The plan was to do a little experiment: after the games of these Finals, we would meet on Clubhouse to get David’s analytical smarts out there ASAP. What was working? What was not?

But the timing got a little tricky: Hurricane Elsa would be drifting near David Thorpe’s neck of the woods about the time of the game. Would he even be able to watch, let alone focus on the NBA?

We didn’t publicize it, because we weren’t even sure it would happen. But we were lucky that we were able to pull off a discussion about:

Giannis Antetokounmpo looks fantastic for someone recovering from a hyperextended knee, and did you notice Coach Budenholzer’s incredible discipline in playing him in short shifts before the fourth quarter? (He had been resting when they called a timeout, down 18 in the third, and they still didn’t bring him in. This is why he finished the game feeling great.)
Chris Paul is fully weaponized … and is about to make SO MUCH MONEY.
Jrue Holiday was on the attack [good] but just couldn’t hit anything [bad].
Is Bryn Forbes essential to Giannis-at-center lineups?
The Bucks will need a totally different defensive plan. Coach Budenholzer has already hinted at changes.
Why Cameron Payne is becoming one of David’s favorite players.
Reviews of the 2019 draft were that Cameron Johnson was just about the worst pick. Now he’s stealing the ball from a former MVP in the fourth quarter of a Finals game.
From our game notes: “Devin Booker is a hot knife, this defense is butter.”
Deandre Ayton wrote about playing with Chris Paul and the team culture on the Suns.

Thank you for listening. We will be doing this after every Finals game. If you would like to join us live and are not on Clubhouse, we have a limited number of invites. Respond to this email with your name and phone number and we will try to get you one!

TrueHoop

Breaking down Suns vs. Bucks Game 1