Pistons vs New York Knicks
Game Breakdown
*Special Situations*
With KAT out you go from a MAJOR worry at the center position to one that COULD be dominated by Duren/Stew
Would be great to see them dominate this matchup considering how good the Knicks are at every other position
How much do they hunt and try to attack Brunson on the offensive end???
See it early with a Cade post up
New York is a top 5 team in TOV% in the league so you can’t expect these early game TOs to continue BUT it’s good to see Detroit take advantage of them while they are happening
They don’t have a single TO in the 3rd quarter
13 - 2 Start and TO….how many times have we said that you CAN NOT immediately give momentum right back
Brunson mid range pull up
JB ATO is for a THJ 3PA off a screen…continue to wish they would draw stuff up for Cade or Ivey in these situations
Bridges FTM….you gotta go get a bucket here
Cade misses pull up 3PA (short), Ivey has OREB but loose with it and New York takes it away
Brunson tough mid range pull up…..YOU REALLY NEED A BUCKET
Cade drive and kick to Harris for WIDE OPEN corner C&S 3PA that is missed….SHORT!!!
GREAT team defensive possession leads to THJ transition layup
Followed by an Ivey transition layup….there you go, regain control
24 - 16 when Cade leaves in the 1st quarter, let’s track how these minutes go
Ivey BLOW BY and layup….just let him hoop when you put the ball in his hands
Attacks and hits a mid range
If they want to pressure him, let him GOOOO until they back off…and THEN you can ask him to “run the offense”
Ivey to Stew on short roll bucket
39 - 23 at the end of the quarter as they extend the lead behind Ivey and hot shooting from Beasley
Give up a run to start the 2nd quarter and have to call a timeout, they need to immediately respond and get it back into double digits like the 1st quarter
Sub in Cade and immediately hits a 3P
11 point lead at halftime, YET AGAIN, can you start the 2nd half in a way that doesn’t immediately lose the lead or let New York gain full control of momentum?
Perfect start to the half, at least immediately out of the game
And just a minute or so later they are back in, need a bucket to gain back control of this thing….off ball cut from Ivey and Cade assist stops the bleeding followed by a Cade PnR assist to Stew on a tough finish
89 - 77 3rd quarter when Cade leaves for his 2nd half rest
WOW, they are getting nothing offensively and honestly, could have been worse if New York makes a few more jump shots
New York gets within 2 early in the 4th quarter and then Cade just absolutely takes over….and they extend this lead to 16!!! WHAT A RESPONSE
How many times have we talked about doing this during this portion of the game so you aren’t playing such a tight game down the stretch
BEASLEY WITH THE DAGGER!!! 7/10 from 3P on the night
Pistons
Cade, Ivey, THJ, Harris, Duren
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DEFENSE
They are LAST in the NBA in steals but get a couple here early in the game that lead directly to transition points and help them get out to a quick start
I LOVE the FC pressure BUT you can’t give up a wide open 3PM to the other team's best player because of it
This one because Holland was complaining to the ref/didn’t hear/Stew didn’t let him know a screen was coming
Off the ball miscommunications continue to lead to open looks for teams
I don’t think the offense can sustain what we saw in the 1st half so the defense HAS to be better to help get this W
Keep the Knicks below 100 until 3:30 in the 4th quarter
I mention it below with Cade but I don’t think they have a good matchup for Brunson without Ausar available
OFFENSE
ATO actions continue to be for Beasley, THJ and Harris
There is one for Cade and he pays it off with a make
LOVE the SLOB to end the 1st quarter and even more I LOVE that we continue to see the offense/defense subs pay off in these situations
Subbed in Cade to simply make the pass which was perfectly on target
JB continues to draw them up to start the 2nd quarter where he actually uses Beasley as the decoy (screener) to get Holland a wide open layup but he drops the pass
8:20 2nd quarter might be the BEST example of where this young backcourt still needs the most growth
Cade and Ivey BOTH miss layups in the restricted area
Things have been running pretty smoothly until the TOs started to happen
CADE taking the Brunson matchup is not what I would have expected but I am here for it
Can’t say this has been a great matchup for him, I understand the idea behind putting length on Brunson but wouldn’t be surprised if they go with something different in the 2nd half
Sure would be nice to have Ausar in this one
Seriously, go watch his close out and multiple efforts on McBride at 8:45 4th quarter
That is CLINIC TAPE close out and then moving your feet to stay in front that eventually ends in a bad pass and steal for Beasley…no box score stat for him but that possession truly highlights his growth
Mid post isolation turns into a C&S 3PM for himself
Gets doubled, passes out, swing, swing and Ivey drive and kick BACK to the original strong side (now weak side) where the defense lost Cade
I LOVE, LOVE when teams find the original player that got doubled after they pass out because it seems the defense tends to lose them for a second
He continues to add to that mid post game as well
Love seeing him take these pull up 3Ps off ball screens, just has to start knocking them down
And does in 2 big possessions where the Knicks had started to make a run, make it 3!!!
Make it 4 and when he is shooting from 3 like this, along with the passing, he is TOUGH
His process has been ELITE to start the game (entire 1st half and game)
The one “little thing” he really needs to focus in on also is how early he goes in these ball screens, just be patient and let these guys get set
And now the TOs are starting to sneak up on him in the 3rd quarter
BUT I will say, it was very limited in this game compared to what we have seen, 3 is MORE THAN reasonable for his usage
Also, we have talked about Duren FT% but what’s up with Cade’s….under discussed so far this year is that he is below 80% this season
Do like him finding a way to get to the line in this game and has shot them well so far
Losing his man off the ball is the next step defensively, as well
HARRIS 3P% is slowly ticking up but I feel like he leaves a lot of points on the court with some of these looks
Feel like it just comes out so flat and misses short so much
IVEY has had some of those really good secondary effort contests here in the 1st quarter
If memory serves correctly he is the one that seems to be involved in some of the aforementioned off ball switch miscommunications
Still needs to lock in how on target his passes are
Small thing but early in the 2nd half he has Cade wide open after an OREB and throws it way off target
Now, Cade absolutely had time and still should have made it but would have loved to see him put it right in his shooting pocket
His off the ball movement continues to be really good
Especially cutting off Cade and his drives
Knocks down 2 HUGE 3PM with Cade sitting in the 4th to keep the lead extended
STEW with a nice little short roll floater
Has finished twice in the 1st quarter in the ball screen
Has another BIG ONE in the 3rd quarter, tough finish over the Anunoby low man verticality contest
One catch, put it on the floor and reverse finish and one short roll floater
11:10 2nd quarter is the concern
You have to make the pass that gets an open C&S 3PA or score this
There is a MUCH better one in the 3rd that gets Harris the baseline dunk
There is definitely room for growth but I have to admit that this was one of his better games as a true PnR guy
I CRUSH Duren below for getting beat in transition but we need to be fair here because STEW gets outrun by Hukporti at the end of the 3rd quarter in a VERY, VERY similar situation when New York was making a run
If we are going to call Duren out for this stuff then we absolutely have to call Stew out for the same things
BEASLEY continues to knock down shots, he is in an unreal groove right now
Has he hit the rim yet?
THJ effort has been admirable but we are sneaking back into that realm where he is jacking shots too quick and not making them
DUREN at 5:30 2nd quarter is a great example of where I simply don’t think he even understands that he needs to play “harder”
His man (Achiuwa) is trailing the play so he just jogs back behind the ball (Hart) being guarded by Cade….Hart, a very good transition driver, attacks immediately and scores
Yes, Cade could/should be better BUT if Duren SPRINTS back into position he can 1. Help take away the driving lane OR 2. Be in position to contest the shot at the rim from behind
Especially, against a big like Achiuwa who ISN’T a trail floor spacer, I would understand what he did a lot more IF it was Lopez/Turner/etc.
Gets highway screened by Anunoby late in the 1st half
Again, Cade should be better BUT to be the anchor of a defense you can’t let this happen to you from a wing/forward when the other team’s best player has the ball in his hands in the middle of the court
HOW ABOUT THOSE HANDS IN THE BALL SCREEN VS BRUNSON TO GET THE STEAL
Love it, 4:00 2nd quarter and he is deliberate with his hands (I call this the “stick hand” when it’s protecting against the crossover) and forces the TO
Love seeing him be able to exploit a mismatch on a switch of a ball screen
Posts Brunson, forces help and kicks to Harris (missed corner 3PA)
Has made 3 really nice passes to start the 2nd half
GETS OUT RUN IN TRANSITION AFTER NOT FINISHING AN OREB AND THEN DOESN’T BOX OUT ON THE MISSED FT
This is a really, really, REALLY rough look
Has done a nice job following Cade and Ivey drives for putback dunks
HOLLAND off the ball defense still has some work
He blew the weakside tag on the ball screen early in the 4th quarter
TREMENDOUS one more pass to Beasley to extend the lead in the 4th
FONTECCHIO, just live with those C&S 3PAs my guy…keep it simple
Big one in the 4th quarter
Knicks
Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, Sims
KAT gets a lot of the criticism for their defense but they are struggling major in transition and just general sense of urgency and intensity (and isn’t him because he isn’t playing)
Best 3rd quarter team in the NBA
BRIDGES on Cade, going to be really interesting to see how well he plays in this matchup
Have not been overly impressed with his point of attack defense so far this season
He can’t guard him, I can’t imagine this is what New York thought they were trading for defensively
He has had some QUICK TRIGGER 3PAs tonight
BRUNSON is just so crafty about getting to his spots
You absolutely can NOT put your hands or body in a spot where he can take advantage or he is getting to the FT line
He is also REALLY good drawing offensive fouls
He is working them over here in the 3rd quarter
Getting into the lane whenever he wants and however he wants
HUKPORTI comes in and flashes right away
Really nice short roll pass to the weakside and then verticality contest on a Cade drive and miss
Nice little drive and finish from the FT line vs Duren
Outruns Stew in transition for a big lob finish
MCBRIDE getting his shot off is so impressive for someone his height but has good elevation and such a high release
Pulls up on a dime as well
ANUNOBY just having a really good season
Shows his defensive impact with a recovery block on Duren in a ball screen situation
Multiple plays throughout the game, just real versatility with his impact
Along with how well he is scoring the ball so far this season
Does a really nice job moving off the ball
Struggled with those corner C&S 3PAs tonight though
39% on the season and 42% for his career
ACHIUWA loves that DHO keep
HART is so good getting downhill in transition
Fun game, Cade takes over!
Thanks for the pod heads up, set an alarm =)