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The Definitive Pacers vs Bucks Playoff Preview, The Sequel
🕑 Added 2025-04-16 12:00:17 +0000 UTCMy work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This video podcast with Samson Folk, going deep on the nitty gritty of Pacers-Bucks, is available as a free trial for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, onto the spoken and written words about the Pacers
By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper
Time is apparently a flat circle. After previewing Bucks-Pacers as a first-round series a year ago, Samson Folk and I are back with yet another preview of Pacers-Bucks -- only, this time, the Pacers are the home team for the first time since 2014, presumably entering less shell-shocked by the aura of the playoffs than when several players on the roster were making their postseason debuts last season.
Of course, the team's relative experience level isn't all that's changed. Unlike last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available, primed to test exactly how prepared the Pacers, as a team counting on continuity and development for improvement, are to spread their wing-sized wings.
As such, given that the Pacers surrendered 1.212 points per possession in the two most recent games against Milwaukee in March, Samson and I focused most of the discussion on strategies for defending Antetokounmpo, while also revisiting the 19-point lead that was surrendered on New Year's Eve when the offense stalled out against zone. There's also some talk about the merits and pitfalls of going overboard with overs, along with looking forward to the playoff debuts of Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker. Plus, thoughts on Tyrese Haliburton's incredible close to the season and whether the Bucks have a viable means to control his impact.
Just a whole bunch of basketball talk!
Here are the relevant timestamps:
0:00 - Introductions
1:44 - Broad strokes thoughts on guarding Giannis
4:54 - How the Pacers defended 4-5 screening actions against Giannis-Lopez
8:32 - Funneling the ball to role players + the clunk that can come from how the Bucks position players
12:11 - Pascal Siakam guarding Giannis
19:00 - Aaron Nesmith guarding Giannis + the merits and pitfalls of doubling the post from the top versus the bottom
26:05 - The importance of staggering Siakam/Nesmith + the possibility of applying full-court pressure and dropping back to 2-3 zone, etc.
28:35 - Jarace Walker guarding Giannis
30:05 - Playoff debuts for Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin
33:33 - Matching up with Milwaukee's small-ball KPJ-GTJ-AJ-Giannis-Portis lineup
37:02 - Risk/Reward of dialing up the pressure while, at times, going overboard with overs in the backcourt
45:57 - Revisiting what went wrong for the Pacers on NYE against Milwaukee's zone and whether they already have the fix
1:00:41 - Managing Siakam's usage and stamina
1:02:47 - Giannis is probably going to have to guard Siakam (i.e. the fatigue goes both ways)
1:04:17 - Tyrese Haliburton was unbelievable to close the season, what will the Bucks try to limit him + the possibility of cross-matching bigs onto wings
1:12:08 - Silver linings that came from Haliburton's hamstring injury + nerd-ing out about where and how players gather the ball
1:19:58 - Looking forward to Game 1 + Thanks/Goodbye!
Comments
Caitlin Cooper
Getting two days off and then two days off again should help with the recuperation, I think. Even more incentive to take care of business at home.
Isaiah Fasoldt
Awesome preview! Seeing the series schedule come out today, I wondered if they might try to give Siakam the Giannis assignment more since there are 3 days of rest for the first few games.
Caitlin Cooper
Thank you! If you're talking about me, that's a long-sleeved printed top that I picked up at Free People. If you're talking about Samson, I have no idea haha
PaversPaveToThePave
Best part about the playoffs is more regular Caitlin pods! In other news, where did you get that sweater? It absolutely slays, I neeed one for myself!
Eric Joseph Leffler
I'm so happy you guys are still collaborating for the playoffs! Your coverage of last season's playoff run was such a joy to behold... Samson should just move to Indy already!
Caitlin Cooper
Thanks for hanging out with us
Rodney McLamb
Nothing quite like a Caitlin / Sampson preview to get me excited about the playoffs!
