Pacers backfield double guns destroy the Knights. The underestimated master brews the lower side?

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a lot of superficial effort when talking to the media about the Indiana Pacers last week. They repeatedly talked about the speed of their opponent's offense and defense conversion, insisting that Thales Halliburton was by no means "overrated". But the name Andrew Nemhard has never been mentioned. This may be a media omission.

In this game of losing at home in the first game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Nemhard caused no less damage to the Cavaliers than Halliburton. It was the sophomore defender who disrupted the Cavaliers' rhythm with his extremely oppressive outside defense in Sunday's game and became the stealth pusher for the home team's defeat.

"He made 5 of 6 three-pointers," Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell said in his evaluation of Nemhard, "Key balls are one after another, but that's his routine. He did this last year against the Knicks, almost averaged triple-double when playing against the Celtics. This guy is too difficult... We all know his defensive skills, but when he can also support him on the offensive end, the situation is completely different. "

Data says it all: Nemhard led the Pacers' scoring list with 23 points, made 7 of 10 shots in the game, and made 5 of 6 from outside the three-point line. Halliburton contributed 22 points and 13 assists. But their damage to the Knights is far from fully reflected in the data. Despite no blocking or stealing, Nemhard's close press against the Cavaliers' ball-holder and the continuous interference with the shooter group are everywhere.

Mitchell's memory of Nemhard's playoff performance last season was slightly off - when he played against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last year, the Canadian defender's best three-pointer performance was 3 of 4; and when he played against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals (average of 21 points, 7.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds per game), he was not close to the triple-double level. But it was precisely with his amazing performance in the playoffs last year (especially when Halliburton missed multiple games in the Eastern Conference Finals with a hamstring injury, who scored 32 points and 24 points respectively), that Nemhard won himself the Pacers' contract extension.

Nemhard, 1.96 meters tall, may still be underestimated, after all, he is surrounded by two-time All-Star and Olympic national Haliburton, and another All-Star forward, Pascal Siakam. But when people talk about the Pacers' "Quick Tornado", the point guard is no less effective than any teammate - he can force opponents to speed up on the defensive end, commanding this underrated defensive system to create difficult moves, thus paving the way for the Pacers' best conversion offense.

When the Cavaliers made 9 of 38 shots on 38 shots and the Pacers made 19 of 36 shots in front of you, you can understand where Nemhard's influence comes from. Although there is no steal or block, he can always appear at the tactical starting point, blocking the pass line, and blocking his palm to the Cavaliers' shooter.

Halliburton's threat is far more than scoring and assisting. He can launch a fast attack instantly when he receives the ball, which is the core of the Pacers' "fast-paced" philosophy - not only to make quick moves or runs, but also to his ability to always deliver the ball to his teammates who have arrived in the frontcourt. When the defensive landing was forced into the half-court position, the organization master was able to use the cover to seek out the vast space Mitchell mentioned.

"Their rhythm is not only running speed, but also the art of no-ball movement and conduction," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickstaff analyzed, "Halliburton is like a distribution master on the hockey field. This dynamic offense puts us in trouble in rhythm control and defensive rotation."

In the Anonymous Player Survey of TheAthletic, Halliburton was voted as the "most overrated" player in the league. But the Cavaliers collectively refuted this statement before the game, and they sincerely regarded the Pacer Commander as the most outstanding offensive creator of the contemporary era. At the same time, the whole team will list the "Flash Tornado" in Indiana as the top priority, but the gap between cognition and execution is fully exposed in the first game.

"To be honest, our training intensity can't keep up with this pace at all," Mitchell admitted. For the top seed in the East, this dark game was a disaster: Dalius Garland was absent from the third consecutive game due to a sprained left toe; DeAndre Hunter was fouled by Mathering during a fast break and dislocated his finger; Evan Mobley stepped on Miles Turner and sprained his ankle; even Mitchell, who scored 33 points, staggered in the final quarter.

Although the Cavaliers once smeared the 12-point disadvantage after the midfield adjustment (and still maintained the lead in the first three minutes of the last quarter), the players generally believe that the sluggishness on the offensive end eventually dragged down the defense. Mitchell scored 30+ in the eighth consecutive playoff opening game and became a background board. Sam Merrill, Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome, who replaced Garland, were completely unable to match Nemhard's influence on the field.

The healthy Garland can provide a double-gun threat to the Cavaliers' backcourt, and perhaps more efficient outside projection can limit Nemhard's terrifying hit rate of 70%. But the more realistic option is to adjust the defensive strategy - regardless of whether Garland can make a comeback in G2, the Cavaliers must find a way to limit the 1.96-meter point guard. After all, only a few teams in NBA history can win the championship with a double-short backcourt combination.

The Cavaliers have not been sentenced to death in the first game, but the backcourt combination must play a more balanced and strong performance. Because on this Sunday's battlefield, Halliburton and Nemhard have completely crushed them.

(Text/Kong Yang)