2023 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (1 May 2023)

CAN ANYONE DEFEND STEPH?

Throughout the last decade so many different teams, - from the Blazers to the Rockets to the Mavs and now to the Kings - have been trying to beat the Warriors at their own game, which is by outshooting them.  That likely isn't going to happen because of Steph who, even compared to the likes of Murray and Dame, is on another level.  Curry being hot for an entire game or even series isn't enough to beat a quality opponent these days.  But somewhere along the line, Klay or Poole is also going to get hot, and even if they do so for even a quarter during the second half of a game, along with Steph hitting his shots, that's enough to beat other squads.

Eventually the Warriors may meet the Nuggets or Suns, who are also probably going to try to outgun them.  I guess with the Suns especially, that may be possible.  But why is it that in all these years, no player or coach or braintrust has ever figured out a way to effectively defend Curry?  Have they even really tried?  And I don't mean shutting him down type shit, but, you know, limiting him to like less than 30 points in a series-defining game.

The main reason the Kings lost, imo, is due to lack of size.  All of those writers who for the last few years have been saying dumb shit like traditional centers no longer matter, try entering these playoffs without not only a quality bigman but also a quality backup or two and see what happens.  Awhile back I argued that Sabonis may be the best PF in the league, and I mean exactly that, like he shouldn't be forced to play center when he's outmatched, like he was trying to fend off Looney + Draymond + Wiggins.  Like WTF was that?!  It's like the Kings deserted him down in the trenches.  Where's Richaun Holmes and the rest of the big dudes on Sacramento's roster?  It reached a point in Game 7 when it was obvious that one of them should have been downlow alongside Domantas, a lesson that was already supposed to have been learnt since the Warriors basically did the same thing, i.e. team up and overpower Sabonis in the post, in Game 5.

To me, the AD + Lebron Lakers were built for this moment, to finally take down the Warriors.  If you can't outshoot the Dubs and you can't defend Steph, then the next logical thing to do is try to outsize them.  I remember that the Warriors beat LAL a couple of seasons ago in the play-ins, when AD was hobbled or whatever.  The biggest mistake the Lakers can make is having Lebron hovering around the perimeter instead of punishing the Dubs down low.  Three pointers win big series when you're the Warriors.  But no other has been able to consistently practice that standard.