Tell me some of my thoughts on the Suns and Pelicans series.
I always thought that without Devon Booker, the Suns could still play 6-4 with the Pelicans, and I always felt in my heart that Paul still had some energy, and the Suns' lineup depth and experience were enough to support the entire series. It wasn't until he lost Devon Booker that paul couldn't take on the responsibilities of a playoff leading tackler.
Let's take a look at Paul's data first:
30 points and 10 assists
17 points, 14 assists
28 points, 14 assists
4 points, 11 assists
It is clear from this set of data that the most basic data requirement for winning this series is that Chris Paul must guarantee an average of 30+10 per game.
Leaving aside Alvardora's defense, chris Paul's 37-year-old age alone is unlikely to do so in the playoffs. It is obvious that he can feel his inadequacy on the court, and James should have a deep understanding of this. Not only that, but the Pelicans also shifted their defensive focus to Paul, who was almost unable to implement load management under the stalking of young people. Taking just 4 points in Game 4 is the best proof, and getting Paul almost got the Suns on offense, and the Pelicans have found the best way to beat the Suns.
Let's talk about Ingram, another player who gave the Suns a headache.
Ingram's progress was unexpected, and after adapting to Game 1, Ingram scored no less than 30 points. Craig and Crowder's defenses didn't work at all, and using Bridges to defend England had the same effect. This really has a bit of Durant's taste, and in terms of the ability to break the bag, Ingram may be stronger than Durant.
What can the Suns do?
Defending Ingram's tall forward line is originally a weak link in the Suns' defense.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green also made adjustments to the situation on the court. With Chris Paul's amazing ability to feed bread, Ayton was always able to get the opportunity to eat cakes easily, and the Pelicans were misplaced to change their defenses, small or big. Even if the position is just right, the rest of the Suns will cover the shooter in the bottom corner to win an open shot.
Willy Green's adjustment is also a simple and rude two-point requirement:
Point 1 does not impose too many restrictions on Aden's air connection. In 4 games in the first round, Ayton's shooting percentage has been above 65%. But no matter how many points Ayton scores, the intuitive feeling is that there is no lethality, and a closer look at Ayton only has 1.3 free throws per game, which means that the Pelicans can accept the outbreak of this point. Then deliberately let Ayton have some free-air connections, as far as possible to let Chris Paul connect with Ayton, and separate the others from the attack.
Point 2 heavily used Valanciunash to attack at the low post. In Game 4, Valanciunas fully demonstrated the low-post lethality of a heavy center. Neither Ayton nor McGee can stop his offensive steps, and the adjustment of this point is crucial. Not only did the Suns not solve the problem of Ayton scoring more, but also without any lethality, but also had a more headache for Valanciunas.
One attack and one defense changed two changes, so that the Pelicans from passive to active.
Pelicans Black 9 is on the way!