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
11:33 — No advantage on the Luka off ball and PNR vs Wiggins. Wiggins then getting caught on another off ball screen. That forced Klay to switch. Good recognition
11:06 — Davion trailing chasing around Reaves. Bam in drop. Giannis tagging Kessler. He closes out well on Matisse
10:56 — Davion coming to double Luka with Wiggins. Klay didn’t really rotate to the pass next to him and got beat on the closeout
10:26 — Wiggins-Bam PNR vs Luka. Bam hard blitz. Davion does a good job tagging the roll. Giannis then splits the difference and lets Matisse shoots. He makes the wide open 3pt
I feel like Davion stayed doubling Kessler for too long
9:58 — Wiggins ISO vs Luka, easily gets beat to the paint. Undisciplined and bites on the fake and gives up open shot
9:30 — Luka going at Klay cross matched. So up in his face and that is too easy for him to draw the foul
9:09 — Quick offense. Davion doesn’t offer much resistance on that Reaves drive. He easily gets to the paint and goes for a clean shot
8:44 — Bam had a defensive lapse. He just let Matisse cut behind him in the paint. He thought he was screening Luka. Giannis did rotate but then opened up Kessler. Poor effort on the contest from Giannis
8:20 — Davion cross matched with Kessler but Giannis kicks him out well. Bam-Giannis PNR, switch. Easily gets a drive deep into the paint vs Giannis. Bam had to provide help. Davion has to tag Kessler
7:32 — This was just a funny shot from Luka. Spins into a stepback vs Davion and just casually makes it
7:15 — Davion-Bam PNR, over and drop. Davion trails Reaves. Klay tags and that opens up a kick. Fortunate it was a bad kick and TOV
6:20 — Luka hunts Klay. Just easily gets a drive going baseline and draws a foul. Bam was ready to help at the rim and rotated early. Giannis sunk down to Kessler
6:03 — Luka hunts Klay again. Bam blitzes him and forces a TOV
5:48 — Davion cross matched with Kessler again. Awful defense getting back in early offense. That’s an easy pass to the cut and shot at the rim
Defense needs to be better getting back and matched up well
5:22 — Same mistake. Lakers push. Kessler rim runs. And no one picks him up or notices him running. He gets another dunk
We now have Pelle on Luka
4:40 — Solid defense from Pelle. Very aggressive and in his face. Forces a tough shot in the paint
4:20 — Luka hunts Klay. Klay-Bobby PNR. Hard show and blitz Luka. Mamu gets wide open slip for a 3pt. I think that’s on Pelle not rotating over to take the tag
3:55 — More transition defense with no one getting back and Luka gets a wide open cut to the rim
That’s 6 points at the rim through awful defense
3:40 — Pelle again on Luka providing pressure. Bam helping off the strong corner and forces a TOV on the dig
3:22 — Conwell getting beat by Reaves badly. Late rotation from Bobby peel switching and ends up a foul
Lakers attacking quickly has caused issues
3:05 — Grimes gets a wide open 3pt. Conwell and Pelle ends up doubling Luka. Not sure what THJ was doing guarding no one
2:46 — Pelle again providing pressure full court. Pelle-Bobby PNR. 2 on the ball. Another wide open 3pt on the 2nd pass. Mamu gets the slip. Conwell rotates. No one takes the 2nd pass to Grimes. That should’ve been Giannis
2:19 — Pelle-Bobby PNR. Luka rejects it. But great job from Pelle. Bobby comes to double. Mamu gets open pop. Conwell rotates and everyone rotates too. Conwell gets beat off the dribble. That drive forces Bobby to help. Late rotation from Giannis to sink down
Giannis hasn’t given all the effort on defense
1:30 — Luka drawing 2 on the ball again vs Pelle and Bobby. This time from off ball screen
1:06 — Pelle ISO vs Luka. Conwell comes to double for no reason. Foul was drawn
0:43 — Perfect help from Conwell to rotate on time and deter the shot straight up
2nd
11:56 — Pelle-Bobby PNR vs Reaves. 2 on the ball. Hard show. Rotations were active. Conwell did ruin it a bit with a bad initial closeout. Bobby and Giannis rotating to the same guy. Could’ve been a lot better. Reaves still got an open 3pt
11:02 — Pelle-Bobby PNR vs Reaves. 2 on the ball. Hard show. Mamu open on the pop. Forces THJ to rotate. Giannis rotates to THJ man. Conwell splits the difference. Good recovery. Perfect defense until the end. Conwell loses his man on the slip after another PNR
Pelle been doing a good job on Reaves off ball
10:35 — I wrote that and then next possession he just gets beat off the dribble
10:12 — Bobby showing strong nail help vs Sexton for no reason. Gives up a wide open kick to Mamu
Why is that much help needed
9:48 — More slips to the rim that are just killers. Pelle-Bobby PNR vs Reaves. 2 on the ball. Kessler slips. Walked through Davion. THJ, nor Giannis looked to rotate
9:10 — Matisse getting a wide open corner 3pt off a PNR. Davion-Bobby PNR vs Sexton. Under and over. Trails the over and Bobby has to step up. No tag from THJ. Giannis forced to help. THJ late to react on the rotation and even then didn’t commit
THJ’s reactions are always late
8:40 — More open corner 3pt off the same thing. Pelle-Bobby PNR vs Reaves. 2 on the ball. Kessler slips. THJ tags and slow rotation back to contest. Also no awareness from Davion to split the difference just in case
8:16 — Davion gambling on the steal for no reason. Defense in rotation. Another open corner 3pt. THJ with awful rotations too. I don’t know what he was doing
Niko not boxing out his man. He cut inside to get the rebound
6:50 — Davion just easily getting beat by Sexton. Couldn’t contain that drive at all
6:20 — Giannis not boxing out his man. Just no effort at all. Even the contest on the putback was weak
I have not been happy at all with Giannis defense
6:00 — Defense gets put in rotation so easily. Started off with a miscomm with Klay and Davion going to the same guy. That forced help from Giannis then Bam. And started the rotations
5:39 — Wiggins-Bam PNR vs Luka. Show, 2 on the ball. Good initial rotations until the end. Open cutter. Maybe this was on Wiggins
5:05 — More defensive lapses. Wiggins-Niko PNR vs Luka. 2 on the ball. Both Klay and Bam just end up rotating to the same guy on the first pass. He ends up just getting an open cut to the rim
So many shots at the rim because of dumb mistakes
4:25 — Wiggins-Niko PNR vs Luka. Allowing the drive and engages Niko. That opens up Mamu on the kick. Bam poor fly by closeout. Niko tried to rotate to help but slow to react and poor contest. Another easy shot
That starts off with allowing a drive from Wiggisn
3:56 — Wiggins-Niko PNR vs Luka. 2 on the ball. Klay rotates early on the slip. That’s all good but then Niko doesn’t rotate in time and lost his man on the cut
Bam also not fully switched on to see the cut
3:00 — Wiggins-Niko PNR vs Luka. Engages 2 on the drive. Wide open pop for Mamu. Davion didn’t rotate and that should’ve been him. Klay just ball watching and completely lost his man on the box out. He gets the putback
2:30 — Bam with a poor closeout on Luka and just allowed the drive way too easily. More shots at the rim
This has been an awful stretch defensively. One of the worst this season
2:05 — Luka hunts Klay on the switch. Wiggins comes to double. Open Grimes 3pt. No one near to rotate to contest. That should’ve been on Bam but he didn’t react
1:30 — Reaves hunts Klay on the switch. No advantage and just lost ball TOV. Davion was also showing help at the nail
1:04 — Luka hunts Klay on the switch. No advantage on the stepback. Wiggins getting beat on the closeout vs Grimes. That was poor defense. That set off rotations and open Reaves for 3pt. Pelle tried to rotate but was late
0:43 — Luka hunts Klay on the switch. Again no advantage. That was solid defense. I don’t know what Bam is doing. He just lost his man cutting up and was looking so lost
0:5 — Poor defense from Pelle vs Luka. Biting on the fake and foul
3rd
11:55 — Just poor defense from Wiggins on Luka. Undisciplined biting on the fake and fouling
11:26 — Davion-Giannis PNR vs Luka. Hard show, 2 on the ball. Good recovery elsewhere. Reaves hunts Klay on the switch. Gets a drive to the paint for a good shot and foul
We have Davion now on Luka
10:43 — Davion is just too small because Luka can easily just stepback on him and get clean looks. Davion didn’t really do anything wrong here
10:00 — Wiggins-Giannis PNR vs Luka, 2 on the ball. Kessler slips. Bam takes the tag but he was already at the rim
Davion providing pressure on Luka
9:20 — Reaves hunts Klay on the switch. Gets another drive to the paint but he pushed off
9:03 — Davion again providing pressure. Luka hunts Klay on the switch. Easily gets a drive going middle. No resistance at all from Klay. Ends up giving up a wide open corner 3pt. Giannis was helping off strong corner off of Matisse
8:19 — Klay cross matched with Kessler. Giannis kicked him out. Davion just ISO defense vs Luka forces a 3pt. Giannis ball watching and he lost his man on the ORB. That gives up a 3pt
Giannis and his off ball defense has just been bad
7:26 — Bam with the perfect read in the passing lanes. Timed that well to get the steal
7:00 — Pelle giving up a drive to Reaves. No rim protection either. That’s just too easy
6:32 — Same thing again. No resistance at all from Pelle vs Reaves. He gets to the paint and creates so much space on that shot. No help coming either
6:10 — Luka hunts Klay on the switch. Easily gets beat off the dribble and forced to foul
So many dribble penetrations that come so easily
5:55 — Bam has not been fully switched on. Another defensive lapse that had his man cut. Giannis again not paying attention where his man is and allows a ORB
5:30 — Giannis switches on Luka. Kessler slips. No one stays on him properly and gets a wide open cut. That’s miscomm with Pelle
5:00 — Bam switches on Luka. Good 1v1 defense. Moving his feet well and not giving anything up. Forces a tough 3pt
Giannis as always ball watches and gives up another ORB. This is just so bad
4:26 — Luka hunts Klay on the switch. Davion showing strong help off Reaves in the strong corner. Great defense on the closeout and on the drive and gets the block. This was perfect from Davion
3:55 — Klay starting on Luka and picks him up full court. He just gives up a drive. Why is he going full court with him?
3:07 — Dru coming to double Luka with Pelle
2:57 — Zone defense. What is Bobby doing here showing that much help that he just lets Grimes cut behind him. He isn’t even aware of that nor adding much to help on Luka. Just unnecessarily
On the watch further, this does seem like zone defense but that still shouldn’t happen where the cut is so free
2:13 — Zone defense. What is this from THJ. He’s splitting the difference but doesn’t rotate at all and just looks to be active but adding nothing. This also started with Luka in PNR
1:43 — Zone defense. This was a good possession. Didn’t allow any 3pt breaks. But give up a ORB
1:15 — Pelle and Dru full court press into zone defense. Good rotations until the end where THJ overhelps and it’s a wide open corner 3pt. Also, no rotation from Bam to the corner
0:32 — More zone defense. Another open corner 3pt
4th
11:50 — Good defense until the very end. It just sucks to play good defense for 22 seconds and in the last two you still give a shot at the rim. Giannis helped and just lost his man on the cut
11:08 — Reaves has been getting to the paint with ease. It was vs Pelle. No resistance at all and gets a clean look. Pelle’s defense vs drives has not been good. Not overly physical
10:25 — Bobby ends up stopping Sexton on the drive and switches on him but then great communication to switch back. Reaves hunts THJ on the switch. Pelle comes to double. Matisse gets an open 3pt. Giannis rotates
10:00 — Pelle and Dru pressing full court into a zone defense. Strong help off the strong corner from Bobby. Another wide open 3pt given up
9:23 — Poor transition defense. Not getting back and allowing an open 3pt
9:05 — Zone defense.
Zone has kind of worked better. That continues to be the defense for the 4th quarter
8:05 — Back to man
7:26 — Back to zone defense. Now allowing another open corner 3pt. This is all on Bobby every time. He shows help but can’t recover quicker to contest the shot. Bobby does hurt a lot of the defense
6:56 — Zone defense. Reaves open 3pt off just a few swings at the top. Dru was showing help at the nail
6:00 — Zone defense. Everyone doing their job. This was a good possession but then giving up a ORB. No one matched up with Manu. Davion was just floating around no mans land watching the ball. Another wide open 3pt given up
5:07 — More open 3pt off a simple swing to the wing. Reaves gets the same look
4:53 — The 3pt are killing them and it’s a simple swing pass to exploit the extra help. Davion was showing help on Luka at the elbow
3:40 — More zone defense. Great defense by Bam in ISO post vs Kessler
3:29 — Pelle and Wiggins press full court into a zone
2:45 — Zone defense. Dragging out the possession to 24s
2:10 — Back to man. Wiggins doesn’t box out his man. That’s just effort based