Caitlin Cooper

Hello. I've decided to be someone who talks to NBA head coaches about basketball. Here's a sneak peek of what's coming. Full episode about random offense with a bit of breaking news drops tomorrow 👀

@Koolaidcooling Thanks

@C2_Cooper Beautiful breakdown

The NBA is averaging less two-man game per 100 possessions than any playoffs in the tracking-era. On the decline of empty strong-side corner PnR, challenges for teams w/ like-sized duos, Dennis Schroder, team-building cues, & what it means for the Pacers: patreon.com/posts/on-decli…

@HPbasketball @samfolkk To my knowledge, Samson hasn't even commented on any of this. So I don't really think he deserved that either. In the podcast, we were just trying to discuss basketball and answer a mailbag question about the effects of falling. I don't think I'm superior. Quite the opposite.

@C2_Cooper @samfolkk Fair sorry to mention you

I wrote this in part because so much of the "discourse" I've seen has actually been superior-acting hoops fans looking down on how people dislike OKC. I also wrote it because I think Game 3 was one of the all-time best performances by an NBA champion on their path to a repeat. I tried, at leas, to inject as much praise for OKC as explanation for why everyone is so annoyed by them. One thing I missed, though, that I don't have a good handle on because I'm not cool either, is that they are not cool. That coolness factor I think really kills them, and it's not about the market, it's a feature for OKC as a culture, not a bug.

@Liam_Hundley No, I recorded that in August. Sorry.

@C2_Cooper Do you happen to have this data on this season, or even this postseason? Doesn't feel to me as though OKC get punished in transition by Shai falling but the eye test could be failing me

Broadcasts just said no one talks about the effects of falling in transition. I did. Siakam had one of the fastest fall durations in the NBA when I recorded this. Basically didn’t cost the Pacers anything. SGA had one of the longest.

@HPbasketball @samfolkk That wasn't even about OKC in particular. I was getting the same feedback about a Pacers team last night that isn't even playing in the postseason. Every team is a fraud, win or lose. It's tiresome. That's all I'm pointing out.

@C2_Cooper @samfolkk more the frauds are fraudulent etc. stuff. Not trying to unnecessarily involve you. I have incredible respect for your work like everyone does.

@JamesLiebz The champs are also mid, unless they repeat and without any years in between.

@C2_Cooper The rules of nba twitter are if you don’t win a championship you are mid. There can only be 1 contender ever and all other teams must be mid

never fails

@rockcop10 @BrettneyG90 Just let me romanticize the past! I miss covering the playoffs! I literally said “imo” It is an opinion!

@BrettneyG90 @C2_Cooper Just because the Pacers weren’t in? I argue they make the Playoffs better, but no one misses any team if they don’t qualify.

The ECF misses the Pacers, imo.

@ryansmith1983 @MatNewton Love it when mid teams are up at halftime of Game 7 in the NBA Finals

@MatNewton @C2_Cooper Pacers are also mid

@CliffNyk Not sure the East is going to be full of unbeatable juggernauts, but what’s that have to do with romanticizing the past?

Won’t be back for a while

@JamesLiebz I think the Cavs have been baffling and merely fine for most of all three rounds.

@C2_Cooper Caitlin, we had an 22 point comeback with 7 minutes left in G1. Let’s not pretend it was a snooze fest

@Freshpaps Take me back

@C2_Cooper The finals will too!

@MatNewton They have mostly been merely fine for three rounds

@C2_Cooper The Cavs are a very boring and predictable team in contrast to the Pacers

This is why you subscribe to Basketball, She Wrote

Caitlin, you’re not allowed to be a year ahead of everyone else and also get credit for it. What do you think this is, an ethical meritocracy and not a hellscape?

Here’s the clip. Defensive transition frequency was lower when he fell down.

@zeeshanwar_ You can like whatever you like. I tend to think the reason why the Pacers lost the championship had a lot more to do with a very unfortunate injury and the fact that one of two very good teams was always going to lose.

@C2_Cooper I’m a fan Caitlin but this is a bad take. SGA is embarrassing to watch and his teammates don’t make it better. There’s a reason why discourse against OKC is more negative than anyone else you mentioned. I hate the Thunder and always will. They stole a championship from us.

There was a lot of “Giannis has no bag” talk. Embiid got criticized for not being more like Jokic. Jokic got criticized for not being more like Embiid. And now all that matters about SGA is how much he falls. Only logical conclusion is that all players are frauds, even MVPs.