Crew NBA Finals Analysis
Before you read my personal analysis and reaction on the finer points of game 1 of the series, check out what Calvin Thomas and I had to say about not just this series, but many storylines surrounding the NBA Finals. Also we predict what we expect to see for the remainder of the series.
CP3 Comes up Huge
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is in the books and it was the tale of so many interesting stories that will be so interesting to track throughout this series. The Phoenix Suns defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 118 - 105, where Chris Paul was tremendous and led all scorers with 32 points and 9 assists. It just can't be overstated how impressive CP3 was in all facets of the game. He controlled the pace, and got any shot he wanted. This felt like one of those games we will look back at in history as the signature game that may propel him into a different stratosphere as an all time great. He absolutely made any "big" Milwaukee switched on him, look silly, and it was normally Brook Lopez, who looked like a deer on stilts out there. Devin Booker didn't have a great game, and still dropped 27 points, by getting to the free throw line damn near all night. Very impressive showing for the Suns backcourt. It felt like every time they got the isolation game going, it was a guaranteed bucket for CP3 or Booker.
Big Men still Matter
But let's not just focus only on the backcourt, because Deandre Ayton scored 22 points and was a monster on the boards with 19 rebounds. The pick and roll paid off in spades, cause Ayton had multiple layups and easy midrange jumpers on smaller guys after the switch. A great thing about Ayton is he is super efficient, shooting 87.0% from the field, 8 of 10, and he hits his free throws when he gets there, going 6 for 6. What more do you really want from a big man. I must say, that Ayton benefitted from Giannis Antetokounmpo not being 100%.
Giannis looks better than Expected
Giannis returned for game 1 and honestly, he was so much better than anybody should have expected. He moved pretty well on the bum leg, but his conditioning and explosiveness was clearly hampered. He simply just didn't get enough help from Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, who should be ashamed of themselves.