Hello everyone, I am Simon, one of the founders of The Clutch Time. This series will launch a weekly event of the week. It is expected to compile about 5 pieces of news, and will add my own personal notes and relaxed talk. Welcome to like it. NBA and basketball fans come in and chat together.
This week we will first talk about the peak matchup between Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray, and the super generation between 20 and 25 years old, then back to the future of Mitchell and the Jazz, and the team that is most like last year's champion Raptors.
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【Simon Weekly】
- 20200817-23: No home advantage effect and winners & losers
- 2020803-0809: A variant zone defense developed by Nurse, which makes Joe feel ashamed.
- 2020 0727-0802: MPJ and Antetokounmpo, who always throw the ball in the wrong direction, repeat the KD drama?
The ultimate showdown between Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray
Further reading:Peak showdown! How do Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray dominate the game with different styles of play?
The modern mythical showdown between Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray can be called the most classic and blood-soaked series in the first round of the playoffs. The two men have set a long list of records. They only joined Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Allen Iverson to become the league's No. 1 player. It’s enough for four or five players to score more than 50 points in at least two games in a single series. Mitchell’s 57 points in the first game are second only to Michael Jordan’s 63 points and Elgin Baylor’s 61 points in NBA history. , Murray scored 142 points in the fourth to sixth games, which is the first in history. Although both players exhausted their energy in the seventh game, it did not detract from the achievements of this series of two players at all.
Donovan Mitchell : 34.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 52.9% shooting percentage, 51.6% three-point shooting percentage, 94.8% free throw shooting percentage.
Jamal Murray: 31.5 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 55% shooting percentage, 55% three-point shooting percentage, 92% free throw shooting percentage.
Although Mitchell and Murray have very similar positions and offensive core roles, they use different playing styles to dominate the game, especially at critical moments, which highlights the difference in their offensive modes. Excluding the exhausted Game 7, both teams would explode in the fourth quarter of the first six games, but they used different offensive styles. Murray relied on 16 of 19 shots from outside to score 48 of 78 points. It relies on three-pointers (accounting for 62%'s points). Mitchell continued to draw fouls. 22 of the 24 fouls were committed in the fourth quarter, and 281 TP3T points came from the free throw line.
Mitchell is the Jazz's go-to player, the player with the greatest offensive threat with the ball in the team. The Jazz has 42.3% of the ball in his hands when attacking. He mainly relies on pick-and-rolls to launch attacks, cutting in or singles. The Jazz always allow Mitchell to attack Jerami Grant, Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris or Nikola Jokić in the right situation, whether it is substitutions, screens, transitions, etc. , using speed, physical strength or dribbling to defeat opponents.
Murray's scoring method comes from running without the ball. He is the most frequent dribbler and passer among all players in the playoffs, that is, creating gaps through shuttles, and has a very high offensive efficiency. In 67 Among players who have made more than 250 passes, Murray's possession score ranks seventh in the league. He mainly relies on mid-to-long-range shooting, and his shooting range is getting farther and farther.
Mitchell and Murray are both around 23 years old respectively. They have already made their mark in the playoffs and are leading the rise of a super generation.
The rise of the super generation aged 20-25
Continuing the previous topic, the playoffs so far have shown an explosion of the new generation, especially in the 20-25 age group, where many players have performed at the level of monsters. Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray, plus the players in the rematch stage. Devin Booker is one of the strongest players after the rematch. The top three players even played in the first round of the playoffs with data and status that no active mid-generation star has ever played. Not only did they exceed everyone's expectations, but their blockbuster performances were also impressive. Looking forward to the development of this group of stars in the future.
In this season's playoffs, many 20-25-year-old players have performed beyond or in line with expectations, and there have been many impressive performances. I have also ranked these players who I think have potential, and the rankings The rules are as follows:
- The scope is limited to those who played in the playoffs (Devin Booker is the only exception)
- Instead of setting the tone for their ceilings, there is room for improvement in the future.
- Ability fluctuates slightly depending on team composition and level
- my subjective judgment
Tier 1: All-Star/Strong Team Leader
- Luka Doncic / 20 / Mavericks
- Donovan Mitchell / 23 / Jazz
- Jamal Murray / 22 / Gold Nugget
- Devin Booker / 23 / Sun
- Jayson Tatum / 21 / Celtics
- Nikola Jokić / 24 / Gold Nugget
The first-tier stars have a characteristic that was relatively rare in the past. Except for Booker and Doncic, all players have played in the playoffs for at least two years. Mitchell and Tatum have been the main players in the playoffs since their rookie years, and their performance in the playoffs for the first time was quite good, and they even performed better than in the playoffs. For example, they played in the playoffs for the first time this year. Doncic is a typical case.
Second gear: All-star/strong team deputy, second player
- Jaylen Brown / 23 / Celtics
- Pascal Siakam / 25 / Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Kristaps Porziņģis / 24 / Lone Ranger
- Joel Embiid / 25 / Sixers
The second level is also the All-Star level, but its functionality is stronger than the first level. The difference between the first and second level is the influence and leadership ability at critical moments. It can carry the team at important moments and lead the team to win. , Joel Embiid is the most embarrassing but typical example. His star rating and personal strength are strong, but in recent playoffs, Embiid's ability to lead the team and influence in dominating the game are still one level behind. Luka Doncic, on the other hand, has fully proven himself in his first playoff appearance. He can compete with the Clippers several times, and he can help the team and influence the game in other ways despite being heavily guarded.
Tier 3: Strong team’s top green leaf/Weak team’s main player and second player
- Caris LeVert / 25 / Nets
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander / 21 / Thunder
- Aaron Gordon / 24 / Magic
- Bam Adebayo / 22 / Heat
- Michael Porter Jr. / 21 / Gold Nugget
- Fred VanVleet / 25 / Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tier 4: Green leaves/role functional players for strong and weak teams
- Markelle Fultz / 21 / Magic
- Gary Trent Jr. / 21 / Pioneers
- OG Anunoby / 22 / Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Duncan Robinson / 25 / Heat
- Luguentz Dort / 20 / Thunder
I think the difference between the third and fourth tiers is at the ceiling. Players in the third tier have a good chance of developing into All-Stars. Players in the fourth tier are at most functional role players and it is difficult to become the team leader. The only doubt is that Fultz is very confusing, but based on his current shooting and athletic ability, at most he is Rajar Rondo who has better offensive ability but poor vision.
After finishing the arrangement, I think there are a few interesting points
- The future of the Golden Nuggets is bright, but after Murray plays, it will take some time to clarify the dominance between him and Jokic.
- The Jazz only have one young player, Mitchell, and the others are Mesozoic to senior players.
- The young players of the Heat and Raptors are highly functional, but have limited ceilings.
- The talent of the Magic players is miserable.
Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz's future
After this playoffs, Mitchell has been determined to be the future face of the Jazz. He entered the league three years ago at the age of 23 but has already played 23 games in the playoffs and averaged 26.1 points per game. He is the first three times in NBA history to play in the postseason. The best data in the game.
According to reports, the Jazz are expected to sign a five-year, $170 million contract with Mitchell. The next thing they need to think about is how to use their existing lineup to hit the championship with minimal changes. The first thing that needs to be addressed is establishing communication between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
As mentioned in previous articles, Mitchell and Gobert have always had a feud, but this time the COVID-19 incident and Mitchell's outbreak in the playoffs have completely reversed leadership. This has been determined to be Mitchell's team, although many reports and media have said that Mitchell He and Gobert have completely resolved their heart-wrenching issues, and Gobert has repeatedly emphasized that there are no problems between them, but Mitchell's last words were, "We have reached a consensus and will work together well in the next games."
Gobert also performed very well in this playoffs, with a career-high 16.9 points and 11.4 rebounds. In Game 7, he also relied on his 19 points and 18 rebounds to sustain the game. But the problem is that the temper of the senior who made Mitchell the most unhappy has not improved yet. During a fast break in Game 6, Mike Conley did not pass to him and chose to lay up by himself. Gobert was so angry that he returned to the bench in front of the entire team. Gobert threw a chair in front of him, not even giving face to his big brother Conley, while Mitchell standing next to him watched this scene coldly. In the past, Gobert had ridiculed Mitchell many times in front of the media and the team for not passing the ball, and he still does now. Unable to figure out the situation, "Rudy can't always pretend to be a senior player on this team. The team is pursuing victory, not letting you prove that you can dunk." said an internal source of the Jazz.
The funny thing is that Gobert also knows how annoying he is. He said in an interview with ESPN: "I know I am annoying and emotional. I want my teammates to play better and smarter, so I will ask a lot, and sometimes the way I express it is It’s not good, I’m just a bastard.” Gobert’s contract situation is more complicated. He can choose to sign a maximum salary extension with the Jazz, but the small-market Jazz will inevitably bargain. Gobert can also choose to become completely free in 2021. players.
I think the key lies in how Mitchell imagines the future of the Jazz. Gobert's defensive skills in the penalty area are unquestionable, but in modern basketball, Gobert, the traditional leader, has weaknesses in both offense and defense. Signing Gobert is equivalent to giving up signing Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, this The Jazz are a bit wishful thinking about the small market, but if they can sign 3D forwards like Otto Porter Jr. and Jerami Grant at the same time, it is nothing more than an option.
The Jazz's lineup this season is already quite strong, and Bojan Bogdanović is missing in the playoffs, but it feels like they are missing some catalysts and puzzle pieces before they can compete for the championship. The operations in 2020 and 2021 will depend on how Mitchell's Jazz will go in the future. I personally It is predicted that the Jazz, who have little room for operation, will choose to keep Gobert.
2019-20 Heat vs. 2018-19 Tyrannosaurus
Before this article, the Heat already had an absolute 3-0 lead in the series against the Bucks, and the Heat had outperformed the Bucks, who ranked first in the Eastern Conference, in almost all aspects of performance. The Heat are currently undefeated in the playoffs. Their team strength is terrifying, with team offensive conduction, no ball, and smooth movement.
A quick look at the composition of the Heat's lineup, it really looks a bit like the Raptors last season. The lineup is also distributed among the three generations of old, middle and young, with veterans holding the line (Kyle Lowry vs Goran Dragic), and powerful wing groups (Serge Ibaka, Danny Green, Pascal Siakam vs Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder), a group of shooters (Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell vs Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro), and finally the ace who combines offense and defense (Kawhi Leonard vs Jimmy Butler) and a coach with versatile tactics ( Nick Nurse vs Erik Spoelstra ).
Both teams rely on a large number of team screens and off-ball movements to create openings on the outside, and defensively, both sides have a variety of wings to deal with opponents. The main team is either experienced or has been used for a long time. Signing a superstar, making it all the way through the playoffs even when not favored, the same... it all depends on whether the Heat can make it to the end.
New Nets coach: Steve Nash
The Nets announced this week that they have signed a four-year contract with Steve Nash, which means that the team led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will be under the leadership of Nash.
I think this is a very outstanding operation by the Nets management. On the one hand, it can suppress the big names of Durant and Irving, and on the other hand, it can give the Leafs players hope. KD and KI have caused several atmosphere controversies in the past, but Nash should be able to convince the players both in terms of player achievements and demeanor. He served as a consultant to the Warriors in the past and led KD, and he also controls the ball and should be able to give Irving a lot of good advice. More importantly, What's more important is that he can communicate well. "He will listen to the players and put down his posture to communicate. He will not let you think that he has the airs of a head coach." Draymond Green said in the show, if proud players like Green feel the same way, then I believe Nash can definitely lead this somewhat embarrassing Nets.
On the other hand, Nash himself is a player who comes from a low background but excels after getting opportunities, so it is conceivable that he would be willing to give opportunities to green leaves or role players. Although players who have won MVPs have terrible consequences when coached, Nash is the person I am optimistic about who can break this curse.
