If any other all-time center was getting guarded by a guard in a game 7......

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@seraphx

All those clips you posted were due to bad entry passes and/or Caruso grabbing and holding him (which he shoud've been whistled for).

Clip #1 - You literally see Caruso pull Jokic with both hands to where he can position himself to disrupt the bad pass from Braun. The pass should've been thrown up high, never down low where a guard is closer to the floor.
Clip #2 - When Jokic is trying to post up Caruso, you can see Shai literally shadowing him so there's no room for him to get the ball. Meanwhile, Westbrook is being left open in the corner. Then when Jokic has Caruso sealed off in the paint, Westbrook throws a pass way beyond the reach of him.
Clip #3 - Cason Wallace is playing off Westbrook to help on Jokic. Yet another possession where OKC is literally ignoring Westbrook from behind the arc and using his man to shadow Jokic. Then when Westbrook gets the ball, he throws another bad pass to where Jokic has to rush a shot, grabs an offensive rebound and then Dort comes over to help strip him in the paint.

All those possessions are less about Caruso, and more about how OKC was willing to let others beat them, while making sure Jokic wouldn't get clean possessions.
 
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A dominant 5 should NEVER be able to get schemed out the game.



Straight up and down.



Caruso is catching a big ass elbow from Shaq or Dream...early. Soon as he starts fronting he's getting physically punished.
Shaq and Dream would both lose in this spot.

OKC was willing to leave Westbrook open, not defend AG/MPJ and just revolve their defense around limiting how much space Jokic had to work in. And if Shaq/Dream threw elbows to a small guard, then their ass would get quickly tossed with the optics in today's league.
 
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Reppin
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@seraphx

All those clips you posted were due to bad entry passes and/or Caruso grabbing and holding him (which he shoud've been whistled for).

Clip #1 - You literally see Caruso pull Jokic with both hands to where he can position himself to disrupt the bad pass from Braun. The pass should've been thrown up high, never down low where a guard is closer to the floor.
Clip #2 - When Jokic is trying to post up Caruso, you can see Shai literally shadowing him so there's no room for him to get the ball. Meanwhile, Westbrook is being left open in the corner. Then when Jokic has Caruso sealed off in the paint, Westbrook throws a pass way beyond the reach of him.
Clip #3 - Cason Wallace is playing off Westbrook to help on Jokic. Yet another possession where OKC is literally ignoring Westbrook from behind the arc and using his man to shadow Jokic. Then when Westbrook gets the ball, he throws another bad pass to where Jokic has to rush a shot, grabs an offensive rebound and then Dort comes over to help strip him in the paint.

All those possessions are less about Caruso, and more about how OKC was willing to let others beat them, while making sure Jokic wouldn't get clean possessions.
Not happening to Shaq or Kareem fakkit . Shut the fukk up
 
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- AG with a Grade 2 hamstring injury (couldn't even move on both ends)
- MPJ with a Grade 2 AC joint injury (even further limiting what he could do on both ends)
- OKC leaving Westbrook, Braun, Watson etc open whenever they got the ball
- Denver playing yet another Game 7 this postseason with a short rotation.

And when it's clear the Thunder didn't need to guard 2-3 of Jokic's teammates, y'all really trying to act like Caruso was defending him 1v1, and it wasn't OKC who centered their whole defense around limiting his opportunities.
 
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They were leaving Westbrook open everytime he was on the floor and using that extra defender to shadow Jokic. All the while AG couldn't do anything on offense.

And then you have MPJ, who was wedgieing shots when he was wide open.

Is it any wonder how that game unfolded?

You put any all-time center in that same spot and the result is the same. The game is 5v5 not 1v1.
 
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Different players but it kinda reminds me of how Dirk used to be fine against anyone 6'10"+ but smaller guys like Steven Jackson and Bruce Bowen would give him fits. Had to make some tweaks to his game and then became unguardable damn near.
 
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