Did Giannis's Block on Ayton Flip This Series?

[Sunstroke]

Ayton's post season numbers have plummeted since the start of the NBA finals.
I believe Giannis's block on Ayton and the following two days of media hyping
this block might have damaged Ayton's confidence going forward as he appears
timid against even the smallest Milwaukee player defending him.

Phoenix is getting crushed vs. points in the paint this series. Are they related
to Ayton's play these last 3 games? I definitely believe so. Thoughts?

 

[Chaplin]

Ayton's post season numbers have plummeted since the start of the NBA finals.
I believe Giannis's block on Ayton and the following two days of media hyping
this block might have damaged Ayton's confidence going forward as he appears
timid against even the smallest Milwaukee player defending him.

Phoenix is getting crushed vs. points in the paint this series. Are they related
to Ayton's play these last 3 games? I definitely believe so. Thoughts?

The block has nothing to do with it.

 

[GatorAZ]

Book’s fouls were the turning point.

 

[GoldGloveschmidt]

No, it wasn't the block. The Bucks already had all the momentum in the game at that point.

That game turned, and the series turned, when PJ Tucker kicked the ball out of bounds and they called it out on Booker.

Booker lost control of his emotions and committed a frustration foul on the other end.

That took him out of the game, a game we lead from nearly beginning to end, and allowed the Bucks to come back. We should have been up 3-1.

 

[Sunstroke]

Why then was Ayton, yet again, a non factor in the game tonight?

 

[Hoop Head]

Ayton's post season numbers have plummeted since the start of the NBA finals.
I believe Giannis's block on Ayton and the following two days of media hyping
this block might have damaged Ayton's confidence going forward as he appears
timid against even the smallest Milwaukee player defending him.

Phoenix is getting crushed vs. points in the paint this series. Are they related
to Ayton's play these last 3 games? I definitely believe so. Thoughts?

It wasn't that Giannis block. It was the Holiday block that seemed to neuter him. I think that was game 3? Ayton had a clear path to the basket about 12 feet out, Jrue came in and faced up with Ayton attacking the basket and just stuffed it. I think they ended up calling a jump ball afterwards. That was ugly. A guy who is 8-9 inches smaller than him just packing Ayton's lunch.


Edit, I think it was game 2. It was in Phoenix. Here's the clip....

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[95pro]

It’s the weak A foul calls he’s been receiving

 

[Proximo]

Ayton's numbers have plumetted because on defense he is tasked with stopping the most dominant interior scorer in the NBA - and that takes a lot of energy, and often gets you taken out of rebounding position.

On offense they have plumetted because Chris Paul is physically unable to get him the same looks he normally gets him.

 

[dscher]

Booker turning into a one man show is the difference in this series.

 

[1Sun]

Ayton's numbers have plumetted because on defense he is tasked with stopping the most dominant interior scorer in the NBA - and that takes a lot of energy, and often gets you taken out of rebounding position.

On offense they have plumetted because Chris Paul is physically unable to get him the same looks he normally gets him.

Ayton shying away from contact on both ends, particularly on box-outs and screens, isn't helping. Neither is Chris Paul basically having one arm dangling dead at his side...

 

[1Sun]

Booker turning into a one man show is the difference in this series.

On offense, yes, but tonight's primary failures were on defense, in part because Paul physically couldn't defend, in part because Ayton and Crowder physically wouldn't defend, and in part because Monty kept the team's best two defenders, Bridges and Craig, on the bench way too much.

 

[GatorAZ]

Ayton shying away from contact on both ends, particularly on box-outs and screens, isn't helping. Neither is Chris Paul basically having one arm dangling dead at his side...

CP looked good down the stretch other than the foul. His intent was to get Giannis to shoot two FT’s but it was a bad foul.

 

[1Sun]

CP looked good down the stretch other than the foul. His intent was to get Giannis to shoot two FT’s but it was a bad foul.

He summoned up what strength he could to try to bring the team back. But he still couldn't defend. The range of motion in that arm/hand were severely limited all game. It's a huge reason Jrue Holiday was able to go off offensively.

 

[dscher]

Mikal has been a nightmare on the defensive end so far this series... imo. Craig has the size and toughness to battle. Bridges has been far too inconsistent. Like Ayton. One weak link in the chain, even on the defensive end, is enough to shatter it all. This is what our defense feels like at the moment.

 

[1Sun]

Mikal has been a nightmare on the defensive end so far this series... imo. Craig has the size and toughness to battle. Bridges has been far too inconsistent. Like Ayton. One weak link in the chain, even on the defensive end, is enough to shatter it all. This is what our defense feels like at the moment.

Bridges was actually playing excellent defense in the first quarter in Game 5. And then Monty inexplicably benched him for pretty much the entire second quarter.

 

[Finito]

Might as well just scream at the top of your lungs I DONT KNOW WHAT IM WATCHING!!

wait hold on our 22 year old center just had 20/10/2 in the NBA finals all while guarding the 2x MVP on defense and guys are saying it’s “in his head” and he’s been “neutered”
Give me a list of 7 footers who can pick up Giannis at the top of the key. That list is pretty damn short.

forget the fact he had zero help on the boards and has to stay out of foul trouble because we have nobody who can give him a rest.

Ayton hasn’t been the reason we’ve lost the last 2.

 

[95pro]

It’s a combination of a lot of things.
1. Montys lack of game management. Poor timeout use. Poor substitutions. Not getting the team to settle back into their offense. Not pressuring the ball when Payne is in.

2. CP3. Just bogs down our offense. Is a defensive liability. I’m not sure why he finally tried to turn it up in the 4th

3. Lack of rebounding and protecting the run outs.

4. Team intensity. Book has shown up the the past two games.

5. Bridges defense and lack of physical strength. He’s getting screened way too easy.

Putting anything on Ayton and Booker at this point is wrong. They have been there for this team.

 

[Russ Smith]

Multiple times last night he had Holiday on a switch tried a quick duckin didn't get the ball and then stepped out of the paint. Even Van Gundy finally said what is he doing, stay in the key they never call 3 seconds. You can't let them switch a guard onto you in the paint and not punish it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Multiple times last night he had Holiday on a switch tried a quick duckin didn't get the ball and then stepped out of the paint. Even Van Gundy finally said what is he doing, stay in the key they never call 3 seconds. You can't let them switch a guard onto you in the paint and not punish it.

he’s taken himself out of great position all season on switches with smalls on him. He turned that around in the playoffs and was one of the main reasons we were so good before the Finals. But he reverted back to form the last four of five games.

 

[1Sun]

he’s taken himself out of great position all season on switches with smalls on him. He turned that around in the playoffs and was one of the main reasons we were so good before the Finals. But he reverted back to form the last four of five games.

Which is why there is no way I give him a Max contract.

 

[Hoop Head]

Multiple times last night he had Holiday on a switch tried a quick duckin didn't get the ball and then stepped out of the paint. Even Van Gundy finally said what is he doing, stay in the key they never call 3 seconds. You can't let them switch a guard onto you in the paint and not punish it.

Didn't SVG say they hadn't called an offensive 3 second all postseason? I have to imagine they'll call a few in game 6. That was really eyebrow raising. I don't blame SVG for saying it but I bet the NBA wasn't too happy about that being pointed out.

 

[Finito]

he’s taken himself out of great position all season on switches with smalls on him. He turned that around in the playoffs and was one of the main reasons we were so good before the Finals. But he reverted back to form the last four of five games.

that’s what he’s being asked to do to keep the lane open. We’ve even seen Booker and Paul wave him out.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen us bang him down in the post even when he’s red hot we go away from him and don’t feed him.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

that’s what he’s being asked to do to keep the lane open. We’ve even seen Booker and Paul wave him out.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen us bang him down in the post even when he’s red hot we go away from him and don’t feed him.

I don’t know about this series, but that’s the opposite of what we’ve heard monty say. Monty has said he wants Ayton to take advantage of smaller defenders.

 

[Yuma]

I do know we are one of two teams in the NBA Finals. We are not a lottery team. Yes, the Bucks are winning the series, but it's not like we are such a horribly flawed team we need to scrap everything! There's a lot of teams that would want to be in our shoes. I think we need to temper the criticism of the team with the fact that we did win a LOT of games this regular and off season!

 

[JCSunsfan]

OH man. I haven't been on this site in two weeks. I am still recovering. Game 4 flipped this series. The failure to hold on in that game made all the difference. If the block flipped that game, then yes, to the thread questions.