Welcome to my game notes. For the most part(particularly on offense), these are possession-by-possession notes of all the things that happened on the court. It’s a way for me to learn as much as possible about what happened during the game because I would otherwise forget. Anything can be a note, no matter how small or complicated.
These are my personal notes. This is not meant to read as analysis or a piece. Some of the sentences may not have structure or perfect grammar. They are notes. My goal for this is to somewhat track the things that happen to know what to dig deeper into and have some kind of reference to it somewhere.
Clips will be accompanied for key plays I want to highlight.
1st
11:36 — Davion-Klay-Wiggins-Giannis-Bam. Davion and Bam already miscomm on a potential switch
Klay chasing Cooper around but he lost him and was trailing on screens
11:16 — Giannis just allowing an easy attack off the catch from PJW in early offense
10:58 — Klay and Wiggins late miscomm on a switch on the cut. Klay-Wiggins switch again. Klay defends in the post. Wiggins digging 1 pass away. That gives up an open 3pt to Cooper 1 pass away
10:35 — Wiggins letting Kyrie get a drive on him. Then he just doesn’t box out and Kyrie gets the ORB. Giannis on Kyrie. Just settling for a 3pt
10:04 — Wiggins good defense on the drive to cut him off. Davion solid defense vs Cooper. With the size advantage, that was a really good job in ISO
Klay tries to show help but then just allows Kyrie to cut behind him and doesn’t realise. That gives up a cut
Neither Bam, nor Giannis also noticed the cut to help
9:26 — Wiggins-Klay switch up top. Klay vs Cooper. Wiggins tries to show help at the nail but then loses his man and doesn’t realise the screen. Gives up an open corner 3pt
8:59 — Transition. Not getting back. No one can then pick up Kyrie on the wing. Ends up getting a wide open 3pt
8:36 — Wiggins-Davion switch up top. Davion is trailing on the handoff vs Cooper. Giannis in drop. Giannis then recovers on the roll and forces a floater from Gafford
Bam is the low man
8:08 — Davion-Klay switch. Bam stunting hard on the Cooper drive. Giannis helping off PJW to provide help. He’s late to rotate back and contest. Gives up another 3pt
7:42 — Klay-Davion miscomm on the switch but no real advantage. Davion trailing bad on the off ball screen and Kyrie gets a wide open 3pt
Giannis low man. Loses track where his man is. Bam also doesn’t box out Gafford. ORB is given up
Wiggins ball watching. He’s lost and loses Cooper on the cut
7:08 — Wiggins-Klay switch. Giannis late reaction on PJW lifting. Bam-Giannis switch. Bam late with the hand up to contest the 3pt
Davion and Wiggins ball watching. Giannis didn’t box out his man.
Bam switches on Kyrie. Doesn’t allow a shot or anything.
Klay slow to react to Cooper lifting. Wiggins ball watching and wanted to provide help but loses his man going to the corner for an open 3pt
6:26 — Davion not fully attached to Kyrie. Trails the off ball screen and commits a foul
5:45 — Davion-Pelle-Wiggins-Bobby-Bam. Pelle-Wiggins switch up top. Davion top locking Kyrie, much better option. Pelle in a good place to be in passing lanes
Bam also still is just the low man playing the free safety
5:23 — Pelle providing some full court pressure. Davion again top locks his man. Wiggins overplaying Cooper and gets beat on the backcut. Bam helps on Cooper and recovers to his man well. Stays on the drive and gives up nothing
This was a great Bam possession
4:37 — Wiggins top locks Cooper. Then chasing him around on the handoff. He trails. Bobby shows. Bam tags the roll
4:10 — Bam switches on Cooper. Good from Bobby kicking out the mismatch from Wiggins. Wiggins gets beat on the closeout. Davion with a great closeout not allowing anything. Bam again on Cooper and just forcing a tough ISO pu 3pt
3:35 — Pelle-Bobby PNR. Show, 2 on the ball. Davion and Wiggins just ball watching, unaware of their man. I don’t know what Davion is doing. But that gives up a ORB
2:54 — Davion gambled on the steal. That put him behind and forced Bobby to help on the drive. Davion couldn’t rotate and that gives up a drive. Great rotation from Bobby to save the play
2:30 — Dru-Pelle-THJ-Bobby-Giannis. Pelle-Bobby PNR, hard show. Giannis being the low man. He helped early in the paint. Great contest. Giannis saved this play
2:12 — THJ starting the action trailing for some reason. He put the defense in rotation right from the start. Giannis low man again tagged the roll then a hard closeout. Bobby provided a good contest
1:46 — Dru pressing full court. Dru-Bobby PNR, hard show vs Kyrie. Giannis-Bobby switching screens. THJ just unaware and lost his man off ball, gets hit by the screen and gives up a wide open 3pt
1:14 — THJ switches on Cooper. Pelle looked to help but then also gets caught on a screen and is trailing his man
0:49 — Dru-Bobby PNR, hard show. THJ tags the short roll. Giannis rotates early in the paint. THJ gambled on the steal. Gives up a wide open 3pt
ORB given up. Pelle didn’t box out and that ended up being a tip
0:05 — Giannis with a good rotation and a charge
2nd
12:00 — Dru-Bobby PNR, hard show. Solid defense not giving up an advantage, even on the second handoff
Dru tried to double and force a steal and gets a deflection
11:45 — Pelle-Bobby PNR. Poor defense from Pelle, not getting attached. Went under. Gives up an open PU 3pt
11:20 — Dru-Bobby PNR, hard show. Pelle tags the roll early and that saved the action. THJ went to rotate but then just stayed the for no reason
10:50 — Dru-Bobby PNR, at the level. Pelle-Dru switching. Keeping everything up top well. Pelle relaxes for a second and just loses Kyrie cutting. Giannis tried to save the play
10:20 — Pelle again not fully switched on right away. He’s late to react on the quick 3pt
10:00 — full court press. THJ providing pressure. Dru overplaying Kyrie a lot. Easily creates space for the open 3pt
9:30 — Dru-THJ switch. THJ top locks Kyrie. ISO on an island. Dru showing strong help at the nail then looked to dig and double. Pelle rotates on the first pass but was a bit late
8:43 — Kyrie hunts THJ again. Dru helping off strong corner by digging and forces a steal
8:14 — Kyrie hunts THJ. THJ-Bobby PNR, soft show. Dru showing help at the nail.
7:50 — Switching almost every screen now. Giannis on the perimeter not giving anything up. Dru was out of position on the closeout and now was trailing and ended up fouling
7:08 — Davion-THJ-Wiggins-Bobby-Giannis. Transition. No one really getting back in time
6:38 — THJ starts on Kyrie and does a good job going with him. No advantage. Solid possession not giving anything up. But no one boxing out.
5:45 — Daivon-Klay-Pelle-Wiggins-Bam. Davion tried to provide help but gets caught on the screen and now is trailing on his man. Pelle strong stunt off the strong side corner. Bam sinks down to force the floater
4:53 — Klay and Pelle miscomm on the off ball switch. Cooper then gets a wide open 3pt
4:20 — Klay-Bam switch. Davion just losing Cooper badly. He tried to provide help and just lost him. That gives up a drive. There’s also no rim protection at all
Davion anytime tries to help isn’t aware of his man
3:52 — Giving up a wide open corner 3pt in early offense. Just not matching up well. No communication after people help
3:27 — Davion-Pelle-Wiggins-Giannis-Bam. Just poor ISO defense from Wiggins vs Cooper. No resistance at all on that drive
2:58 — Davion pressing then relaxes after the pass and is now trailing on the screen. Gives up a wide open PU 2pt
2:18 — Cooper hunting Davion on the switch. Slip gets behind on Giannis. Great rotation from Wiggins and the contest to force the miss
1:41 — Pelle-Bam PNR, hard show. Davion tags but already let him get downhill. Giannis great help as the low man to force the miss
1:15 — Wiggins-Bam PNR, stuck on the screen and goes under. Gives up a wide open PU 3pt to Cooper
0:47 — Wiggins-Bam PNR, switch. Davion helping off the strong corner on the Cooper drive. That was too much space for the corner 3pt
Why are we helping that much when it’s Bam on the switch
3rd
12:00 — Davion-Klay-Wiggins-Giannis-Bam. Klay looking to help as the low man but then is behind on his man attacking of the catch
11:15 — Davion top locks Cooper. Fronts him well. Prevents an entry. Plays great defense until late where he just fouls on the reach
10:43 — Wiggins trailing Cooper and Bam had to switch. That forced Davion to tag and opens up Kyrie for 3pt
This open look starts with Wiggins
10:14 — Bam solid defense on the Cooper drive to contest
9:47 — Wiggins-Bam switch vs Cooper. Klay giving up a drive going middle too easily. I think Wiggins helped too much in the paint and that gives up another open 3pt
9:18 — Kyrie hunts Klay. No advantage. Giannis switches on Cooper. Bam switches on Cooper. Just forcing a quick 3pt
8:44 — Early offense. Good defense getting back and setting up. Wiggins trying to deny Kyrie. Is overly aggressive and then just gets beat to the rim
Davion should be the low man but doesn’t help. Could’ve switched with Giannis
8:14 — Davion slow to react on his guy lifting. That forces a switch with him on Gafford.
Klay almost getting beat on a cut
7:49 — Bam switches on Cooper in early offense. Stays on his drive and gets the block
Wiggins gets outhustled on the ORB by Gafford
7:32 — Wiggins-Bam PNR, hard show. Davion tags the roll quickly. Giannis sunk down but isn’t doing a lot. Open 3pt given up
Another ORB given up too. No one able to grab the loose ball
6:47 — Another wide open 3pt given up. That started off with Wiggins trailing his man. That forced Bam to help. Then forced Davion to tag
5:40 — Bobby letting the roll get behind him too easily. Giannis nor Klay react on time and it’s an easy layup
5:15 — Wiggins-Bobby PNR again. Cooper turns the corner. Wiggins just dying on the screen
4:57 — Giving up transition 3pt. Not getting back fully
4:32 — Davion with a good gamble to help. Ends up getting the steal
4:10 — Poor transition defense. They get back but not matching up properly and ends up giving up a corner 3pt
3:11 — Davion-Bobby PNR, at the level. Good recovery from everyone
2:38 — THJ providing pressure. Dru and THJ miscomm on the switch. Dru has the guy turn the corner too
2:18 — THJ just giving up a wide open 3pt to Kyrie. Him and Pelle feel like are going to switch but don’t. More miscomm
1:21 — Kyrie hunts THJ. He shows and recovers. Hunts him again and gets the switch. Gets a drive. Bobby showing strong help at the elbow. Gives up a drive from the corner
0:34 — Poor closeout from Giannis, allows a drive. Miscomm with Pelle and Bobby going to the same person. Wide open 3pt as a result. Poor rotation from THJ. I know that wasn’t his mistake or his man but some awareness would be better
4th
11:40 — Dru-Giannis Spain PNR. Poor coverage. Not on the same page. THJ also allowing an open 3pt on the pop. Not sure what he was doing helping on that drive
Again, this all stems from just a lack of communication
10:42 — Dru top locks Kyrie. A bunch of switching on and off ball. The execution could be a lot better
10:10 — Another Spain PNR. But again it seems like this is poor coverage between Dru and Giannis. THJ again helping on the drive and now the defense is in rotation because of the same issue
9:50 — Transition. What is THJ doing. He just got back and stopped. There was a wide open kick for 3pt
9:20 — Giving a wide open pop in PNR. Dru-Bobby miscomm on the coverage. Both go with Kyrie.
8:36 — THJ awful PNR defense and just allows an easy drive to the rim. No help at the rim either. Also, not sure what Giannis was doing in that drop
8:15 — Disgusting defense from THJ. This was just hilariously bad
That’s B2B possessions that THJ ended up giving a drive to the rim
7:37 — Giannis giving up ORB to his own shooter. That just can’t happen. Giannis did end up saving the play with his length in the end after multiple ORBs
6:48 — Textbook help from Pelle in the passing lanes
6:33 — A bunch of Davion going over screens. Does a solid job but could be better. Bobby out of position on a box out and gives up a ORB
6:07 — Just awful defense matching up in early offense. Wiggins just gives up a clean drive to the rim
The amount of drives that have been given up
5:50 — Pelle switching on Cooper. Gives up a paint touch. Davion has to tag. He closes out hard and gives up a drive for a floater
4:58 — Pelle switches on Cooper again. Less help this time. He forces a tough shot but fouls and he still makes it
4:36 — Giannis giving up the drive to Cooper on the switch. He only manages to get to the paint but that’s still too easy
4:06 — Great charge from Pelle after Wiggins was going to give up another drive
3:47 — More charges! This time from Davion
3:26 — Giannis switches on Kyrie. Giannis and Bam double. Pelle with a great help in passing lanes for another steal
2:53 — Bam switches on Cooper. Wide open corner 3pt given up in the end. Davion not fully switched on off ball. He’s trailing his man now. Wiggins with good help. Giannis overhelps inside but good instinct. No one boxing out and it’s a putback
2:16 — Bam switches on Cooper. Stays on his drive and forces a miss
2:11 — Davion-Bam PNR. Hard show on Kyrie. Deflects the pass with the blitz
2:05 — Poor defense from Wiggins getting caught on the screen and is now behind on Cooper to contest the 3pt
1:30 — Davion-Bam PNR. Another hard show. Defense is now in rotations. Not perfect. A wide open 3pt is given up. No one pays attention to Cooper. Giannis doesn’t box out and gives up ORB
0:50 — Kyrie hunts Pelle on the switch. Just goes ISO 3pt. Does create space
0:15 — Wiggins vs Cooper ISO. Poor defense. Gives up the drive too easily. Late help from everyone too