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
11:35 — Giannis showing strong help on Pascal in the paint off of Huff. Recovers on him. Klay allowing a drive off the catch. Wiggins now showing strong off the corner
Not sure if I like that much help
10:55 — Giannis allowing his man to be behind him. No one sunk to get it. Open lob
10:35 — Davion-Bam PNR. Davion trails the screen. Open pass to Pascal on the roll. Bam was late to contest
10:20 — Davion-Giannis PNR. 2 on the ball. Bam takes the pop. Wiggins great read in the passing lane on that rotation
10:02 — Davion-Giannis PNR. 2 on the ball again. Klay tags early. Open 3pt on the skip.
Why is the defense that aggressive in PNRs on everyone
9:30 — Davion in PNR going under vs Nembhard
9:10 — Davion-Giannis PNR. At the level. Roll gets behind him. Klay and Wiggins miscomm. No one took the tag then. Wiggins was late and it’s a layup
I think Klay wanted to switch that
8:40 — Open Pascal in the corner. Bam was the low man helping. Wiggins was also in the paint. Think that was too much overhelping
ORB given up. Davion ball watching. No rotations and no one matched up. Open 3pt
8:03 — Klay not offering much resistance on that drive. Oubre just gets a layup
7:50 — Davion not being able to stick with Nembhard on that stepback. Maybe a bit of a push off
7:00 — Early offense. Davion just letting Nembhard walk into a 3pt
6:23 — Davion just letting Nembhard get to the rim with ease from the post
6:02 — Davion allowing Nembhard to get a drive to the paint. Kick and it’s wide open Huff corner 3pt. Giannis overhelping way too early for no reason. He was in the paint. Klay was stuck on a screen to rotate
Just helping for no reason that much
4:46 — Solid all around possession from everyone. Need more stops like this
4:15 — Off a TOV. Early offense. Not matched up properly. That’s on Giannis. He was back and just sitting in the paint. He could’ve gone to Nance in the corner
3:00 — Everyone switching seamlessly up top. Preventing any drives. Bobby up top just easily gives up a drive on a jab. No help at the rim. No help from Dru at the nail either apart from a stunt.
2:15 — Entire possession just in rotation. Started off with Dru trailing in the double PNR. Bobby gets beat on the closeout. He got beat twice. Bam tried to contest but it’s still a layup
Bobby needs to be better. He can’t really guard on the perimeter
1:50 — Pelle good defense. Pressure Nembhard then makes sure to stay with him. Bam was helping wrong and that allowed Pascal to cut. Good recognition from Dru on the weakside rotation. He tried to contest but too small
1:28 — Not matching up in early offense. Two players in the paint on a drive. That left Nance wide open as the trailer
0:42 — No advantage vs Dru-Bobby PNR
0:30 — Dru providing good pressure vs Nembhard. Pelle switches. He defends well too. Forces a tough shot
2nd
11:50 — Davion-Bam PNR. Miscomm on the switch
11:23 — Niko giving good contest on Pascal in the post
11:05 — THJ trailing in PNR. Niko good early help on the tag. Pelle with a bit of a slow closeout to the corner. Another 3pt given up
10:30 — Perfect aggressive defense from Pelle vs Pascal. Defended that so well and forced a bad pass
10:13 — Early offense. Again, Nembhard just easily walks into a shot. Not matched up quick enough. That was on THJ. I don’t know what he was doing
9:30 — Niko good defense in the PNR as the big. Got the deflection. This entire possession was great from everyone
9:04 — Pelle-THJ PNR, switch, goes under and Nembhard gets another wide open 3pt
At this point, this is just a joke with him getting those 3s
8:19 — Good help from Wiggins on the drive and gets the deflection for the TOV
8:06 — Pelle doing a good job on Nembhard. Davion is just floating around. He lost his man and got a cut. Giannis saves the play but even his reaction is so slow to the cut
7:40 — Giannis just again missing the box out by ball watching. He’s not even paying attention to where his man is
6:45 — Niko good defense on Nembhard. Then you also had Wiggins with good defense on the drive and the contest
6:12 — Giannis with the perfect closeout and then stayed well on the drive
But one thing that I’ve noticed form Giannis is that he does let the roll go behind him
5:50 — Giannis with another good closeout. Klay with solid defense vs Pascal. Wiggins also providing help at the nail. Overall good possession
5:05 — Davion switched on Pascal.
4:38 — More Giannis with good closeouts. He’s not letting anyone past on those drives
4:00 — Niko helping off the strong corner. Also why the hell is Davion helping in the paint on that drive. That’s just not needed
3:16 — Giannis switches on Nembhard. Does a good job keeping him in front and just forces a stepback with his hand up
2:54 — Giannis again switches on Nembhard. No advantage on anything here
2:36 — Giannis switches again on Nembhard. Late closeout this time and open 3pt
1:46 — Oubre being very physical vs Wiggins. Gets closer to the paint for a good look. No help being sent at all
1:24 — Giannis matched with Nembhard in early offense and closes out well.
Giannis has been doing a good job switching out
0:47 — Awful semi transition defense. No one stops the ball at all. Wiggins just offers nothing on that Nembhard drive and defense isn’t fully back to help at the rim
0:36 — Not everyone matched up in early offense. Nance gets a wide open cut. This was on Pelle
3rd
12:00 — Bam switches on Nembhard. Killed the dribble quickly. Doesn’t attack him. Wiggins being very physical vs Oubre but somehow he still makes that BS shot
11:05 — Klay switches on Pascal. Bam comes to help on the drive very quickly
10:34 — Miscomm with Wiggins and Bam on the switch. Late reaction to get back on Pascal. Now he’s trailing and not in position to box him out. Pascal gets the ORB
There’s been a lot of switches up top with everyone
9:03 — Davion vs Nesmith just gives up an easy drive. No resistance on that at all
7:50 — Wiggins not boxing out his man. Just ball watched. Bam with good defense providing more pressure
7:16 — Great transition defense getting back and preventing it. Wiggins with a good closeout too. Giannis cross matched on Nembhard. Bam losing track of Oubre and gets backcut. That was bad from Bam
6:45 — Wiggins just offering little strength vs some of these drives. They get to their spot with ease. Pascal gets a clean look
5:15 — Yeah the defense on those drives from Wiggins just hasn’t been good at all
4:27 — Conwell trying to provide some pressure. Bobby PNR at the level. Good recovery.
4:12 — I like the energy from Conwell. Forced a TOV
3:20 — Two ORBs given up and this whole possession is just a mess
When the Heat get themselves in rotations, it’s a big mess
Some of the shots that the Pacers are taking and making are a bit BS. They are well contested
2:10 — Bobby aggressive in PNR. Pelle goes to tag early and then also recovers to his man. That was also Bam pointing to help
Pelle has been doing a lot of running on these rotations
1:39 — Klay offering nothing on this drive. Just let him walk to the rim with ease
Also, Bam hasn’t been in position to help at all at the rim. He’s been more on the wing
1:03 — Klay-Bam switch. Poor effort and open 3pt. No hand or any contest from Klay. He looked annoyed with himself too
0:08 — Bobby switching on the perimeter
4th
11:30 — Pelle-Giannis PNR, drop into switch. Davion looked to help early in the paint but then poor closeout on the rotation. Bobby great early help. THJ sinks down well. Giannis is in the paint for no reason. Longer distance to closeout
THJ doesn’t box out his man. Neither does Bobby and it’s a putback. Just lazy here
11:00 — THJ getting beat on the closeout and then just allows the drive and fouls
No help at the rim
10:00 — Pelle-Davion switch. Davion very aggressive vs Nembhard. He overplayed him and gets beat on the drive. Pelle steps in the way
The drives have been getting to the paint very easily
9:14 — Even like this Pascal just goes at Bobby and gets to the paint with ease
Also, Davion looking to provide that strong help early for no reason
8:23 — THJ top locks but almost got beat on the backcut
7:57 — THJ just giving you absolutely zero on that drive in early offense. Little to no help at the rim. That was on Giannis
Very inconsistent with the help
7:35 — Giving up a wide open corner 3pt. Starts off with poor Bobby closeout. Davion has to peel switch. Late contest from Bobby
Bobby on the perimeter just isn’t working at all
6:55 — Awful defense from Bam. Just so easily allowing that drive from Pascal to the rim. No help there either
I need more from Giannis as an off ball defender
6:30 — More drives t hat easily happen. Pascal walks vs Wiggins. Pelle does a great job rotating in time to contest and force the miss
6:26 — Bam not boxing out his man on a damn free throw
6:08 — Wide open 3pt given up. That’s on Pelle. Wasn’t attached off ball and then got caught badly on the screen
5:35 — Pelle vs Pascal in the post. Does a good job forcing a tougher shot
5:25 — Transition. Wide open Pascal 3pt in the corner. Defense just didn’t get back
4:40 — Giannis focused on the ball and just lost his man on the cut. That is so poor from Giannis for no reason