Draymond Green and Mo Williams break down why the Pacers should have run more plays through Pascal Siakam in the Finals' closing moments. Siakam in the chopper wing can generate high-percentage looks and draw double-teams. They contrast Indiana's movement-heavy offense with Oklahoma City's faster transition game, which creates natural mismatches.
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Do you think Rick made a mistake? Because down the stretch, I think we had like 3 Hallie cross, cross, cross, cross, cross step back airball threes. Down the stretch, was Rick at fault for not making sure Pascal get the ball?
Because— Absolutely.
I think Pascal is the guy when you need to get a great look, Pascal's the guy to get you the look. Was he bad down the stretch? And not Pascal got a touch.
I think so, you know, but I do think too, it's a kind of let your team play too, 'cause you gotta think about they offense, you know it better than I do, it's just free flow. Like they ain't really geared, it's less Pascal, they giving it to him on that chopper wing area right there. I call it chopper wing in between the slot and the wing in that area right there. If he getting it that way, he able to maneuver top of the key in the trail position. Or right there in the mid-block. If you get him the ball in them 3 spots, get out the way, let him go to work, make sure we spacing. But outside of that, it's spacing the floor. We here, we cutting off here, we in our open action, we in our rip action. They just— it's a lot of movement. And that's the base of the offense. So I think he's smart enough and don't give a damn enough to say, I'm gonna let my team play.
Mm-hmm.
You know, if I have to go to that, to, you know, them dirt spots, I go to it if I have to. Meaning, well, OKC going to those dirt spots before they have to run action, which they ain't running. They ain't running no action. OKC just getting downhill, putting the ball in guys' hands, you know, looking for some overhelp, kicking out, trying to make some threes and trying to get the spots. But Indiana more so, they relying on their action and their movement. Because if you stand still on OKC and try to go to work, you gonna have some trouble. And Indiana don't have enough guys that on the elite level that can just go get buckets, you know, so outside of Pascal.
Yeah.
You know, so they gotta rely on movement because if you, you know, if you let OKC just load up and get back and be in position, oh, you in trouble. That's why they getting it out. That's why, that's why he had 5 steals last game because they don't care. We getting it out. We not letting y'all get back and setting up. Like we getting that ball down the court. We'll live with those steals.
Yep.
But we getting that ball out. 0.1 second, touch it, out of there, we gone. And they getting that ball across half court in 3 seconds. Yes, they are. Every single possession. Every single possession. And the more they do that, The more often they get that ball across half court in 3 seconds, now it is creating a flow and a shift in defense. You already created your advantage. But if you get that ball up more than 5 seconds with a defense, every single one of them touch the 3-point line, you in trouble.
Facts. What it also does is it create natural mismatches because we're all taught in transition you don't have a man in the NBA. The first rule in transition is you don't have a man. Like, think that you just gonna run to your man in transition, the other team, if your rules in the NBA are you go get your man every time in transition.
You in trouble.
The team will get a layup every possession. If you don't know how to push the ball. So that's the number one rule in the NBA. You don't have a man in transition. And so what it's doing also is, it's naturally creating these mismatches. It's naturally creating cross matches to where you, you know—
Toppin, Toppin gonna have a guard on 'cause he running.
Exactly.
Toppin out there like he on the track, man.
Exactly.
He running and next thing you know, they pushing it down. He already in the seal 'cause he, 'cause the only person can get back with him is a guard.
Yep, exactly. And you look at, you look at like Halle got a, maybe 3 layups in the third quarter going to his right hand stretch out layups. None of them were on Lou Dort. I think one of them was on the— Chet was behind.
Mm-hmm.
So was— Shai was on him. And that's because they're pushing the ball so fast. You just gotta get matched up with who's ever the closest man. And that is to their advantage. And they take that advantage. Unfortunately, when the game slow down, you have to ask—
Yes.
That we gotta get that ball to Pascal. He's the only person on Indiana's team that can create a double team.
That's it.
And create the double team, you kick it out, and now you got the first domino to fall. Everything else can just roll.
Yep, exactly. And that's what they missing. And that's what— and all they got, he just didn't go to it. So to go back to what you said, You know, I bet he at the crib right now or probably in the office right now thinking about that stuff. My God, dog.
Yep.
You know, they understand that, you know, man, it's real. You know, it's real. We've been in them moments, you know what I mean? So you live with some, you know, you go back to the room and you say, man, you start kicking yourself.
No sleep.
You know what I'm saying? You just playing it all back, playing it all back. Wish you can do it all over again, but you can't. You gotta move on to the next.
