NBA Conference Finals preview
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What are the keys to the NBA Conference Finals?
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, Espera Henne and I look at both of the conference finals and come up with our keys to the series.
oh we've made it to the conference finals esperanto dave yeah dave dufour we are here nba daily style uh actually doing this a little bit different um travel day for just about everybody that we would want to talk to today so we decided you know what let's put on our thinking caps and do our own little preview with the keys to the series now look we have watched
Who are the standout players in the Western Conference matchups?
All of the remaining teams, as much as just about anybody, I would say the guys covering these teams are probably about the only ones that have us beat on it. I feel like I've got a pretty good sense of who and what they are. Let's start in the West, since that's going to be the first series. Obviously, that game is going to be tonight. I cannot believe we're already here. Game one of the West.
I bet you the Thunder can't believe it either. The fact that it's Tuesday and they got a two-day break until they have to face the Minnesota Nuts. Just wild.
How do the Timberwolves and Thunder match up?
Any recovery from game seven. Right. Like it's just gone. Yeah. But at least they're at home. Right. They didn't have to travel. I'm sure Minnesota had the, you know, had the plane all fueled up, ready to go. Where do you want to start with this series? Because, I mean, obviously it's an interesting matchup. The Thunder dominated all year long. Felt like the Timberwolves found their footing, you know, after after struggling with an identity crisis for most of the season, they found their footing late. But they've been excellent in the playoffs. And I mean, they were sitting at home waiting for the Thunder, which probably feels a little bit different for the Thunder after they swept in the first round. So where do you want to start there?
Oh, man, let's start right at the top. Let's start with Anthony Edwards and Shea Gildress Alexander. I think they will be the main draws of the series for any casual fan. But even if you look at it analytically, if you look at it from like a pure breakdown perspective, this postseason, and we've talked about it a bunch, has been about Anthony Edwards's growth as a playmaker.
What is Anthony Edwards' role in the series?
It's like the decision making. He's making easier reads. He's understanding the flow of the game, how to get guys involved. There was this great article about how he was trying to balance the scoring and the playmaking punch. And Chris Finch is like, sometimes him just being a score is our best option. Right. And I think that's going to be the ultimate test. The Thunder defense against Anthony Edwards is going to be his ultimate test as a playmaker because they are going to pressure him. They are going to force him into tough decisions constantly. There will be openings that evaporate instantly because that's what OKC does on defense. So how does he respond? Because... Minnesota can be turnover prone. They can turn the ball over.
And this is basically the biggest test Ant has had in these playoffs when it comes to his newfound playmaking ability. Right.
I mean, look, we have pointed to this 12 assist game that he had against the Warriors in that series. It's kind of like that's something to hang your hat on. I mean, 12 assists in a playoff game. And he still I think he put up 23 in that game. If he is aggressive at attacking the basket and not looking for the foul call, which is I actually think has affected his finishing around the basket where he's looking for the contact and thinking he's going to get bailed out and he's not finishing through the contact. I think he needs to change that. Right. If you look at the way OKC was able to guard against Denver, part of it is that old Miami Heat thing. They're fouling the entire time. So you're not going to get called on every foul. Exactly. Yeah. The level of the foul is higher, and so you just have to adjust to that.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the keys to the NBA Conference Finals?
0:26–1:05
2
Who are the standout players in the Western Conference matchups?
1:05–1:34
3
How do the Timberwolves and Thunder match up?
1:34–2:35
4
What is Anthony Edwards' role in the series?
2:35–10:57
5
How important is shooting for the Timberwolves?
10:57–14:40
6
What adjustments will OKC need to make?
14:40–19:28
7
Can Minnesota overcome their playoff history?
19:28–24:54
8
What predictions can we make for this series?
24:54–27:00