That play at 5:30 is the epitome of Steph’s off ball genius. Being able to occupy Smart with the horizontal cut, AND THEN occupying Williams by flaring back to the 3 pt line. Man, what an amazing player.
And that doesn’t show up on any stat sheet. That’s the reason casuals underrate stephs offensive impact. Today’s fans are like the camera, just following the ball and looking for some hero to score it.
to be honest, i think steph is a genius offensive player. You won't even see Michael Jordan do this kind of stuff. His offensive impact on the floor is probably the best or one of the best in the history of the game. He is doing tremendous damage to opposing defenses without even having the ball. I think, there should be no discussion that steph impact on the game is far bigger than KD's.
@@leonardoyi3183 Players are Kobe or MJ are evaluated on a 1 v 1 situation, obviously they are better than Steph in iso or 1v1, but Steph has to be the greatest offensive teammate or teammate in NBA history, up there with say Tim Duncan. He’s one of the most unselfish players to play the game and uses his off ball movement, screening, etc.. to get his teammates the ball. It’s not coincidence that every player that joins them seems to get better.
I loved that they went to the high pick and roll for curry more. That consistently generates great looks for everyone and Boston can’t minimize Currys impact like they normally would off the ball trying to be physical with him Also side note: thank you for talking about Currys defense. It’s been underrated for so long and with this being his best defensive season, it’s about time he gets credit on that end
@@chiggsytube u have to make adjustments when ur playing the number one defense in the league. I will use the 2016 finals as a huge example right now although curry was injured, because they forced him to play off the ball so much curry was unable to get it going. The cavs roughed him up every chance they got and his impact on the game was heavily minimized as a result. The same thing is happening here. But with the adjustment to put curry on the ball more, u can’t minimize his impact. Celtics have them deviating from their original offense sure, but that’s what u expect going against the number one defense. And u have to make the proper adjustments and they did
@@chiggsytube I don’t think it’s about rattling the warriors I just think the warriors made the proper adjustments to counter the Celtics minimizing Currys off ball impact
his effort has been ridiculous on that side of the ball, all that added weight and (bulk) on his body, combined with insane workout and conditioning is finally paying off
True though I wonder if the extra effort is costing his shot a little, he's looked a bit more human than usual from behind the arc and at the line recently.
I don't think Gary Payton II knows how good he is. The Warriors picked up a diamond in the rough with him. He always gives the effort needed and is a total team player. With the coaching from Steve Kerr and staff, Payton has a real shot at being a true star. The job that has been done with Wiggins, Looney, and Poole is also a testimony to the great coaching that is on this team. I am not sure why more teams don't emulate the Warriors and how they build through chemistry. This team simply is not fazed when one player has a bad night as someone is always there to pick up the slack and not to complain. I am so serious that game 3 is a must win for Boston. If they lose two in a row, that might damage their tepid persona and Golden State could roll off four wins in a row and embarrass Boston. I think Golden State opened some eyes in game two as they showed they can deliver blow for blow with Boston.
It's just not that easy. You need a leader like curry or duncan and a coach like Kerr to build like the warriors. A bunch of players have said it, but it's Curry's unselfishness and true happiness when others on his team succeed (even when he doesn't) that makes this team work. Also, Kerr's every person needs to be ready to contribute mentality is perfect for having all peices work together. That's why sometimes we think his rotations are crazy and why he plays the 10th man on the bench in regular season moments. Because how can teammates trust you when they need you at the end of the season if you haven't really played through the rest of the season?
Agreed. To your 1st question: Memphis is doing that right now mimicking GSW with young talents. As for 2nd, GSW is the first team in the playoffs who demolished Boston really. Except perhaps Bucks Game 1 but even then they resisted.
I just want to say thank you for your channel. Finally, basketball analysis about WHY a player or team is good instead of the usual nonsense you hear like "he didn't want to win", "his greatness is what makes him great", "the X defense was hungrier than Y's offense"
I agree! I’m not even a basketball hardcore fan. I enjoy any competitive sports when it counts, like the Finals. Just watching this I learn and admire these players so much more! Versus ESPN & talk show non sense who put sour tastes on individual.
I like how he slows the plays down to explain things. I'm new to basketball so my brain don't work that fast, and sometimes watching mainstream analysts confuses me more than it helps.
I've come to realize over the last 3 seasons of watching the Warriors that the primary key to their success is shared between both Steph and Draymond equally at this point in their careers. Neither of them can dominate a game without the other. At least not sustainably so. Dray's defensive brilliance and offensive orchestra works in perfect sync with Steph's all-time level gravity, movement and shot creation. Together, they're the 2 pillars that make the Dubs one of the league's most revolutionary teams.
@joceja23 it’s a team sport. Dynasties like this rely on multiple pieces, good front office, a cohesive ‘system’. That’s why Lebron hasn’t done it the same way. As an individual clearly he is greater than Draymond or Steph… but he doesn’t operate within a system or hasn’t had a good coach/front office his entire career same as the GSW team has. A lot of it is luck too of course. Then getting KD for one iteration helped really cement their dominance
Yeah for sure and what makes them an even better pair is Curry's defence. Curry isn't physically capable of defending elite scorers but his high iq prevents him from getting in bad situations. And when he does Draymond can often cover for him.
“So Steve Kerr stuck Green onto Brown…and while that’s a great earthy color scheme, it was a difficult matchup for Jaylen” This made me laugh rly hard lmao
Steph and Draymond indeed are the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, respectively. Without those two this team won't be in the conversation of being a legendary team along with its fanbase.
There needs to be a new official statistic for players like Curry (who create wide open lay ups or dunks for teammates with no more than their position elsewhere on the court). "The Gravity Assist." I'd love to know exactly how many a player like Curry averages per game (and per year).
Appreciate the dive into Curry’s defense this game. He’s been underrated on defense for too long. Almost always been a great team defender just didn’t have the frame
Love these videos. I've been watching this series live and I can't pick up on half the things you are breaking down here. Watching your analysis brings a whole new dimension of fun to these finals.
In comparison to other NBA teams with big men, GS only have average height and mostly small players, but they manage it well thanks to superb teamwork and ball handling also great shooting skills.
I'm so happy that I predicted almost every adjustment Steve Kerr did, both offensively and defensively. Offense was completely stagnant when Curry was hiding in corners because Bostons plans were never to double him in the pick and roll, so high screening actions for him was All he needed. On the other side, I thought they should just let Tatum go off on Isolation but to stop collapsing the defense, Golden State are all pretty good defenders so it was never necessary to double anyone, and they did it perfectly, they holded Al Horford and Marcus Smart to only 2 points because they can't create shots by dribbling. I hope one day I can make it as a coach in any level of basketball, the entire tactical aspect is just so amazing.
i really wish they’d stop jumping too. they’re really committing to stopping that 3 attempt but i think it’s sloppy. probably the only part that they need to clean up.
I made the prediction that Kerr would put Draymond on Tatum and let Wiggins guard Brown. And Klay would guard Horford if he’s just gonna float on the perimeter. Just mixed up the two Jay’s. But you did some great analysis
It'll be interesting to see how udoka will counter the curry PnR, as you can't really drop or double. It'll also be interesting to see if brown bounces back like Tatum does, as he really struggled after a great start. Maybe they'll try forcing draymond off of brown, as I doubt the Celtics want to be in a situation where Tatum basically does everything on offense. series at 1-1, I think game 3 will be close.
@@manuprasad5354 I think the Celtics will try to mix up everything. A lot of pre-switching to try and keep Horford away from the action, hedging, trapping, switching, drop coverage. Otherwise I think they try and go super small. But it’s going to be difficult with Curry and Draymond being such lethal passers
Draymond is a great player if he can constantly make adjustments. It’s like having another coach on the floor. He took it upon himself to not allow Brown and Horford to take over this game.
Draymon is a great player when he gives 99%. If he gives the extra 1% he Will make 10 turnovers (like he did in game one) and get ejected. So really is him getting the right amount of dray the team needs. Because gsw really needs his energy and general floor management to shine.
Amazing video, per usual. Wish Beli got some love though. He went from being unplayable at times in the regular season to coming in and playing great defense on Tatum in the finals while scoring a couple of buckets.
I could see why you thought that but I didn't think so what I think is we just lost our motor for both ends on the floor in game 1 and we couldn't get it started again
The Warriors in the regular season averaged ~17 pick n roll actions per game (good for 29th in the league). In this game, they put up 33 pick n roll actions which would have been good for FIRST in the league. Goes to show that Kerr absolutely needs to be credited for this franchises' success and not just solely on the shoulders of Dray/Steph/Klay/KD! Kerr is a top 10 all time coach.
Doesn't that mean Kerr's regular season offense is less effective than traditional pick and roll？Whenever there's a problem offensively in the postseason, the solution is always switching back to pick 'n roll.
@@yihanzheng8203 No, I think it just means that you don't play the #1 rated defense in a best of 7 series during the regular season. The Celtics defensively schemed for a heavy motion offense which they saw a lot of in game 1 and less of in game 2. Playoff basketball is about adjustments on a game by game basis and who makes the better one(s). My comment just goes to show Kerr's coaching prowess to be able to adapt to what he sees on tape especially during the 16 game tournament which Kerr has the best winning % out of all head coaches in NBA history.
@@henlolneh agree 100%. I think Mark Jackson helped instill a lot of defensive toughness in these guys and was influential in the early development of Curry, Klay and Dray but Kerr is the coach that unlocked this teams offensive potential and found a way to fully utilize their skills. Idk if Curry would have become the off ball, gravitationally dominate force that he is now if Jackson had stuck around and kept having him run iso plays instead. And the high pick and roll has always been the ace up the Warriors sleeve. For years they’ve had tons of success when they do use it but they only seem to save it for when they really need it against teams that can take away their motion offenses success like Boston. Kerr has been blessed with some ridiculously great weapons but he deserves lots of respect for creating a system that unlocked their full potential
Absolutely lovely, just lovely! The detailed explanation is never dull and the time put in is priceless please never change and if you do let it be for the better. Appreciate you.
there is almost no chance that steph doesnt get mvp if the warriors win, unless he has an absolutely horrible rest of the series which most likely wont happen
same for me. i've been playing casual basketball for a long time now (just division 2 so not that serious) and never received real coaching. seeing this kind of breakdown is really interesting
Some change in staff mindset must have happened for Steph, who's so focused on improving his 3s, cut off shooting Volume to ram up practice on other fundamentals. Never thought he would do this, i thought he would stay as a specialist until the end of his career. It's good to know that he's expanding his horizons.
me and my friend are die hard celtic fans but absolute NERDS for the game. this series has been an insane tug of war emotionally for us! when you watch great basketball at the expense of your home team it just sends unreal shivers down your spine. mad props to GS for game 2, they adjusted and regrouped almost as well as we all expected them to at home. now let's see if my guys in green (trademark pending) will swing back in TD garden. to the team behind Thinking Basketball: excellent stuff as always, can't wait to see you guys break down game 3 for our viewing pleasure! Go Celtics!
3:06 loved this one. Draymond probably knew al likes to show the ball too much while jab step stepping and had his hand where the ball would be swung. That's attention to detail
Because he knows how much this would cement his already top 10 resume. This ring would define him more than any other ring especially with the circumstances and the supporting crew around him this time around.
To think the warriors don't play a lot of pick and roll but this series its gon be their bread and butter cause Celtics is having a really hard time stopping that
I used to not respect Draymond alot as a player, but recently after looking into the footage, I've come to realize Draymond is an extremely valuable piece of the Warrior's squad. His defense, and energy is unmatched.
Dubs fans have known this the past 8 years. Triple single stat line, but his defensive quarterbacking is unmatched by anyone else I think. Gobert is long, but he doesn’t quarterback anything. I don’t know enough of Marcus smart’s game, but I doubt it’s close. I think draymond said it himself once. “There’s never a situation where as a coach, you don’t want draymond playing the ball. You don’t want gobert out on the perimeter. You probably don’t want smart being posted up by an embiid. But never a situation where you don’t want draymond on the ball.” Makes sense
Bro ppl still holding on to that tired narrative that he isn’t a good defensive player. All playoffs teams have been trying to switch on him and it has not been successful. But he has been pretty good for a few seasons now and really good this year and ESPECIALLY GOOD this playoffs. Not to mention his help defense and jumping passing lanes.
I think he's the case where his reward playing off-ball defense is better than most perimeter players who get hidden from on-ball action. He knows how to help and he sits amazingly well on reading passing lanes. Best part is he's also the ideal guy to get the ball off a turnover on a transition basket opportunity because he's flipping that possession to an assist or an instant 3-ball. If he/the Warriors score, they get to play set defense and do it again on the other side to build momentum. I don't know other guys in the playoffs who can play that help role and reward their team on a turnover possession to score like he does.
@@t4d0W couldn’t have said it better. Ppl don’t watch games or think past their narratives. Just like his off ball movement his help defense makes him a valuable asset on these teams
You know this team reminds me of the Jordan era bulls . Steve Kerr is definitely one heck of a coach . These guys are too good . One amazing addition to their strength is Payton . The boy is a massive asset .
Wow amazing breakdown !! After watching this video I just realized how little I knew about basketball and how many details I completely missed . Who knew curry was so effective on defense; the narrative definitely says otherwise. Thank you !!
Warriors in the finals is truly a great thing, all break down videos on TH-cam is either what they did right or what went wrong and I'm having so much fun watching all of it 🤣
Although this shooting percentages are down, he’s most definitely a better all-around player. He’s also put on some muscle, so he is able to get a little more physical in the paint and on defense.
@@BlackMarq20 I wouldn't be bothered that much with Steph. If anything his physicality which helps him finish at the hoop more and juice his 5-6 FTAs that he can get along with his other ways to make a basket is what helps his overall playoff offense. Which is about the same that Tatum has offered when he's not allowed to attack the basket as easily. But the thing with Tatum is that his playmaking is what makes or breaks the C's offense.
Seems no matter what Cs use to attack, the GSWs counter it. Unless Cs can knocked down those 9/9 3s like in G1 in the 4th Qtr, this series can end in G5
Hey Ben, great video, it's always a pleasure following you! I have just one observation. In game 1 and at the start of game 2 we all saw the drop coverage of boston defense being higher than usual to prevent curry's (and partially thompson/poole) threes (in few occasions they even switched horford on curry), but GS response was to agressively attack the lane to occupy the space behind the higher drop. Therefore, I think Udoka decided to get lower with the drop coverage (you can even see it at 7:40 on the "screen the screener action" vs horford... horford before getting screened was quite low) hoping that smart/white could quickly recover to contest curry or even push him inside for a floater, with the benefit of eliminating the strong GS roll to the basket. But that didn't go very well (as you can see at 6:36). Did you see it too or am I drunk?
beautiful basketball, Draymond, Currys defense is elite level basketball at the highest level of the game, the nuance is superb. #Warriors #NBAFinals2022
15 total steals, in game 2 that is NBA Championship Elite defense n they had a 29-point lead, if The Warriors take game 2 gameplan n duplicate it. The Celtics are outclassed. Like Draymond said they were in control for game 1 with 40 minutes. Now that the Warriors have the momentum n have figured out the celtics. hmm hmm Its going to be tough for boston to defend homecourt. Why because the Warriors have won on the road in every series this playoffs n have in the past. Elite coaches, elite players n a system that is all about team basketball defense in kerrs motion-offense.
7.4k likes are NBA fans that appreciate n love the game at the highest levels, to the maybe couple hundred people in the lower comments that just dont understand ball n refuse to see how elite the Warriors defense is with Draymond, Curry n Gp2 (aka the young glove), also Wiggins. Essentially, Curry, Wiggins, Klay are two way pros, offense n defense, Gp2 elite defense, Draymond quarterback of the defense, Looney powerful Center for rebounds, n Jordan Poole the sniper.
As a Mavs fan, I have to admit with our current team, there is no chance that we could beat this Warriors team in a series of 7. I'm just glad that we didn't get swept. Yet, the Celtics is an insane team and surely will come up with some adjustment. This is such a fun series to watch!!!
Wow your so observant you actually explane every detail how they dominate the celtics well done thanks i this also helps us on tactics when playing basketball
I feel like the reason for curry being a much better defender now isn't just more of a focus on defense, there obviously is a focus on defense for him now but I think a big part is how curry has trained his body now. People mention it all the time about how he never stops moving, he's trained to have crazy endurance so where before he would focus on offense and save energy on defense, much like harden, now he can focus on offense and still put full effort on defense and not have to sit every 3 minutes.
Steph and Dray, the sword and shield of GS.
Never gets old watching them put on a basketball clinic
best way to put it
Don’t forget about the spear of GS, klay.
That makes Wiggins the Axe
Klay is the armor. He holds them together. Klay is also the Anchor of the team
Poole is the arrow and Looney is the jockstrap. Lol
As a warriors fan, I can't tell you how happy I was to see GPII on the floor again. Perfect small ball player.
@callmecatalyst that is small ball...
@callmecatalyst 7llp0
The smallest big man to ever play basketball 😄
He's great add-on to GSW & from Oakland. Been thru many teams but Kerr & GSW had role to help him shine.
That play at 5:30 is the epitome of Steph’s off ball genius. Being able to occupy Smart with the horizontal cut, AND THEN occupying Williams by flaring back to the 3 pt line. Man, what an amazing player.
And that doesn’t show up on any stat sheet. That’s the reason casuals underrate stephs offensive impact. Today’s fans are like the camera, just following the ball and looking for some hero to score it.
to be honest, i think steph is a genius offensive player. You won't even see Michael Jordan do this kind of stuff. His offensive impact on the floor is probably the best or one of the best in the history of the game. He is doing tremendous damage to opposing defenses without even having the ball. I think, there should be no discussion that steph impact on the game is far bigger than KD's.
@@leonardoyi3183 you wrote 100 or so words and not 1 of them was wrong. Insanely good analysis and insanely truthful.
@@leonardoyi3183 Players are Kobe or MJ are evaluated on a 1 v 1 situation, obviously they are better than Steph in iso or 1v1, but Steph has to be the greatest offensive teammate or teammate in NBA history, up there with say Tim Duncan. He’s one of the most unselfish players to play the game and uses his off ball movement, screening, etc.. to get his teammates the ball. It’s not coincidence that every player that joins them seems to get better.
@@leonardoyi3183 lmao y’all keep KD name in your mouth💀
I loved that they went to the high pick and roll for curry more. That consistently generates great looks for everyone and Boston can’t minimize Currys impact like they normally would off the ball trying to be physical with him
Also side note: thank you for talking about Currys defense. It’s been underrated for so long and with this being his best defensive season, it’s about time he gets credit on that end
@@chiggsytube u have to make adjustments when ur playing the number one defense in the league. I will use the 2016 finals as a huge example right now although curry was injured, because they forced him to play off the ball so much curry was unable to get it going. The cavs roughed him up every chance they got and his impact on the game was heavily minimized as a result. The same thing is happening here. But with the adjustment to put curry on the ball more, u can’t minimize his impact. Celtics have them deviating from their original offense sure, but that’s what u expect going against the number one defense. And u have to make the proper adjustments and they did
@@chiggsytube I don’t think it’s about rattling the warriors I just think the warriors made the proper adjustments to counter the Celtics minimizing Currys off ball impact
@@chiggsytube what type of brain dead comment is this? Lmao whatever works to get the dub is all that matters.
@@chiggsytube this is a series the team is going to know your normal go tos you have to spice it up to win it all
@@chiggsytube if you think the Celtics have them shook then you must have been watching a different game
it’s very worth notetaking Currys defense is peaking at the age of 34.
He's performing extremely well, and especially for his age
his effort has been ridiculous on that side of the ball, all that added weight and (bulk) on his body, combined with insane workout and conditioning is finally paying off
His defense has always been greatly under appreciated. He’s ridiculously strong, grabs steals and rebounds.
He has gotten stronger this year. Now, he bruises his way through a crowd.
True though I wonder if the extra effort is costing his shot a little, he's looked a bit more human than usual from behind the arc and at the line recently.
I love the balanced, factual, and insightful basketball analysis. No crazy narratives. Everything is backed up by data or clear video examples.
Bra. Instead of "The refs, The refs"
man is truly thinking basketball
Illegal screen
@callmecatalyst LOL why would I be a fan of that dropped lollipop
I don't think Gary Payton II knows how good he is. The Warriors picked up a diamond in the rough with him. He always gives the effort needed and is a total team player. With the coaching from Steve Kerr and staff, Payton has a real shot at being a true star. The job that has been done with Wiggins, Looney, and Poole is also a testimony to the great coaching that is on this team. I am not sure why more teams don't emulate the Warriors and how they build through chemistry. This team simply is not fazed when one player has a bad night as someone is always there to pick up the slack and not to complain. I am so serious that game 3 is a must win for Boston. If they lose two in a row, that might damage their tepid persona and Golden State could roll off four wins in a row and embarrass Boston. I think Golden State opened some eyes in game two as they showed they can deliver blow for blow with Boston.
It's just not that easy. You need a leader like curry or duncan and a coach like Kerr to build like the warriors. A bunch of players have said it, but it's Curry's unselfishness and true happiness when others on his team succeed (even when he doesn't) that makes this team work.
Also, Kerr's every person needs to be ready to contribute mentality is perfect for having all peices work together. That's why sometimes we think his rotations are crazy and why he plays the 10th man on the bench in regular season moments. Because how can teammates trust you when they need you at the end of the season if you haven't really played through the rest of the season?
Agreed. To your 1st question: Memphis is doing that right now mimicking GSW with young talents. As for 2nd, GSW is the first team in the playoffs who demolished Boston really. Except perhaps Bucks Game 1 but even then they resisted.
How can you know when so many teams give up on you?
I hope he sticks around for another year or 2 but a much bigger contract is likely to be offered and Dubs can’t match it
the Luke Walton Lakers pre-Lebron was a poverty version of that KD GS squad. Teams have tried to be the Warriors and failed
I just want to say thank you for your channel. Finally, basketball analysis about WHY a player or team is good instead of the usual nonsense you hear like "he didn't want to win", "his greatness is what makes him great", "the X defense was hungrier than Y's offense"
100% agree
Lol so true, great comment! 110% agree
Bro you're hands down the best NBA player and game break analyst on TH-cam. Great content. Peace love and basketball✌❤🏀
Appreciate that, thanks!
@@ThinkingBasketball 7:27 It is travelling. Not out of bounds
I agree! I’m not even a basketball hardcore fan. I enjoy any competitive sports when it counts, like the Finals. Just watching this I learn and admire these players so much more! Versus ESPN & talk show non sense who put sour tastes on individual.
I like how he slows the plays down to explain things. I'm new to basketball so my brain don't work that fast, and sometimes watching mainstream analysts confuses me more than it helps.
This is so true, even a someone new to basketball would easily understand what it's all about
I've come to realize over the last 3 seasons of watching the Warriors that the primary key to their success is shared between both Steph and Draymond equally at this point in their careers. Neither of them can dominate a game without the other. At least not sustainably so. Dray's defensive brilliance and offensive orchestra works in perfect sync with Steph's all-time level gravity, movement and shot creation. Together, they're the 2 pillars that make the Dubs one of the league's most revolutionary teams.
@joceja23 When you say same goes for draymond are saying he’d also win a ring without Steph?
@joceja23 it’s a team sport. Dynasties like this rely on multiple pieces, good front office, a cohesive ‘system’. That’s why Lebron hasn’t done it the same way. As an individual clearly he is greater than Draymond or Steph… but he doesn’t operate within a system or hasn’t had a good coach/front office his entire career same as the GSW team has. A lot of it is luck too of course. Then getting KD for one iteration helped really cement their dominance
@Humble I personally think if Jordan went to the blazers instead of pip going there that he would have won a ring with them.
@@thedman05 agree
Yeah for sure and what makes them an even better pair is Curry's defence. Curry isn't physically capable of defending elite scorers but his high iq prevents him from getting in bad situations. And when he does Draymond can often cover for him.
“So Steve Kerr stuck Green onto Brown…and while that’s a great earthy color scheme, it was a difficult matchup for Jaylen”
This made me laugh rly hard lmao
@callmecatalyst was just about to say the same thing! love me them celebration audits! HAHA!
@callmecatalyst what channel ?
@@luhjayceho Dub Nation HQ
Best basketball breakdown on the internet the calm explanation and the smooth music behind !!!
Keep it up.
Steph and Draymond indeed are the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, respectively. Without those two this team won't be in the conversation of being a legendary team along with its fanbase.
4:56 When you have 4 out of 5 players trying to stop you, that's a testament to how dangerous a player Curry is.
There needs to be a new official statistic for players like Curry (who create wide open lay ups or dunks for teammates with no more than their position elsewhere on the court). "The Gravity Assist." I'd love to know exactly how many a player like Curry averages per game (and per year).
Passive assist
@@arjunsahlot or "Off-Ball Assist"
So a positioning grade? 😂
He would lead the league in hockey assist
That would be a stat dominated by Steph and Steph alone. I don't think anyone else would be within 5 assist of him. That's ever played.
Just beautiful and genius style of gameplay other team is just blunt and the same, warriors is just built different
Appreciate the dive into Curry’s defense this game. He’s been underrated on defense for too long. Almost always been a great team defender just didn’t have the frame
Love these videos. I've been watching this series live and I can't pick up on half the things you are breaking down here. Watching your analysis brings a whole new dimension of fun to these finals.
In comparison to other NBA teams with big men, GS only have average height and mostly small players, but they manage it well thanks to superb teamwork and ball handling also great shooting skills.
I'm so happy that I predicted almost every adjustment Steve Kerr did, both offensively and defensively. Offense was completely stagnant when Curry was hiding in corners because Bostons plans were never to double him in the pick and roll, so high screening actions for him was All he needed. On the other side, I thought they should just let Tatum go off on Isolation but to stop collapsing the defense, Golden State are all pretty good defenders so it was never necessary to double anyone, and they did it perfectly, they holded Al Horford and Marcus Smart to only 2 points because they can't create shots by dribbling. I hope one day I can make it as a coach in any level of basketball, the entire tactical aspect is just so amazing.
That’s such astute analysis I hope you reach there too!
i really wish they’d stop jumping too. they’re really committing to stopping that 3 attempt but i think it’s sloppy. probably the only part that they need to clean up.
I made the prediction that Kerr would put Draymond on Tatum and let Wiggins guard Brown. And Klay would guard Horford if he’s just gonna float on the perimeter.
Just mixed up the two Jay’s. But you did some great analysis
It'll be interesting to see how udoka will counter the curry PnR, as you can't really drop or double. It'll also be interesting to see if brown bounces back like Tatum does, as he really struggled after a great start. Maybe they'll try forcing draymond off of brown, as I doubt the Celtics want to be in a situation where Tatum basically does everything on offense. series at 1-1, I think game 3 will be close.
@@manuprasad5354 I think the Celtics will try to mix up everything. A lot of pre-switching to try and keep Horford away from the action, hedging, trapping, switching, drop coverage.
Otherwise I think they try and go super small. But it’s going to be difficult with Curry and Draymond being such lethal passers
Draymond is a great player if he can constantly make adjustments. It’s like having another coach on the floor. He took it upon himself to not allow Brown and Horford to take over this game.
Draymon is a great player when he gives 99%. If he gives the extra 1% he Will make 10 turnovers (like he did in game one) and get ejected. So really is him getting the right amount of dray the team needs. Because gsw really needs his energy and general floor management to shine.
Watching golden state is like art. they make offense and defense look so beautiful
1:27 Green onto Brown = Earthy Color Scheme 🤣🤣🤣 immaculate writing !
Amazing video, per usual. Wish Beli got some love though. He went from being unplayable at times in the regular season to coming in and playing great defense on Tatum in the finals while scoring a couple of buckets.
He was surprisingly really good against Luka too.
This game had me hype. I thought Boston figured us out after Game 1 but good to see it's still competitive.
I could see why you thought that but I didn't think so what I think is we just lost our motor for both ends on the floor in game 1 and we couldn't get it started again
Why would you ever think Boston figured a championship team after 1 game? Game 1 is meaningless most of the time
It’s a game of adjustments. GSW isn’t a one trick pony. You can’t figure them out after 1 game when they can beat you so many ways.
Yeah the only adjustment that was needed was high PnRs to bomb 3s
@@seanmonteiro9459 Was that really an adjustment? They ran high PnR in Game 1, as well.
We’re all blessed that this era’s dynasty plays a beautiful brand of basketball
The level of analysis and quality commentary that you provide in just 10 minutes is simply astounding. Keep up the awesome work here!
The Warriors in the regular season averaged ~17 pick n roll actions per game (good for 29th in the league). In this game, they put up 33 pick n roll actions which would have been good for FIRST in the league. Goes to show that Kerr absolutely needs to be credited for this franchises' success and not just solely on the shoulders of Dray/Steph/Klay/KD! Kerr is a top 10 all time coach.
Doesn't that mean Kerr's regular season offense is less effective than traditional pick and roll？Whenever there's a problem offensively in the postseason, the solution is always switching back to pick 'n roll.
@@yihanzheng8203 No, I think it just means that you don't play the #1 rated defense in a best of 7 series during the regular season. The Celtics defensively schemed for a heavy motion offense which they saw a lot of in game 1 and less of in game 2. Playoff basketball is about adjustments on a game by game basis and who makes the better one(s). My comment just goes to show Kerr's coaching prowess to be able to adapt to what he sees on tape especially during the 16 game tournament which Kerr has the best winning % out of all head coaches in NBA history.
@@henlolneh love me some animal fries lol
@@henlolneh agree 100%. I think Mark Jackson helped instill a lot of defensive toughness in these guys and was influential in the early development of Curry, Klay and Dray but Kerr is the coach that unlocked this teams offensive potential and found a way to fully utilize their skills. Idk if Curry would have become the off ball, gravitationally dominate force that he is now if Jackson had stuck around and kept having him run iso plays instead. And the high pick and roll has always been the ace up the Warriors sleeve. For years they’ve had tons of success when they do use it but they only seem to save it for when they really need it against teams that can take away their motion offenses success like Boston. Kerr has been blessed with some ridiculously great weapons but he deserves lots of respect for creating a system that unlocked their full potential
The Warriors in the third quarter are scary 🔥
Ben, I can't tell you how grateful we are for your content. Keep it up!
Absolutely lovely, just lovely! The detailed explanation is never dull and the time put in is priceless please never change and if you do let it be for the better. Appreciate you.
I hope Steph gets his well deserved FMVP this year , if the Warriors win
If Warriors win Steph is the favourite based on the first 2 games. Someone would have explode in the next 3 Warriors wins to take it from him.
I honestly like both of these teams, but am rooting for the dubs for the sake of Curry finally getting a finals MVP
I like that you said "if". This could really go either way
there is almost no chance that steph doesnt get mvp if the warriors win, unless he has an absolutely horrible rest of the series which most likely wont happen
@@ceceroxy2227 idk, iggy has a clear shot at winning it imo
So thankful for this content! makes me feel like ive never been thinking about basketball deeply at all
ikr. sure beats those highlight videos where very little defensive stops are shown and it's just dunks, layups and threes being shown.
same for me. i've been playing casual basketball for a long time now (just division 2 so not that serious) and never received real coaching. seeing this kind of breakdown is really interesting
Great video! Warriors also adjusted by stopping to double team Taytum in high PnRs, which generated lots of open 3s for Boston in G1.
Great video. It’s not always easy to pick up on everything in real time. Your analysis is dead on. Thanks for sharing.
Some change in staff mindset must have happened for Steph, who's so focused on improving his 3s, cut off shooting Volume to ram up practice on other fundamentals. Never thought he would do this, i thought he would stay as a specialist until the end of his career. It's good to know that he's expanding his horizons.
me and my friend are die hard celtic fans but absolute NERDS for the game. this series has been an insane tug of war emotionally for us! when you watch great basketball at the expense of your home team it just sends unreal shivers down your spine. mad props to GS for game 2, they adjusted and regrouped almost as well as we all expected them to at home. now let's see if my guys in green (trademark pending) will swing back in TD garden.
to the team behind Thinking Basketball: excellent stuff as always, can't wait to see you guys break down game 3 for our viewing pleasure! Go Celtics!
Everyone was talking about how the Celtics won with Tatum not going off, not realising Klay hasn’t gone off in both games
Love this content
Quality video. Really proves the championship DNA
pretty awesome how they always saved the Curry PnR special till the finals lol
That first minute jump ball by Draymond really set the tone for the warriors defense that night
Their offense and defense is just so fluid , masterpiece
3:06 loved this one. Draymond probably knew al likes to show the ball too much while jab step stepping and had his hand where the ball would be swung. That's attention to detail
Curry wants this finals so bad. He's locked in every single possession on defense and offense.
Because he knows how much this would cement his already top 10 resume. This ring would define him more than any other ring especially with the circumstances and the supporting crew around him this time around.
Finals MVP incoming..
@@henlolneh curry’s great but he’s not a top 10 player now and when he wins these finals and FMVP…he still won’t be a top 10 all
Time player.
@@judahmourneth1466 I question your eyes. He’s an offensive machine, the amount of attention he commands on the court opens up SO many others.
@@puppy14 that has nothing to do with him being a top 10 player of all time. And I’m a Curry guy all the way.
That defense from Steph is legendary considering his disadvantages
To think the warriors don't play a lot of pick and roll but this series its gon be their bread and butter cause Celtics is having a really hard time stopping that
I still cant stop laughing at Horford getting shut down by curry in the paint
I used to not respect Draymond alot as a player, but recently after looking into the footage, I've come to realize Draymond is an extremely valuable piece of the Warrior's squad. His defense, and energy is unmatched.
Dubs fans have known this the past 8 years. Triple single stat line, but his defensive quarterbacking is unmatched by anyone else I think. Gobert is long, but he doesn’t quarterback anything. I don’t know enough of Marcus smart’s game, but I doubt it’s close. I think draymond said it himself once. “There’s never a situation where as a coach, you don’t want draymond playing the ball. You don’t want gobert out on the perimeter. You probably don’t want smart being posted up by an embiid. But never a situation where you don’t want draymond on the ball.” Makes sense
I love these single games analysis
Steph's defense is so underrated.
Wow, new to basketball, I had no idea this level of strategy existed in the game. Again, Wow!
loved the visual transition from Game 1 to Game 2. Overall great content too, as always!
Bro ppl still holding on to that tired narrative that he isn’t a good defensive player. All playoffs teams have been trying to switch on him and it has not been successful. But he has been pretty good for a few seasons now and really good this year and ESPECIALLY GOOD this playoffs. Not to mention his help defense and jumping passing lanes.
I think he's the case where his reward playing off-ball defense is better than most perimeter players who get hidden from on-ball action. He knows how to help and he sits amazingly well on reading passing lanes. Best part is he's also the ideal guy to get the ball off a turnover on a transition basket opportunity because he's flipping that possession to an assist or an instant 3-ball. If he/the Warriors score, they get to play set defense and do it again on the other side to build momentum. I don't know other guys in the playoffs who can play that help role and reward their team on a turnover possession to score like he does.
@@t4d0W couldn’t have said it better. Ppl don’t watch games or think past their narratives. Just like his off ball movement his help defense makes him a valuable asset on these teams
9:18 that’s crazy lmao, imagine being 6’3 and getting quadruple teamed in the paint
This is real basketball analysis. Way better than anything we have out there.
You know this team reminds me of the Jordan era bulls . Steve Kerr is definitely one heck of a coach . These guys are too good . One amazing addition to their strength is Payton . The boy is a massive asset .
Wow amazing breakdown !! After watching this video I just realized how little I knew about basketball and how many details I completely missed .
Who knew curry was so effective on defense; the narrative definitely says otherwise.
Thank you !!
Great video! This makes me want to rewatch the game
Warriors in the finals is truly a great thing, all break down videos on TH-cam is either what they did right or what went wrong and I'm having so much fun watching all of it 🤣
With his improve defense and passing, Steph might be peaking even more than 15-16 Curry in his impact 🥶🔥
Although this shooting percentages are down, he’s most definitely a better all-around player. He’s also put on some muscle, so he is able to get a little more physical in the paint and on defense.
I think 16 curry is a beast on its own level entirely
@@BlackMarq20 I wouldn't be bothered that much with Steph. If anything his physicality which helps him finish at the hoop more and juice his 5-6 FTAs that he can get along with his other ways to make a basket is what helps his overall playoff offense. Which is about the same that Tatum has offered when he's not allowed to attack the basket as easily. But the thing with Tatum is that his playmaking is what makes or breaks the C's offense.
Green onto Brown... 🙂
Waiting for other such word combinations of the first two with others such as White, Klay, Curry, etc
Great breakdown - the untrained eye would miss these things!
When i watched this game live i never even noticed any of these plays, super cool to really see how their playing when i never noticed before.
Seems no matter what Cs use to attack, the GSWs counter it. Unless Cs can knocked down those 9/9 3s like in G1 in the 4th Qtr, this series can end in G5
Look at curry man, so inspirational 🙌
watching Steph and Dray is something special!
🔥
Great analysis
In depth.
5:25 steph literally used his gravity to clear ALL of klay's help defenders out of the way without getting a screen assist or assist.
Yup this play is insane
That is an insane play. His IQ and feel for that kind of stuff is next level
Great videos as always from you coach. Thanks a lot
Hey Ben, great video, it's always a pleasure following you! I have just one observation. In game 1 and at the start of game 2 we all saw the drop coverage of boston defense being higher than usual to prevent curry's (and partially thompson/poole) threes (in few occasions they even switched horford on curry), but GS response was to agressively attack the lane to occupy the space behind the higher drop. Therefore, I think Udoka decided to get lower with the drop coverage (you can even see it at 7:40 on the "screen the screener action" vs horford... horford before getting screened was quite low) hoping that smart/white could quickly recover to contest curry or even push him inside for a floater, with the benefit of eliminating the strong GS roll to the basket. But that didn't go very well (as you can see at 6:36). Did you see it too or am I drunk?
Great video as always, love your stuff.
beautiful basketball, Draymond, Currys defense is elite level basketball at the highest level of the game, the nuance is superb. #Warriors #NBAFinals2022
15 total steals, in game 2 that is NBA Championship Elite defense n they had a 29-point lead, if The Warriors take game 2 gameplan n duplicate it. The Celtics are outclassed. Like Draymond said they were in control for game 1 with 40 minutes. Now that the Warriors have the momentum n have figured out the celtics. hmm hmm Its going to be tough for boston to defend homecourt. Why because the Warriors have won on the road in every series this playoffs n have in the past. Elite coaches, elite players n a system that is all about team basketball defense in kerrs motion-offense.
7.4k likes are NBA fans that appreciate n love the game at the highest levels, to the maybe couple hundred people in the lower comments that just dont understand ball n refuse to see how elite the Warriors defense is with Draymond, Curry n Gp2 (aka the young glove), also Wiggins. Essentially, Curry, Wiggins, Klay are two way pros, offense n defense, Gp2 elite defense, Draymond quarterback of the defense, Looney powerful Center for rebounds, n Jordan Poole the sniper.
Incredible video
Best basketball analysis on TH-cam
Can't overlook Curry's defense now. People starting to notice. GSW too strong, they have high iQ defensive players and can switch efficiently.
how comes i'd never known this channel exists,great content
Kendrick Perkins said Al Horford is who draymond use to be and i never laughed harder lol this video should be proof of how silly that statement was
Isnt that a good thing? Draymond has gotten better and smarter from back then
🤣🤣🤣...now carry the hell on.
You re really delivering great content
I absolutely love your videos 😭🤩
This channel is the worth watching than any of only fans video nbs
"... one that's a great earthy color scheme..." has me dying xD
As a Mavs fan, I have to admit with our current team, there is no chance that we could beat this Warriors team in a series of 7. I'm just glad that we didn't get swept. Yet, the Celtics is an insane team and surely will come up with some adjustment. This is such a fun series to watch!!!
Love the vintage look for G1 film ❤️
Very interested to see how the warriors will respond on the road, the physicality will be a level up on bostons side especially after this game.
If Gary Peyton 2 had starter minutes he would be able to win a defensive player of the year award plus he could put up about 15 points a game
FREE GP2
I was hoping that Kerr would start GP2 and bring Klay in as the 6 man.
Best analysis on TH-cam
Really cool, Bro. Awesome breakdown. Appreciate the insight.
Wow your so observant you actually explane every detail how they dominate the celtics well done thanks i this also helps us on tactics when playing basketball
Thx, Great analysis/breakdown of game.
Great video! Much love to this channel
Little by little analization, great video!
Look at Curry and Gary man. So inspirational
“And while that’s a great earthly colour scheme” really got me.. when he was talking about Draymond and Green 😂😂
brown and green
Yes! Was waiting for this Video
Excellent breakdown!
I loved the heck out of this video .. good job I learned something ..
I remember everyone saying Celtics can switch 1-5.
But al horford or Robert Williams is never gonna be able to guard Steph 😅
I feel like the reason for curry being a much better defender now isn't just more of a focus on defense, there obviously is a focus on defense for him now but I think a big part is how curry has trained his body now. People mention it all the time about how he never stops moving, he's trained to have crazy endurance so where before he would focus on offense and save energy on defense, much like harden, now he can focus on offense and still put full effort on defense and not have to sit every 3 minutes.
Curry was exceptional on both ends.