s not the traffic cone everyone says. thank the gods he doesnt have embiid or AD’s body type, or he’d be the best defender ever😂 nuggets have unsurprisingly looked the most stable this playoffs. i had them winning it all going in. looking good so far.
Interesting adjustment from phx in game 4.
Especially booker making those skip passes( which denver knew he doesn't make often see Mavs last year also game 1and 2 this series) allowing shamet to make those open 3's and ultimately winning the game for phx
Boston put out the book on KD last year He isn't as scary in the playoffs Thanks for Bridges and the draft picks Phoenix
I think one of the factors not discussed/overlooked is Denver's environmental advantage of the thin air. When you're physically not used to playing in such thin air, even though they're all elite level athletes, the thin air wrecks havoc in the fatigue dept. When you're physically tired, you start making more mistakes as well. Denver's defensive schemes are well thought out and executed, have to give the coaching staff credit. I think Suns have to push the pace more, try to initiate more fast breaks and draw fouls while also giving guys like KD and Booker more open transition looks. Harder to do with CP3 out now and Payne carrying an injury but playing less than 100%. The way Denver's defense is, it's pretty much a hybrid zone disguised as a semi man to man. Denver's length and size is also causing a lot of turnovers. Wouldn't be surprised if Denver sweeps them, Suns lost their depth when they traded for KD.
Thank you Ben for this channel and your work!
Because Jokic is a good defender
L take. hes clearly bieng hidden by good perimeter peices lmfao
This is a great breakdown
I see that the Nuggets is mostly guarding the 3pt area and the lower post. They letting KD and Booker be stuck between the freethrow and 3pt line, forcing them to take the jumper.
Denver is winning the chip, Joker or Mal FMVP LETS GO
Good job man👏
Phoenix is just too slow as a team. The way team's have beaten Jokic in the past is just using pace and tons of off the ball movement and speed to tire Jokic out. He does so much on offense and rebounding that if you make him work really hard on defense he is going to tire out if he doesn't start to pick and choose what to do to conserve energy which is when he then becomes a liability on defense because he's so important on offense he can't sacrifice anything on that side of the ball. Phoenix plays extremely slow so he can play full force on both sides of the ball and he's 6'11" with a 7'3" wingspan, of course he can be a decent defender when he wants to.
I think this is the right take. Booker seems like the only one with a prayer of actually beating someone of the dribble against defense like that.
And 284 lbs with an IQ of 140 surely helps him boxing out.
I said this at th beginning of this trade. Mid range jumpers tend not to fall in playoff games especially in clutch situations.
It's because they don't run an offense. Mainly. But yes the nuggets have never been a bottom 5 defense. It was wrong to thing 7 footers were able to guard Steph outside. Also to think 7 footers can guard the 3 while in drop coverage. So it's shame on the viewers
For real. The casuals and ESPN were dogging Rudy Gobert for not being able to switch and guard little guys. Hello, they're not supposed to. But if they will criticize Rudy's defense, I learned to just tune them out.
@@shorewallhonestly it’s like they forgot that Rudy Gobert is seven feet tall and got his DPOYs from being an excellent rim defender
@@shorewall Its the same story really with both Gobert and Mitchell's new teams with how they handled defense this playoffs. Gobert had to play the drop more often because the Wolves don't have the athletic wing bodies (no McDaniel either) stay close to their man even on screens or help. Doesn't help KAT being out of position is an easy way to attack him too. For the Cavs they kept Mitchell and Garland away from Brunson. But Knicks still found ways to indirectly attack them through screen switches. Then they threw their garbage sack worth of wings at Brunson but whenever he got the mid range anyway, it always got Mobley or ALlen out of position to try over help. Which then was a Brunson score or a pass away to another Knick getting a bucket. Or RJ attacking on a catch and he draws out Mobley/Allen and gets Mitch Rob rim running to clean up. Its just too easy.
as a mavs fan, im so used to seeing luka make those skip. i just realized how hard those passes really are damn
What not having Steph Curry does to a man.
Excellent analysis.
Their three stars all do the same thing and Ayton does nothing but screen and catch lobs when someone drives. They are so stupidly predictable. Someone's driving? Let me guess, Ayton is running a few feet away looking for a lob.
Predictable in the worse kind of way. Suns need that skip pass to really get any spacing and since they can't, they will beat their heads on the wall to make KD/Booker try get at the basket via Ayton screens that just don't work. They don't have the speed to directly attack solo mismatches either and even when CP3 gets his ideal big matchup vs Jokic, its just a midrange jumper that is coming out.
Love this channel, new subscriber
The only way the PnR can kill Jokic is if you can pull up from 30 off the dribble like Curry and Dame
or if Jokic has bum teammates like rivers, facu, barton etc who are now out of the league
@David JR rivers isn't. Honestly rivers is a phenomenal on ball defender. Dudes a dog sad he isn't utilized somewhere. Always really liked him on the nuggets humble ass dude I must say.
@@davidjr4903 anthony davis would destroy this defense
@@xavierb9061 the only thing davis destroys on a consistent basis is himself
@@davidjr4903 haha..no thats stupid..but you liked your own comment so
Good coaching. Trustworthy players. Confidence in a rookie says it all.
Maybe Jokic and the nuggets are just better on defense when they dont play facu austin rivers and will barton
What a beautiful, well made educational video 👍
Watching a lot of these possessions, it’s absurd how inactive Ayton is on the offensive glass. He just watched 6’3 Bruce Brown go up and get one lmaoo
Bruce Brown is just a really good rebounder
@@thunderkai7272 not disagreeing there but if that’s Mitchell Robinson or Looney that’s a free board