Quote:
Originally Posted by ninjacookies
I watched them live, brother. And it was clear to anyone with 2 eyes that they were basically blitzing him and forcing him to make bad passes. Which worked. It didn't matter who they put on him, Joker's going to make shots because he's the best player in the game. And make difficult shots that most mortals have no business making. I'd understand if this were a nuanced argument where we're discussing Naz Reid's matchup-specific dominance. But this is Yoker, of all guys.
Also, for as good as his overall numbers were that series, he had 3 games with scoring totals of 20 or under. They made a cumulative effort to make his life h-e-double-hockey-sticks using every conceivable resource they had available. This is a guy that averaged nearly 30/12/10 for the season. So it's not like his numbers that series were eye popping. Right at or slightly below his norms.
I'm not sure there's any universe where you're supposed to rest your laurels on a single guy to stop the best player of each generation. That's just not a realistic expectation.
There are 2 sides to every story, mi amigo.
I guess what I'm saying is: what is the alternative here? Slemby, Him, and MAYBE Mobley are bigs that have the lateral agility to switch off and stick high level backcourt talent. For as much of a monster as JJJ is shutting down the lane, he's a lost cause when he's drawn out on an island against shifty guards.
So essentially there's less than a handful of legit bigs with Chet's defensive skillset...all of whom are accounted for. And multifaceted lockdown collegiate bigs almost always fall within the lottery range.
It may not be the optimal situation, but probably one where the alternative
doesn't offer any sense of medium term security. |
My point is the shots that Jokic was generating against Chet were not difficult—they were directly under the rim, and OKC adjusted immediately after game 1. It absolutely did matter who they put on him; it was all the guys they’ll have to lose because of this Chet contract. You can think Chet will be a terrific player and still acknowledge that is highly problematic.
Chet had some good defensive moments in the finals. Much as it breaks my heart to say it, they might never see Indiana in another playoff series. Next year they will see Denver, who now possess the depth they lacked in the 2025 playoffs. They’ll see Denver again the year after that.
Fair point on alternatives. I actually think Bam would be a great fit. I still think Chet is awesome, but at a lower number so that you can have a Hartenstein or Caruso alongside him.