Fred Katz

Really quick caveat. Yeah, absolutely. Denver has the best player in the world. In the world. And it's not particularly close. And if the best player in the world plays at his A-plus game, then it might not matter. Just all the stuff we just discussed might matter not at all.

This is probably my favorite first round series because sneakily you look at teams, often the team that wins the title is the most balanced, is at least amongst the most balanced teams. And you look four teams finished in the top 10 in offense and the top 10 in defense in the NBA. And it was the three you would expect, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Boston, and the fourth is Minnesota.

This is probably my favorite first round series because sneakily you look at teams, often the team that wins the title is the most balanced, is at least amongst the most balanced teams. And you look four teams finished in the top 10 in offense and the top 10 in defense in the NBA. And it was the three you would expect, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Boston, and the fourth is Minnesota.

This is probably my favorite first round series because sneakily you look at teams, often the team that wins the title is the most balanced, is at least amongst the most balanced teams. And you look four teams finished in the top 10 in offense and the top 10 in defense in the NBA. And it was the three you would expect, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Boston, and the fourth is Minnesota.

And when you look at contrast of styles in this series, Minnesota's played great ball to close the year. And you look at contrast of styles in this series, the post Anthony Davis Lakers play really small. They play. And when I say really small, the, the, They're going to use one big man in their postseason rotation, and it's going to be Jackson Hayes.

And when you look at contrast of styles in this series, Minnesota's played great ball to close the year. And you look at contrast of styles in this series, the post Anthony Davis Lakers play really small. They play. And when I say really small, the, the, They're going to use one big man in their postseason rotation, and it's going to be Jackson Hayes.

And when you look at contrast of styles in this series, Minnesota's played great ball to close the year. And you look at contrast of styles in this series, the post Anthony Davis Lakers play really small. They play. And when I say really small, the, the, They're going to use one big man in their postseason rotation, and it's going to be Jackson Hayes.

And even when they use Jackson Hayes, they tend to employ small team strategies. Now, they're not as small as people say, because like their wings are big. Hachimura is big. And Jared Vanderbilt is big. And like, you look at a lot of their guys, they're big. Luca is a huge point guard. LeBron is big. Like they have big guys, but they employ small team strategies.

And even when they use Jackson Hayes, they tend to employ small team strategies. Now, they're not as small as people say, because like their wings are big. Hachimura is big. And Jared Vanderbilt is big. And like, you look at a lot of their guys, they're big. Luca is a huge point guard. LeBron is big. Like they have big guys, but they employ small team strategies.

And even when they use Jackson Hayes, they tend to employ small team strategies. Now, they're not as small as people say, because like their wings are big. Hachimura is big. And Jared Vanderbilt is big. And like, you look at a lot of their guys, they're big. Luca is a huge point guard. LeBron is big. Like they have big guys, but they employ small team strategies.

Nobody switches on screens more than the Lakers do right now. That is their number one strategy that they deploy. And they'll put out a lineup. that has Austin Reeves, LeBron, Doncic, Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith, where I don't know who the hell is the center. I don't know if it's LeBron. I don't know if it's Dorian Finney-Smith, whatever else. And they will put out that really small lineup.

Nobody switches on screens more than the Lakers do right now. That is their number one strategy that they deploy. And they'll put out a lineup. that has Austin Reeves, LeBron, Doncic, Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith, where I don't know who the hell is the center. I don't know if it's LeBron. I don't know if it's Dorian Finney-Smith, whatever else. And they will put out that really small lineup.

Nobody switches on screens more than the Lakers do right now. That is their number one strategy that they deploy. And they'll put out a lineup. that has Austin Reeves, LeBron, Doncic, Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith, where I don't know who the hell is the center. I don't know if it's LeBron. I don't know if it's Dorian Finney-Smith, whatever else. And they will put out that really small lineup.

And that lineup is not great defensively. It is insane offensively. When they have Austin Reeves, Luka, and LeBron on the court together, they score 100%. 129 points per 100 possessions, which is otherworldly. It's 99th percentile amongst all lineups. It's absolutely crazy, even if they're giving up points. Minnesota, meanwhile, is capable of going small with Nas Reed at the five, but Minnesota...

And that lineup is not great defensively. It is insane offensively. When they have Austin Reeves, Luka, and LeBron on the court together, they score 100%. 129 points per 100 possessions, which is otherworldly. It's 99th percentile amongst all lineups. It's absolutely crazy, even if they're giving up points. Minnesota, meanwhile, is capable of going small with Nas Reed at the five, but Minnesota...

And that lineup is not great defensively. It is insane offensively. When they have Austin Reeves, Luka, and LeBron on the court together, they score 100%. 129 points per 100 possessions, which is otherworldly. It's 99th percentile amongst all lineups. It's absolutely crazy, even if they're giving up points. Minnesota, meanwhile, is capable of going small with Nas Reed at the five, but Minnesota...

Minnesota, when they're best utilized, is going to have Rudy Gobert on the court. So what's going to happen here? Like Minnesota is huge, right? Jade McDaniels is a huge three. Anthony Edwards is a huge two. Nikhil Alexander-Walker defensively plays big. The guy is unbelievable guarding screens if he's going to be in parts of those lineups, if Mike Conley is out and Na is in there instead.

Minnesota, when they're best utilized, is going to have Rudy Gobert on the court. So what's going to happen here? Like Minnesota is huge, right? Jade McDaniels is a huge three. Anthony Edwards is a huge two. Nikhil Alexander-Walker defensively plays big. The guy is unbelievable guarding screens if he's going to be in parts of those lineups, if Mike Conley is out and Na is in there instead.

Minnesota, when they're best utilized, is going to have Rudy Gobert on the court. So what's going to happen here? Like Minnesota is huge, right? Jade McDaniels is a huge three. Anthony Edwards is a huge two. Nikhil Alexander-Walker defensively plays big. The guy is unbelievable guarding screens if he's going to be in parts of those lineups, if Mike Conley is out and Na is in there instead.

And then obviously you have Julius Randle, you have Nas Reed, you have Rudy Gobert, who's a giant center. Like How are those two stylistic contrasts going to work? If the Lakers go to their really small lineup without Jackson Hayes, and even if Jackson Hayes is out there, they switch with Jackson Hayes a lot too because he's got really good feet and has been way better the last three months.