NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[Who]

Both of these utilize 3-4 guard lineups a lot.

OKC had SGA and Dort there as forwards alongside Caruso and McCain. San Antonio regularly plays three guards across PG-SG-SF and then plays a wing (Champagnie) or a short chunk combo forward in Keldon Johnson at PF alongside Wemby or Kornet.

Boston typically plays with wings rather than guards. We have only 2 guards in the whole rotation in Pritchard & D White. Then we use the Jays and our young wings J Walsh, Baylor, Hugo. Those young wings do not have the offensive skills to space the floor with three point shooting that those smaller guards have. Nor do they have the ball-handling and secondary passing to attack closeouts. Baylor does have some of those skills. The other two not so much. Hugo shows promise as a passer but was often mistake prone as a rookie. J Walsh rarely shows anything as a ball-handler or passer.

Just ... not a high enough skill level offensively in the role players BOS has on the perimeter.

[Who]

Interesting sub by OKC with Kenrich Williams. We do not see him that often. I thought they were bringing him in to play against Keldon Johnson who was causing OKC problems with his physicality attacking the basket. Kenrich Williams could better match that physicality.

Nope. OKC brought him in to defend Dylan Harper. That is how much OKC respects Harper's physical size & driving ability.

[Who]

OKC's 2nd unit to start Q2 was weak offensively without J-Dub or Ajay Mitchell available. No shot creation in the 2nd unit.

G: McCain
G: I Joe
F: Caruso
F: Cason Wallace
C: Hartenstein

McCain is the main offensive player in the unit. He is better as a 3rd or 4th option. Let his shooting cause havoc for teams loading up on the superior scorers. Not much offensive creation outside of him in that lineup.

Again, a 4 guard 1 big lineup for OKC.

[Donoghus]

We have ourselves a real series

[Who]

McCain having a tough game. 1-10 FGA. -13.

[Goldstar88]

OKC is shooting 30% from the field in this game. SAS is at 38%.

Spurs have taken 27 shots from 3pt. Thunder have 32 attempts.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Lots of smiles and jokes on the OKC bench for a team losing by 20 in the Western conference finals game 4.

[Who]

Nice to see Harrison Barnes drive to the basket instead of just roaming outside along the three point line. Good aggression from him tonight. 2 outside shots, 3 inside shots and 3 trips (6 FTA) to the foul line. Much better shot distribution from him.

[Goldstar88]

Dan Weiss: Spurs hold the Thunder to 82 points, fewest they've scored in the regular season or playoff since Dec. 2, 2021.
x.com

[SparzWizard]

This is what the NBA Finals are about...both teams playing each other tough. Got a tied series 2-2. This may go the limit.

[Who]

Kenny Atkinson -- "we won 3 out of 3 or at least 2 out of 3 analytically in expected score"

He continued to say "if you believe in process" essentially you should be happy with how things have gone. If "you are only outcome based" obviously it is bad but analyitcally they have played well and outplayed than NYK.

Essentially it is just bad luck that CLE is down 0-3.

Atkinson essentially is saying that game plans have been right and the "expected score" analytics show that. That CLE should be ahead in this series. That they are doing the right things. They just haven't gotten the expected result. But you keep doing the same things because over time that will even out and you will get those results.

[SparzWizard]

Kenny Atkinson -- "we won 3 out of 3 or at least 2 out of 3 analytically in expected score"

He continued to say "if you believe in process" essentially you should be happy with how things have gone. If "you are only outcome based" obviously it is bad but analyitcally they have played well and outplayed than NYK.

Essentially it is just bad luck that CLE is down 0-3.

Atkinson essentially is saying that game plans have been right and the "expected score" analytics show that. That CLE should be ahead in this series. That they are doing the right things. They just haven't gotten the expected result. But you keep doing the same things because over time that will even out and you will get those results.

Analytically that does not calculate to winning playoff games. You're down 0-3 and no team in NBA history has ever come back up from that deficit to win a series. New York adjusted each game or the Cavs made no adjustments and NYK was able to capitalize on them.

Take your analytics and throw it in the trash, Atkinson! This series looks to be over in 4

[Kernewek]

Kenny Atkinson -- "we won 3 out of 3 or at least 2 out of 3 analytically in expected score"

He continued to say "if you believe in process" essentially you should be happy with how things have gone. If "you are only outcome based" obviously it is bad but analyitcally they have played well and outplayed than NYK.

Essentially it is just bad luck that CLE is down 0-3.

Atkinson essentially is saying that game plans have been right and the "expected score" analytics show that. That CLE should be ahead in this series. That they are doing the right things. They just haven't gotten the expected result. But you keep doing the same things because over time that will even out and you will get those results.

Analytically that does not calculate to winning playoff games. You're down 0-3 and no team in NBA history has ever come back up from that deficit to win a series. New York adjusted each game or the Cavs made no adjustments and NYK was able to capitalize on them.

Take your analytics and throw it in the trash, Atkinson! This series looks to be over in 4

I don't think that Cleveland will win this series, but it is improbable, rather than impossible.  That is to say, at some point, there will be a 'first team to ever come back from 0-3 in the playoffs'.


I also think Atkinson basically has to say that; it certainly makes a more persuasive argument for his continued employment than 'we are playing the right way according to our ideas, but we are losing to a team with better ideas'.


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That SGA clip (the phantom foul from D'Aaron Fox) that is making the rounds today is equally hilarious and infuriating. Have seen a few people say that, upon review, players should be assessed with a technical for flopping, which I find quite appealing. Even football/soccer, which is largely viewed as the progenitor of the practice, has started to crack down on it more effectively than the NBA has in recent years.

[Who]

ESPN graphic

Wemby became the 2nd player since 1974 (when blocks started to be counted) to post 300+pts, 150+rebounds, 50+blocks in his first postseason.

The other player = Bill Walton in 1977.

[Who]

Love seeing S Castle get credit for his defense.

J-Will (ESPN) is calling him the New Grindfather of the NBA. The new Tony Allen. A 2026 version of Tony Allen.

Castle's defense is extraordinary. Every time I have watched San Antonio this season his defense has stood out. Superb ball pressure. Can pickup guys full court. Harass them. Bothers people (especially smaller guards) with his size, strength and length. To have the speed he does at his size to defend that aggressively that far out on the floor is a standout feature.