Rashad Puts Skip In a BODY BAG After The Spurs Advance To The NBA Finals!
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Swag claims the NBA is 'forcing' Victor Wembanyama's stardom, making the Spurs' win feel 'not organic.'
- ❖Chet Holmgren was criticized for only taking two shots in Game 7 and appearing 'scared' of Wembanyama.
- ❖Kenyan highlights the Spurs' growth and their strong defense, noting OKC's three starters combined for only 13 points.
- ❖Skip Bayless argues the Thunder were severely hampered by injuries to key players (Jaylen Williams, AJ Mitchell) and underperforming role players.
- ❖Rashad credits the Spurs' defensive strategy for containing SGA and forcing him to pass, emphasizing collective team play.
- ❖A heated debate arose over whether officiating favored the Spurs, with claims that SGA's usual foul calls were 'swallowed the whistle' in the playoffs.
- ❖SGA's quote about Wembanyama being 'just different' was interpreted by Skip as an admission of intimidation.
- ❖Despite the loss, Skip predicts the Thunder will be favorites next year, while Rashad celebrates the Spurs' 'impossible' victory.
Insights
1Chet Holmgren's Disappearance and Intimidation by Wembanyama
Multiple hosts criticized Chet Holmgren's performance in Game 7, noting he took only two shots and appeared visibly 'scared' of Victor Wembanyama. This perceived intimidation was highlighted as a major factor in the Thunder's offensive struggles and Holmgren's lack of impact.
Swag: 'Chad, I don't know where he disappeared, got two shots up... he's really scared of Wimby.' Kenyan: 'Chad... checked out when he got dunked on... took that man heart.' Skip: 'Chad just shrinks in the alien's presence. And he's really good against the rest of the league... But when he steps on the floor with that guy, he's scared to death.'
2SGA's Offensive Struggles and Perceived Officiating Bias
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) struggled to score in the crucial final minutes of Game 7, going scoreless for the last 4:09. Rashad and Swag argued that SGA's usual foul-drawing tactics were not being called by referees, forcing him to change his game and contributing to his offensive inefficiency. This was framed as a 'red carpet treatment' for the Spurs and a 'swallowed whistle' against SGA.
Skip: 'From that point forward, the clutch player of the year manages to score zero more points.' Swag: 'Shay at the end of the day, like where he was like trying to draw the fouls he normally get. He didn't get none of them calls cuz you got they swallowed the whistle, man.' Rashad: 'It wasn't about who wasn't doing anything on the under. It was about what we did defensively.'
3Spurs' Collective Defense and Role Player Contributions
Rashad emphasized that the Spurs' victory was a result of their collective defensive adjustments and the contributions of role players like Stefon Castle and Dylan Harper, who stepped up offensively. He argued that the Spurs successfully crowded the paint, forced contested shots, and got crucial stops, rather than relying solely on Wembanyama's individual scoring.
Rashad: 'Let's talk about who did show up and why... The other guys win you championships. The other guys win you games... Dylan Harper stepped up to the plate. Stefon Castle stepped up to the plate.' Rashad: 'We didn't get no credit for actually crowding the paint, making them dribble, making them shoot contested shots, getting back in transition defense.'
4SGA's Intimidation by Wembanyama's Defensive Presence
Skip Bayless interpreted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's post-game quote about Wembanyama's unique defensive presence as an admission of intimidation. SGA stated that Wembanyama's defensive impact made scoring 'very different,' suggesting a psychological barrier for the Thunder's star.
SGA quote: 'There's a guy on their back line that's just different. They funnel everything to that guy. It's a really good defense, but it's not impossible to score. It's just that it's very different.' Skip's interpretation: 'That's the back-to-back MVP admitting to me. He's a little intimidated by that guy standing back there under that basket.'
Lessons
- For teams facing dominant shot-blockers like Wembanyama, players must 'attack the body' and drive aggressively to draw fouls or finish strong, rather than settling for contested jumpers or passing out.
- Coaches should prepare star players for potential shifts in playoff officiating, especially regarding foul calls, and develop counter-strategies beyond relying on regular-season foul-drawing moves.
- Teams should prioritize developing a strong collective defense and empowering role players, as individual star power alone may not be sufficient against well-coached and defensively sound opponents in a seven-game series.
Notable Moments
Luke Kornet's crucial block on Isaiah Hartenstein's fast break attempt in the fourth quarter of Game 7.
This defensive play prevented a potential three-point play that could have cut the Spurs' lead to three, shifting momentum and allowing the Spurs to extend their lead to nine points shortly after, effectively sealing the game.
Quotes
"If you thought the OKC had a chance in that game seven, um, you was losing it. The NBA already picked a star, face of the league. Um, they know Spurs going will be a better story line, more chaos."
"Tape ain't going to help, young man. You got to go look in the mirror. Like, you got to go find a big mirror."
"Chad just shrinks in the aliens presence. And he's really good against the rest of the league... But when he steps on the floor with that guy, he's scared to death and it's hard to watch."
"What went bad for the Oklahoma City Thunder in game seven is we had to adjust to a team who plays one way. They depend on one guy. We made that adjustment. We're going to let him do what he does best, which is score the ball and not share the Brock."
"There's a guy on their back line that's just different. They funnel everything to that guy. It's a really good defense, but it's not impossible to score. It's just that it's very different."
Q&A
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