Zach Lowe

It was a really smart game plan in game one.

And the game plan was not just switch Cade and Duren to take Duren out of the game.

You're not getting the lobs to Duren.

We're not putting ourselves in rotation.

It was the way they did it.

You set the ball screen high enough.

Not only are we going to switch, we're going to go under the screen for Cade and switch at the same time, which is unusual.

And the reason that's important is because if you go under the Duren screen for him and you switch that guy onto Duren, you're taking away the role to the rim too.

You don't have the thing where you're on top of him and he can slip to the rim.

And now you're putting yourself into a mismatch on both sides.

Carter was okay on Cade.

Cade started to burn him a little bit.

late in the game.

But here's the thing.

If you're Cade Cunningham, you beat Wendell Carter off the dribble.

If Asar Thompson and Jalen Duren or Javante Green and Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart and Jalen, if two of the like shaky shooters or non-shooters on the floor, you can't get all the way to the rim.

You can't, you're going to have to just make mid-range jumpers and that's tough sledding.

Now the other mismatch is why don't you give the ball to Jalen Duren in the post against the small guy on that switch, whoever it is, Suggs, whatever.

And the reason is because A, they're fronting, and B, they're just not going to guard any of the above-mentioned non-shooters.

They tried it two or three times at the beginning of the game, and they couldn't get on the ball.