(04-02-2021, 10:25 AM)mavsluvr Wrote: Rick won't close the game by holding a lead with using an offensive scoring mismatch. The team has to defend well, no matter what the score says or logic even would seem to dictate in terms of winning the game.
I agree that is not his style. I rather thought that KP's benching in the fourth would raise your blood pressure.
L
L . I don't get my blood pressure worked up much watching the way KP is used at the 5 the way I do someone like a Bobi. I mostly think Carlisle's use of Porzingis is very well done, with and without Luka. Watching a traditional skilled offensive big like Boban, standing around outside the perimeter setting giant sized but slow footed screens, yeah that might add a few points to my diastolic.
3 point shots indeed are more efficient overall but being efficient overall isn't the same thing as being consistently efficient. A high powered offense getting streaky many times at the worst times, that can get annoying to watch as leads evaporate quickly.
KP on the other hand, offensively can go to work inside but isn't strong enough or quite good enough to really press his advantage to dominance inside. Mixing in his perimeter game, while it depends on his shooting well, does take good advantage of his height by the fact that almost no one can really bother his 3 point attempts and barely even bother his mid range jumpers or set shots.
Yeah, benching KP is a little weird but if he played, he still wouldn't have been relied to close the game out with consistent offense. I get the fact that Carlisle wanted a team on the floor that could defend its way to the W'.
In other words when KP plays offensively he's going to KP mix in the outside shot generously as well as work his height near the rim. He's not going to consistently dominate inside at the rim so that a Boston can't quite close the gap in time. Defensively you also have to give credit to Coach C as well as to Porzingis himself for a nice bounce back to form