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Running of the Bucks - How the Pacers won Game 2
🕑 Added 2024-04-24 21:40:30 +0000 UTCMy work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. These video podcasts with Samson Folk, providing in-depth coverage of the playoffs, are going to be available as free trials 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
With Pascal Siakam powering the Pacers to their first playoff win in five seasons, I invited over Buck.com writer Louis Zatzman, along with Samson Folk to discuss the sustainability of Siakam's dominance, along with the intricacies of running and defending in transition.
For more on how both ends of the floor merged together as one and what that could mean for the remainder of the series, here are the relevant timestamps:
0:00 - Introductions
1:48 - Siakam scoring both easily and with ease
3:07 - Do the Bucks have the personnel to make it harder?
7:42 - What the buck were the Bucks doing in transition?
10:02 - Siakam and filling the dunker's spot
16:37 - Pursuing the glass as a potential counter for the Bucks
18:47 - Defending Damian Lillard out of chin series
23:23 - Will Giannis guard Siakam - eventually?
28:06 - Nembhard as the intersection of winning and development
37:10 - Shoutout to Ben Sheppard's defense
38:09 - Going under screens as a skill
42:42 - Blitzing the blitz
44:25 - Myles Turner's improved short-roll reads
55:08 - In their ideal forms, which is tougher to guard: rim-roll or short-roll?
1:01:32 - Will the Bucks keep blitzing?
1:03:22 - Confidence level when Giannis comes back?
1:10:43 - Thank you and Goodbye
Comments
Andrew Gnagy
Loved Samson's impassioned defense of the rim run.
Caitlin Cooper
Good question, Victor. I actually wrote about this a little bit in my deep dive on boosting Tyrese's field-goal attempts: https://www.patreon.com/posts/7-ways-to-get-7-102860041
Victor
Another great video! It did leave me with a question though. It seems likely that the Bucks are going to try to double Pascal since he's been scoring so well. How do you foresee the Pacers countering the Pascal double team? And has he been known to be good at making the right play in these situations?
James T Sandberg
The devious joy emanating from Caitlin's eyes when she argues with Samson about pick and roll actions is hilarious, definitely a sibling-like energy. Also, good analysis as always, thanks for giving me better eyes for the Bucks' D in game 3. Also, more Nemby love!
Caitlin Cooper
Glad you enjoyed it
CK
Great stuff everyone. Thanks!
Kyle Taylor
I was giddy when Louis said he’d prepared a poem
Caitlin Cooper
Thanks so much. Btw, be on the lookout tomorrow. We were all very excited to answer your question for the patron-only mailbag segment.
Kyle Taylor
These have been great, guests are awesome, and it makes it more fun to watch the games and look for the stuff you all talk about it. I was initially on team rim run; I love the cat-and-mouse game you get from it and I think the best guards in those situations (e.g. Trae, peak CP) are just masters of manipulation. Equally, watching elite centers like Brook and Rudy defend that action is awesome. But I think you changed my mind to short roll. Peak Draymond when Steph got blitzed was something else. Watching him and Jokic annihilate defenses that doubled forever changed my opinion of doubling MVP-level players because they make 4-on-3 look like 4-on-0. The best guys/teams reach a level where most doubles, traps, and blitzes actually give them what they want, and the short roll often exposes defenses all over the floor, not just on the roll, but in all the cutting and off-ball action that follows it.
Caitlin Cooper
Second Spectrum basically ruled it as a tie. The league as a whole scored 0.986 points per chance out of the short-roll this season, compared to 0.983 for the regular roll. Doesn't prove anything, as all numbers require context, but it made me laugh that it was almost identical.
Caitlin Cooper
Hahah. Just for fun, I looked up the numbers on Second Spectrum after the show. This certainly doesn't prove anything, but Jokic as the short-roller netted 1.095 points per chance, compared to 1.064 for AD as the rim-roller.
Tyler Bishop
I agree with Caitlin on the short roll but using Jokic as the ideal version of a short roller is a bit of a cheat code
Jay Glenn
I think I agree (barely) with Samson on the rim- vs short-roll question, but I do find the short-roll more aesthetically pleasing when run properly. I'll certainly miss his Game 3 piece, but I hope he enjoys the Jay's ballgame.
